I used to think it was a straight market manipulation to short the market, coupled with a crypto scam.
Here's my latest prediction for the next step: as well as being a geopolitical tool, I think they plan to use Trump's tariffs as a way to funnel more tax revenue into US Government to be directly laundered for themselves personally. The reduced order volume doesn't matter to them because 25%, 50%, 100% or whatever tariff they charge goods and services will go straight to the US government to be compliantly fed into Musk's ever-expanding business interests via government contracts. Some of those in the loop get vested stock options and get to run away with exponentially more money than they would without tariffs. Musk has already paid his dues so probably thinks they owe him.
They already tried to alter an agreement for 480,000 contract to Tesla for armed cybertrucks to be 480,000,000 and backdated it to look like it was agreed by Biden last year.
I expect to see a multi-billion AI contract awarded solely to xAI in the near future.
The Nazi regime chose to build most of their concentration camps in nearby compliant/dominated countries as well.