Donald Trump says he is 'not even thinking' about Elon Musk and claims 'the poor guy's got a problem' after public spat over bill
United States President has take another swipe at his once ally Elon Musk and is reportedly considering selling or giving away his Tesla after the billionaires' public spat.
Musk, who finished his tenure with the administration overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency, lashed the President's signature "big beautiful bill" which would unleash trillions in tax cuts and slash spending but also add to the USD$36 trillion debt.
The disagreement over the bill led to the pair to trade barbs with one another through social media and at the leader of the free world's press conferences.
President Trump on Thursday said he was "disappointed" in Musk who had earlier described the bill as a "disgusting abomination", before the Tesla founder accused the commander-in-chief of being in files relating to dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Asked about the feud on a phone call with CNN, the President kept his response short.
'I'm not even thinking about Elon," he said on Friday (local time).
"He's got a problem. The poor guy's got a problem."
The former The Apprentice boss turned his attention to the jobs report which found 139,000 positions had been added in May, as the labour market continues to slow.
It was a drop on the previous month of 147,000 jobs, with the unemployment rate remaining steady at 4.2 per cent, near historic lows, US media reported.
CNN host Dana Bash then asked the President if he had spoken to Musk.
'No. I won't be speaking to him for a while I guess, but I wish him well," he said.
The bitter has also led to the President to consider selling or even giving away the red Tesla Model S he purchased earlier this year, a senior White House official said.
In a rare and huge favour, the leader of the free world showcased a fleet of Musk's electric vehicles on the White House lawn in March after his dealerships were vandalised across the US by protesters who were against his political views and actions.
Musk has continued to call out the tax and spending bill, saying pushing ahead with it will hurt the Republicans politically and strain the nation's wallet further.
People who have spoken to the Tesla founder said his anger has begun to recede and they think he will want to repair his relationship with President Trump, according to one person who has spoken to Musk's entourage, Reuters reported.
Tesla's stock had plunged 14.3 per cent on Thursday, which was the 11th worst one-day drop for the company since it went public in June 2010.
It rose by 5.6 per cent to $299 as traders sought for bargains, but it is not exactly known how much that played a role in its slow bounce back.
Self-directed individual investors scooped up a net $201.3 million of Tesla stock on Thursday after buying and selling $2.6 billion, Vanda Research estimated, making Tesla the day's second most-actively purchased stock by such investors.
"Tesla has been a favorite holding for this group for a while, so when they see a drop of 14% or more, they jump in and buy," said senior Vice President of research at Vanda, Marco Iachini, noting retail investors' renewed appetite for risk-taking.
Tesla shares, which surged as much as 90 per cent in the six weeks following President Trump's election win, have slipped about 37 per cent since they peaked mid-December.
-with Reuters
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West Australian
38 minutes ago
- West Australian
Trade talks rest on Anthony Albanese's meeting with Donald Trump in Canada
Australia's case for exemptions or relief from American tariffs will rest on Anthony Albanese's meeting next week with US President Donald Trump. Trade Minister Don Farrell had two conversations with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of OECD and World Trade Organisation meetings in Paris last week to press Australia's case, but says it's clear the leaders need to make the final call. Ministers and officials at all levels have consistently been arguing the US shouldn't impose tariffs on Australia because it has a trade surplus here, selling more to Australians than it buys each year. The Trump administration has so far imposed hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, which have just risen to 50 per cent, and also slugged Australia with a 10 per cent so-called reciprocal tariff despite Australia not having tariffs on any US goods. Mr Albanese and Senator Farrell have repeatedly said the imposts are not the actions of a friend. Nevertheless, Senator Farrell said he'd had a 'friendly discussion' with Mr Greer but the final decision would be made at a higher level. 'He certainly made it clear that these are ultimately decisions that the President of the United States will make,' the minister told Sky News on Sunday. 'But I certainly haven't given up on the prospect of getting these tariffs removed, and every opportunity I get, I'll continue to pursue that argument with the United States.' Mr Albanese has flagged he expects to meet Mr Trump for the first time on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Canada next weekend. The Government is in the final stages of a review of the rules around American beef imports, with Trump administration figures repeatedly raising Australia's 'ban' on US meat as one of their trade gripes. Australia has biosecurity restrictions on the import of Canadian and Mexican beef that is slaughtered in the US and Mr Albanese has insisted his Government will not risk the safety of local agriculture by relaxing rules. The UK has secured exemptions from some of the US tariffs by striking a new deal that in part allows greater market access for American beef. Shadow finance minister James Paterson pointed to the UK deal as a measure of the success of Mr Albanese's imminent meeting with Mr Trump. '(UK Prime Minister) Keir Starmer has now achieved a partial exemption from the steel and aluminium tariffs, and Australia is at least as good an ally of the United States as the United Kingdom is and so there's no reason why the Prime Minister shouldn't at least be able to secure that exemption,' Senator Paterson told ABC's Insiders. 'I'm just saying that Keir Starmer proves that it is possible to get an exemption. It is not an impossible task.' Senator Farrell said the main topic of discussions with counterparts at the WTO and OECD was ensuring other countries didn't increase their protectionism in the face of the US moves. He pointed out Australia hadn't his China with counter-imposts when it imposed trade barriers on goods such as wine, barley and lobster, and nor had it retaliate against the US. 'I think there's a move around the world to push the case for less protectionism and more free and fair trade,' he said. 'I'm hopeful that those countries around the world who do believe in free and fair trade can reach agreement to extend free trade agreements across the globe so that, irrespective of what the Americans might choose to do, we have a greater diversity of trading partners.'
9 News
an hour ago
- 9 News
The Washington power couple straddling the Trump-Musk feud
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here They're the Washington couple at the centre of power in the Trump administration. They're also straddling opposing sides of an explosive breakup between US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk . CNN reported last week that Katie Miller, the wife of Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff, would be departing her senior role at the White House as a top spokesperson and adviser for Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. She was on her way to work for Musk as he went back to running his companies, helping the tech titan manage and arrange interviews unrelated to his time in government. Washington power couple - Katie Miller and her husband Stephen Miller. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty/CNN) But days later, amid the smoldering ruin of Musk and Trump's epic meltdown on Thursday over social media, that job suddenly took on a whole new layer. Among the attacks both men lobbed at each other was Musk endorsing the possibility of impeaching Trump and installing Vice President JD Vance in his place. Trump, in turn, raised the possibility of terminating federal contracts for Musk's companies. The episode has left the Millers on conflicting sides of the biggest breakup of Trump's second term, spawning gossip among White House aides and rounds of speculation about how the fallout could impact the political fortunes of one of the most powerful couples in Trump's Washington, where loyalty reigns. Elon Musk, centre, and Stephen Miller, right, during a meeting in the Oval Office in February. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg/Getty/CNN) "Everyone is talking about it," a former Trump staffer told CNN. Katie Miller was in Texas last week for the series of interviews Musk held with space and technology journalists as SpaceX's Starship had its ninth test flight. It was there that Musk first delicately expressed he was "disappointed" in the Republican's domestic policy bill in an interview with CBS News. Her X account is now a steady stream of laudatory posts about Musk and his companies, with a banner photo of a SpaceX rocket launching into space and a biography that says, "wife of @stephenm." Her only social media post on Friday was a reply with laughing emojis to an altered photo of her husband as a Home Depot employee attached to a post about immigration raids on the chain's stores. Elon Musk and his son X Æ accompanied by Katie Miller at the US Capitol Building in May. (via CNN) One former colleague told CNN that she will ultimately need to make a choice. "She has a choice between Elon and Trump, but it can't be both," the administration official said. Musk unfollowed Stephen Miller on X on Thursday, although both Millers continued following Musk on the platform into Friday. There are divided views on how the situation will impact Stephen Miller's ascendance. Stephen Miller was a part of Trump's first administration. (AP) Among Trump's closest advisers, many believe he is surpassed in power only by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, fueling speculation among some over whether he could take over should Wiles decide to move on. "This whole thing will definitely make that more complicated," one senior White House official told CNN. "Katie being paid by Elon is not good for Stephen." Another senior White House official strongly pushed back on the idea that this episode with Musk would impact Miller in any way with the President. "Next to Susie, Trump trusts and relies on Stephen the most," the official said, adding that the President and top brass were understanding that his wife working for Musk had nothing to do with Stephen or the current state of events. Katie Miller declined to comment for this story. The Millers attend a state dinner in Washington to honour then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. (Alastair Pike/AFP/Getty Images via CNN) Deeply connected and influential in Republican circles and at the highest levels of government, Stephen Miller and Katie Miller (née Waldman) met during Trump's first term in 2018. He was a senior adviser and speechwriter at the White House; she was on the Department of Homeland Security's public affairs team and on her way to becoming then-Vice President Mike Pence's communications director. He developed a reputation as the architect of some of the administration's most hardline immigration policies, becoming an influential and trusted aide in the Trump orbit. She developed her own reputation as a staunch supporter of those policies, once reflecting on a trip to the US-Mexico border as the administration came under fire for its child separation policy. "My family and colleagues told me that when I have kids I'll think about the separations differently. But I don't think so … DHS sent me to the border to see the separations for myself – to try to make me more compassionate – but it didn't work," Miller told NBC News journalist Jacob Soboroff in an interview for his book, "Separated." The pair married at Trump's Washington, DC, hotel in February 2020. Trump attended the wedding. In the four years after Trump left office, both set their sights on a Trump return to the White House. Stephen Miller launched a conservative nonprofit group, America First Legal Foundation, that served in part as a prelude to the policy of Trump's second term. Katie Miller headed to the private sector, where she consulted a number of major companies, including Apple. They were also raising three young children. Stephen Miller returned to the White House in January with a vast mandate, deeply involved in many of the president's signature policy initiatives and further empowered from the first term. Katie Miller joined the administration as well, working on behalf of DOGE and Musk, who had become a new figure in the Trump orbit after being an active campaign surrogate and 2024 megadonor. Like Musk, Katie Miller was working at the White House as a "Special Government Employee", which limits the number of days one can work within the administration. As their professional lives intertwined, the couple also became personally close with Musk, socialising outside of work. In the heat of the Thursday afternoon social media showdown, Stephen Miller had been scheduled to appear on Larry Kudlow's show on Fox Business Network – an appearance that was canceled. "We lost Mr Miller to a meeting in the Oval Office. Perfectly understandable. When I was in government, it would happen all the time. We'd have to kill a TV show. You're at the president's beck and call," Kudlow said during his eponymous broadcast. This is not the first time Trump has divided a marital relationship. During his first term, Trump lashed out at the husband of one of his top advisers, Kellyanne Conway. Her husband, George Conway, had been intensely critical of Trump on social media. "He's a whack job. There's no question about it. But I really don't know him," Trump said at the time of George Conway. "I think he's doing a tremendous disservice to a wonderful wife." In 2023, the couple announced they were filing for divorce. George Conway, a prolific user of Musk's X platform and ardent anti-Trump figure, posted dozens of times about the Trump-Musk spat. "Does anyone have any updates on Katie Miller?" he asked Thursday evening. Donald Trump elon musk US POLITICS USA World CONTACT US Property News: The last inner Sydney suburbs where houses cost under $2m.
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Trade talks between Australia and US 'ultimately a matter for President Trump' says Trade Minister Don Farrell ahead of G7 Summit
The fate of trade negotiations between Australia and the United States lies solely in the hands of President Donald Trump as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares for their meeting at the G7 Summit. Despite repeated diplomatic efforts across multiple channels, no exemption has been secured from sweeping US tariffs on Australian goods. Speaking to Sky News Sunday Agenda, Trade Minister Don Farrell said the Albanese government had used 'a range of ways' to reach out to Washington. 'The United States Ambassador (Kevin) Rudd obviously does it. All of our ministers make contact with their equivalents in the United States,' he said. But after multiple high-level meetings with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer failed to yield progress, it's become clear the decision appears to lie with Trump alone. Mr Farrell suggested that even while Mr Greer might hold sympathetic views, the final decision rests with President Trump himself. 'He certainly made it clear that these are ultimately decisions that the President of the United States will make,' Mr Farrell said. 'Look, it was a friendly discussion. It wasn't a difficult discussion in terms of the relationship between us. 'We have the opportunity to continue to talk with Jamieson and Commerce Secretary (Howard) Lutnick to put our case across that these tariffs… are simply unjustified.' Mr Farrell stressed that the personal relationship between Mr Albanese and Mr Trump would now be 'most important' in shaping the future of trade ties. The pair are expected to meet in Kananaskis, Canada, between June 15 and 17—marking their first in-person encounter. 'Every meeting I think between an Australian Prime Minister and a US President will always be a critical meeting,' Mr Farrell said. 'I have the greatest confidence in our Prime Minister to push the Australian point of view on this issue.' Trade relations between the two countries have recently been strained by a series of escalating US tariffs, including the doubling of steel tariffs from 25 to 50 per cent. President Trump has also announced a 100 per cent tariff on foreign films and a blanket 10 per cent tariff on all foreign goods. A proposed exemption for Australia in exchange for expanded access to critical minerals was scrapped by trade advisor Peter Navarro, according to sources. Mr Farrell said that he would not 'speculate on what might or might not have occurred' but acknowledged that a critical minerals deal was offered. Meanwhile, Australia is considering easing biosecurity restrictions to allow US beef imports, a sensitive issue being managed delicately by Mr Farrell. Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Tim Wilson weighed in on the challenges ahead for Mr Albanese, urging him to stand firm in representing Australia's interests. 'I always expect Australia's Prime Minister to go into a meeting with any foreign leader and always stand up for Australia's national interest,' Mr Wilson said. 'We need to be clear-eyed about our Prime Minister doing and standing up for our national interest. 'And part of that is making sure we're brokering the partnerships on defence arrangements so that we can stand up for our own sovereignty.' US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has called on Australia to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, up from the 2.33 per cent projected by 2033. Mr Albanese has not ruled out further defence investment, but maintains any additional spending must be aligned with specific needs—not what he calls 'arbitrary targets'.
