Trump’s Favorite Poem Now Haunts Him

Conservative commentator Charlie Sykes recently highlighted a striking parallel between Donald Trump’s current conflict with Elon Musk and a poem the former president frequently recited during his 2016 campaign. The poem, “The Snake” by civil rights activist Oscar Brown Jr., tells the story of a woman who nurses a frozen snake back to health, only to be fatally bitten by it. Sykes argues the poem’s central message – that inherent nature cannot be changed, regardless of kindness received – is powerfully relevant to the escalating feud between Trump and Musk.

Trump repeatedly used “The Snake” at rallies, adapting it to demonize immigrants, even altering the ending to emphasize a pre-existing malicious intent: “You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in!” This appropriation drew criticism from Brown Jr.’s daughters, who accused Trump of misrepresenting their father’s message and pointedly stated he was the snake the poem described.

The current dispute stems from Musk’s criticism of a spending bill and accusations of dishonesty leveled at Trump, prompting threats from the former president to terminate government subsidies and contracts for Musk’s companies. While Trump briefly claimed he wasn’t “even thinking” about Musk, Sykes anticipates a swift return to aggressive tactics.

Sykes’s analysis centers on the predictable dynamic within Trump’s political sphere. He posits that Trump’s base, MAGA, will ultimately side with the former president, and that retaliatory measures against Musk – potentially including a Department of Justice investigation – are highly probable.

The situation feels particularly telling because it underscores a pattern of behavior. Trump’s willingness to embrace allies and then swiftly turn on them when perceived slights occur is well-documented. The “Snake” poem, in this context, isn’t just a literary reference; it’s a pointed commentary on a consistent character trait. It’s a cynical, but perhaps accurate, observation that Trump’s inherent tendencies toward retribution will likely override any temporary reconciliation with Musk. The entire episode serves as a stark reminder that, in the world of Trumpian politics, predictable patterns often prevail.