Trump v Musk: The big, beautiful bust-up everyone knew was coming
And so, in the end, it was the big, beautiful bill that prompted the big, beautiful bust-up almost everyone knew was coming.
Ever since the Trump and Musk alliance was formed almost a year ago, megalomaniac watchers the world over have been asking when and how it would end.
Now we have our answer; 137 days into Trump's presidency and with the fire-powered ferocity of one of Musk's rocket launches.
At times, it felt voyeuristic to watch, the kind of rubbernecking that takes place with the ugliest of celebrity breakups. It's a Brangelina inside the beltway, but with implications far beyond it.
Because Musk was as close to the president as anyone outside his own family. He spent weekends living at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, his mum attended parties there, his son wiped his bogies on the resolute desk. But like so many domestic disputes, it got very messy, very quickly.
As always when Trump has something to say, he waits for the inevitable question. It came immediately after his meeting inside the Oval Office with German Chancellor Freidrich Merz. A journalist asked about Musk's criticism of his "big, beautiful" bill.
Trump saw his opening. "I've always liked Elon. I'd rather have him criticise me than the bill," he said, quickly noting that he and Musk had a great relationship. "I don't know if we will anymore," he added.
Less than half an hour later, a post on X by Musk made it very apparent that they would, indeed, no longer have a great relationship.
"Without me, Trump would have lost the election," he wrote. It was a torpedo that unleashed an, at times, unhinged back and forth including an unfounded allegation from Musk about Trump being part of the "Epstein files".
Just a week after Trump presented Musk with a golden key in a grand farewell, Musk was burning the house down.
But this break up will affect everyone involved, not to mention the American public. Brand Trump will be damaged by the loss of Musk's endorsement and loyalty.
5:17
Republican politicians will be wary of angering Musk by voting for Trump's spending bill. The world's richest man has shown he is willing to put his money on the line in election races and the midterms are looming.
The government's reliance on Musk's companies is also huge. Space X is the key player in space exploration and Musk has been providing invaluable advice to the White House on artificial intelligence and electric vehicles. What will now happen to the Department of Government efficiency?
1:48
Meanwhile shares are down significantly at all of Musk's companies with Trump likely to seek vengeance. There could also be an investigation, now, into allegations that Musk's drug use while in government was out of control.
There are so many unknowns and one certainty - there are no winners here, apart from the comedians who trade in jokes about this pair of impulsive billionaires.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
39 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Trump to send National Guard to Los Angeles after violent anti-ICE protests
Donald Trump has ordered the National Guard onto the streets of Los Angeles after a second day of violent protests against his immigration policies. Protesters on Saturday confronted federal immigration officers who had been carrying out raids on local businesses in Paramount, on the outskirts of LA. Border Patrol officers in riot gear and masks deployed tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse demonstrators outside an industrial park where federal vehicles were targeted. Protesters used cement blocks and shopping carts to block the road and jeered at officers, shouting at them to get Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers (ICE) 'out of Paramount'. 'We see you for what you are,' they shouted, and 'You are not welcome here'. One handheld sign read, 'No Human Being is Illegal.' Tom Homan, the White House's border czar, told Fox News on Saturday that the National Guard will be sent to the city as the protests continued to escalate. 'We are going to bring the National Guard in tonight,' Mr Homan said. 'American people, this is about enforcing the law – and again, we're not going to apologise for doing it.' It follows a protest outside a detention centre in down-town LA on Friday night during which dozens of people were arrested as they demonstrated against a series of ICE raids on workplaces earlier in the day. LA's mayor, Karen Bass, a Democrat, provoked fury from Republicans after she claimed that activity by ICE was meant to 'sow terror' in the nation's second-largest city. ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons attacked Ms Bass for the city's response to the protests. 'Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement,' Mr Lyons said. 'Make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation's immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens.' ICE had taken 40 people into custody earlier on Friday after searching multiple locations including a clothing warehouse in the city's fashion district. A tense scene unfolded as a crowd tried to block agents from driving away. Advocates for immigrants' rights said people had also been taken into detention after being stopped by ICE officers outside Home Depot stores and a doughnut shop. The action came after a judge found probable cause that an employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the US Attorney's Office. Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, posted a message on social media addressing 'LA rioters' and warning that interference with immigration enforcement would not be tolerated. 'You will not stop us or slow us down,' Ms Noem said on X, adding that ICE 'will enforce the law' and that 'if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.' Dan Bongino, the FBI Deputy Director, confirmed multiple arrests had been made on Friday. He posted on X: 'You bring chaos, and we'll bring handcuffs. Law and order will prevail.' DHS said in a statement that recent ICE operations in LA resulted in the arrest of 118 immigrants. Following the Friday arrests, protesters gathered in the evening outside a federal detention centre, chanting, 'Set them free, let them stay!' Some held signs with anti-ICE slogans, and some people scrawled graffiti on the building. Among those arrested at the protests was David Huerta, regional president of the Service Employees International Union. Justice Department spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy confirmed that he was being held on Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in LA ahead of a court appearance on Monday. It was not clear whether Mr Huerta had legal representation. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate Minority leader, called for his immediate release. In a social media post, Mr Schumer cited a 'disturbing pattern of arresting and detaining American citizens for exercising their right to free speech.' The immigration arrests come as Mr Trump and his administration push to fulfil promises of mass deportations across the country.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
George Orwell estate accused of censorship after putting trigger warning at start of Nineteen Eighty-Four
George Orwell's estate has been accused of censorship after a 'trigger warning' was added to his classic novel Nineteen Eighty Four. The preface of the the 75th anniversary edition suggests Orwell's protagonist Winston Smith is 'problematic' and that readers may find his views on women 'despicable'. The introductory essay was written by US novelist Dolen Perkins-Valdez and critics claim it risks undermining the revolutionary novel's warning against state control of thought. Orwell's dystopian hyperbolic future is set under an authoritarian regime, where citizens are punished by the 'Thought Police' for subversive thoughts. It follows Winston Smith and a minor bureaucrat who secretly rebels against the regime with Julia, a fellow party member. But their doomed affair comes to an end and the hearts of readers are broken when they are arrested, tortured and brainwashed into betraying one another. The novel has been hailed as one of the most influential pieces of literature of all time. Now, the author's estate has been accused of ideological policing. US writer Walter Kirn said on the podcast America this Week: 'We're getting someone to actually convict George Orwell himself of thought crime. 'We're not yet in a world where books and classic books are being excised or eliminated,' Kirn added, but warned the Orwell estate-approved edition of 1984 had been 'published with an apology for itself'. The book already had a foreword written by American novelist Thomas Pynchon, leading Mr Kirn to question why a second was needed. 'These people felt they needed an introduction before the old white man's introduction. So this version of 1984 has a trigger warning!' He called it 'the most 1984-ish thing I've ever f***ing read'. Ms Perkins-Valdez wrote she was enjoying the novel until Winston revelas himself to be a 'problematic' character who 'disliked nearly all women, and especially the young and pretty ones.' She added the novel doesn't address race and as a black woman she found it difficult to connect with the characters. The anniversary edition of the 1949 classic is published by Berkley Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
White House warns Downing Street against letting China build 'super embassy' near sensitive financial sites
The Oval Office has urged Downing Street against giving a Chinese embassy the green light to be built near London financial centres. Previously, proposals for the 'super-embassy' were rejected by the Conservative government amid concerns from British intelligence. However, the plans have been reintroduced following lobbying from China 's very own President Xi Jinping. But fresh warning have since emerged, as due to the Royal Mint Court's locality to a sensitive hub of essential communication cables, it poses a great risk for an attack. The suggested site is also situated between several major financial hubs in Canary Wharf and the City as well as three crucial data centres. It is understood US President Donald Trump has warned Sir Keir Starmer against giving the embassy the go-ahead. The matter is believed to have been discussed during trade talks, as Britain and its Atlantic allies discuss how they will implement a trade deal to avoid UK steel producers being lumbered with 50 percent import tariffs by July 9. According to the Times, US diplomats would be trepidatious about sharing intelligence with Britain if the embassy went ahead. A senior US official told the publication: 'The United States is deeply concerned about providing China with potential access to the sensitive communications of one of our closest allies.' It comes after a claims 'dark cabling' running beneath the proposed site 'feeds the City of London' were given in a memo to the United States' National Security Council by members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac). John Moolenaar, the Republican head of the House of Representatives' China committee said if these reports were 'accurate' that the site would 'pose an unacceptable risk' to both the UK and US. 'The Chinese Communist Party has a clear track record of targeting critical infrastructure.' he said. 'This development would raise serious concerns in the United States and could be viewed as an act of strategic overreach by Beijing and a curious error in judgment by London.' The executive director of IPAC, Luke de Pulford dubbed the matter as a 'flashpoint' in US-UK trade talks, adding that it was 'staggering' the White House had to corroborate the cabling risk to 'defend its own financial system. 'It's time to send Xi Jinping a clear message: no matter the pressure or coercion, the UK and US won't trade away national security, and this embassy isn't happening,' he said. China has been attempting to revise plans for the Royal Mint building, which neighbour the Tower of London, since they were purchased in 2018. It is believed the Chines foreign minister, Wang Yi, brought up the matter with foreign secretary, David Lammy, while visiting London last year. According to The Times, President Xi had also discussed the same issue with the Prime Minister in a phone conversation. The proposal for the embassy, which would be China's largest in Europe, was previously rejected by Tower Hamlets council in 2022. But two weeks after Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves came back from a visit to China earlier this year, both the council's and Scotland Yard's objections were dropped. Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, described China as a 'dangerous threat to the national and economic security of our country'. She said the Conservative party continued to stand 'firmly' against the embassy proposals, stating her party would never put the UK's 'financial centre or country at risk.' Next Monday, three of Trump's aides are scheduled to meet with their Chinese peers in London for discussions in a bid to solve the current trade war between the two economic powerhouses. The Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, the commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and the trade representative Jamieson Greer will act as representatives for the US, Trump has declared on Truth Social. Yesterday, China 's foreign ministry confirmed vice-premier He Lifeng will be on British shores from June 8 until June 13, adding that talks would with the US would take place. Previously, a Chinese embassy spokesperson has quashed spy allegations, stating: 'Anti-China elements are always keen on slandering and attacking China.' A government spokesman said: 'Applications for a new Chinese embassy in Tower Hamlets have been called in for ministers to decide. A final decision will be made in due course.'
