Trump's advice to Macron after airplane shoving video: 'Make sure the door remains closed'
President Donald Trump offered some advice for French President Emmanuel Macron after a video of Macron's wife apparently shoving him in the face in front of an open plane door went viral: "Make sure the door remains closed."
Trump downplayed the incident when asked about it May 30 during an Oval Office event.
"He's fine too. They're fine," Trump said. "They're two really good people I know them very well."
Macron called speculation about the incident with his wife, Brigitte Macron, "nonsense," saying it showed the couple "joking around." The clip was taken after the couple landed in Hanoi, Vietnam, as part of their Southeast Asia tour.
Trump brought Elon Musk into the Oval Office May 30 to praise his work with the Department of Government Efficiency as the billionaire steps away from the job. Musk had a black eye, which he said was delivered by his young son.
"I wasn't anywhere near France," Musk joked.
Contributing: Nicole Fallert
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump downplays video of Emmanuel Macron's wife shoving him
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Hamilton Spectator
37 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Trump, frustrated with some judges, lashes out at former ally and conservative activist Leonard Leo
NEW YORK (AP) — Conservative legal activist Leonard Leo helped President Donald Trump transform the federal judiciary in his first term. He closely advised Trump on his Supreme Court picks and is widely credited as the architect of the conservative majority responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade. But Trump last week lashed out at Leo, blaming his former adviser and the group Leo used to head for encouraging him to appoint judges who are now blocking his agenda. Trump called Leo, the former longtime leader of the conservative Federalist Society, a 'real 'sleazebag'' and 'bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America.' Trump's broadsides came after a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade blocked his sweeping tariffs, ruling that he had overstepped his authority when he invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to declare a national emergency and levy tariffs on imports from almost every country in the world. While an appeals court soon intervened and allowed the administration to continue collecting the tariffs while the legal fight plays out, the decision — and Trump's fury at Leo — underscored the extent to which the judiciary is serving as a rare check on Trump's power as he pushes the bounds of executive authority. The judiciary has intervened as he has ordered mass deportations, deep cuts to university funding and the firing of federal workers en masse. Trump's words reflect his broad frustrations with the judiciary, including members of the Supreme Court he appointed on Leo's recommendation, who have allowed some of his more controversial efforts to move forward, but blocked others. Trump's rhetoric also appeared to be a tactic to shift blame for setbacks to his agenda — this time notably pointing the finger at a person who once helped Trump build credibility with conservative voters. But it's unclear what — if anything — Leo had to do with the tariff decision. Leo said that neither he nor the Federalist Society was involved in shaping appointments to the trade court. He offered only praise for Trump. 'I'm very grateful for President Trump transforming the Federal Courts, and it was a privilege being involved,' he said in a statement. 'There's more work to be done, for sure, but the Federal Judiciary is better than it's ever been in modern history, and that will be President Trump's most important legacy.' Trump's attacks Trump's fury came via Truth Social after the court tried to halt the central plank of the president's economic agenda: sweeping tariffs that have rattled global financial markets, dismayed longtime trading partners, and prompted warnings about higher prices and inflation. In response, Trump issued a lengthy and angry missive criticizing the judges behind the decision, accusing them of 'destroying America' and saying he hoped the Supreme Court would quickly reverse 'this horrible, Country threatening decision.' Trump then referred to his first term as president, saying he 'was new to Washington, and it was suggested that I use The Federalist Society as a recommending source on Judges. I did so, openly and freely, but then realized that they were under the thumb of a real 'sleazebag' named Leonard Leo, a bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America, and obviously has his own separate ambitions.' 'I am so disappointed in The Federalist Society because of the bad advice they gave me on numerous Judicial Nominations,' he wrote. 'This is something that cannot be forgotten!' He added: 'Backroom 'hustlers' must not be allowed to destroy our Nation!' Some conservatives, including legal scholars, have been among those pushing back against Trump's trade wars, arguing the Constitution makes clear the power of the purse belongs to Congress, not the president. In April, the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonprofit group that Bloomberg Law reported is affiliated with Leo and Charles Koch, filed a separate lawsuit challenging Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports , also accusing him of acting in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. That move earned the ire of prominent Trump backers like Laura Loomer, who accused both Leo and the Federalist Society of working to undermine the president. The panel Trump assailed included judges appointed by Presidents Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as well as Timothy Reif, whom Trump nominated to the trade court during his first term. Reif, a Democrat, had previously worked for the U.S. Trade Representative in both the Obama and Trump administrations. In a questionnaire submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of his confirmation process, Reif described working on a long list of Democratic campaigns. He volunteered on Edward Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1980, driving the press van in Kennedy's motorcade. He served as press secretary for John Lindsay's Senate campaign in 1980 and volunteered for New Jersey Rep. Rush Holt's reelection effort in 2000, when his responsibilities included 'driving and accompanying candidate's mother to campaign events.' He also volunteered for John Kerry in 2024 and Obama in 2008, and donated small amounts years ago to the Clintons and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He appears to have participated in one Federalist Society-affiliated event : a panel on international trade in 2011 held by the Georgetown Law Student Chapter. The Federalist Society and Reif did not respond to requests for comment Friday. The White House did not respond to questions about why Trump blamed Leo and the Federalist Society for the decision, but Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, doubled down, calling Leo 'a bad person who cares more about his personal ambitions than our country.' 'These judges must ditch their corrupt allegiance to Leonard and do the right thing for the American people before they completely destroy the credibility of our judicial branch,' she said. Who is Leonard Leo? Leo is not a household name, but few people have done more to advance conservative legal causes in the U.S. via a sprawling network of conservative groups. Decades ago, he began to execute a plan to build a pipeline for conservative talent, working to identify, support and promote law school students and lawyers who shared his originalist view of the Constitution, and helping them reach the nation's most powerful courts. Such efforts have reshaped the courts and Republican politics , culminating in Trump's first term with the appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices . Leo's work also has prompted protests outside his home. The Federalist Society got its start on college campuses when Reagan was president. It was conceived as a way to counter what its members saw as liberal domination of the nation's law-school faculties. During his 2016 campaign, as Trump worked to win over social conservatives wary of electing a thrice-married New York businessman, he promised that the Federalist Society would oversee his judicial nominations, assuring their non-liberal bona fides. 'We're going to have great judges, conservative, all picked by the Federalist Society,' Trump told Breitbart News radio. And indeed, all three of the Supreme Court Justices Trump went on to nominate had appeared on a list famously compiled by Leo, who took a leave of absence as executive vice president of the society to serve as an outside adviser in the selection process. Leo has since stepped back from the Federalist Society and is now working to extend his reach beyond the courts with the Teneo Network , which he has described as an effort to 'crush liberal dominance' and create pipelines of conservative talent 'in all sectors of American life,' including Hollywood, entertainment, business and finance. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Washington Post
39 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Trump, frustrated with some judges, lashes out at former ally and conservative activist Leonard Leo
NEW YORK — Conservative legal activist Leonard Leo helped President Donald Trump transform the federal judiciary in his first term. He closely advised Trump on his Supreme Court picks and is widely credited as the architect of the conservative majority responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade. But Trump last week lashed out at Leo, blaming his former adviser and the group Leo used to head for encouraging him to appoint judges who are now blocking his agenda. Trump called Leo, the former longtime leader of the conservative Federalist Society, a 'real 'sleazebag'' and 'bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America.' Trump's broadsides came after a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade blocked his sweeping tariffs, ruling that he had overstepped his authority when he invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to declare a national emergency and levy tariffs on imports from almost every country in the world. While an appeals court soon intervened and allowed the administration to continue collecting the tariffs while the legal fight plays out, the decision — and Trump's fury at Leo — underscored the extent to which the judiciary is serving as a rare check on Trump's power as he pushes the bounds of executive authority. The judiciary has intervened as he has ordered mass deportations, deep cuts to university funding and the firing of federal workers en masse. Trump's words reflect his broad frustrations with the judiciary, including members of the Supreme Court he appointed on Leo's recommendation, who have allowed some of his more controversial efforts to move forward, but blocked others. Trump's rhetoric also appeared to be a tactic to shift blame for setbacks to his agenda — this time notably pointing the finger at a person who once helped Trump build credibility with conservative voters. But it's unclear what — if anything — Leo had to do with the tariff decision. Leo said that neither he nor the Federalist Society was involved in shaping appointments to the trade court. He offered only praise for Trump. 'I'm very grateful for President Trump transforming the Federal Courts, and it was a privilege being involved,' he said in a statement. 'There's more work to be done, for sure, but the Federal Judiciary is better than it's ever been in modern history, and that will be President Trump's most important legacy.' Trump's fury came via Truth Social after the court tried to halt the central plank of the president's economic agenda: sweeping tariffs that have rattled global financial markets, dismayed longtime trading partners, and prompted warnings about higher prices and inflation. In response, Trump issued a lengthy and angry missive criticizing the judges behind the decision, accusing them of 'destroying America' and saying he hoped the Supreme Court would quickly reverse 'this horrible, Country threatening decision.' Trump then referred to his first term as president, saying he 'was new to Washington, and it was suggested that I use The Federalist Society as a recommending source on Judges. I did so, openly and freely, but then realized that they were under the thumb of a real 'sleazebag' named Leonard Leo, a bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America, and obviously has his own separate ambitions.' 'I am so disappointed in The Federalist Society because of the bad advice they gave me on numerous Judicial Nominations,' he wrote. 'This is something that cannot be forgotten!' He added: 'Backroom 'hustlers' must not be allowed to destroy our Nation!' Some conservatives, including legal scholars, have been among those pushing back against Trump's trade wars, arguing the Constitution makes clear the power of the purse belongs to Congress, not the president. In April, the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonprofit group that Bloomberg Law reported is affiliated with Leo and Charles Koch, filed a separate lawsuit challenging Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports , also accusing him of acting in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. That move earned the ire of prominent Trump backers like Laura Loomer, who accused both Leo and the Federalist Society of working to undermine the president. The panel Trump assailed included judges appointed by Presidents Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as well as Timothy Reif, whom Trump nominated to the trade court during his first term. Reif, a Democrat, had previously worked for the U.S. Trade Representative in both the Obama and Trump administrations. In a questionnaire submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of his confirmation process, Reif described working on a long list of Democratic campaigns. He volunteered on Edward Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1980, driving the press van in Kennedy's motorcade. He served as press secretary for John Lindsay's Senate campaign in 1980 and volunteered for New Jersey Rep. Rush Holt's reelection effort in 2000, when his responsibilities included 'driving and accompanying candidate's mother to campaign events.' He also volunteered for John Kerry in 2024 and Obama in 2008, and donated small amounts years ago to the Clintons and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He appears to have participated in one Federalist Society-affiliated event : a panel on international trade in 2011 held by the Georgetown Law Student Chapter. The Federalist Society and Reif did not respond to requests for comment Friday. The White House did not respond to questions about why Trump blamed Leo and the Federalist Society for the decision, but Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, doubled down, calling Leo 'a bad person who cares more about his personal ambitions than our country.' 'These judges must ditch their corrupt allegiance to Leonard and do the right thing for the American people before they completely destroy the credibility of our judicial branch,' she said. Leo is not a household name, but few people have done more to advance conservative legal causes in the U.S. via a sprawling network of conservative groups. Decades ago, he began to execute a plan to build a pipeline for conservative talent, working to identify, support and promote law school students and lawyers who shared his originalist view of the Constitution, and helping them reach the nation's most powerful courts. Such efforts have reshaped the courts and Republican politics , culminating in Trump's first term with the appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices . Leo's work also has prompted protests outside his home. The Federalist Society got its start on college campuses when Reagan was president. It was conceived as a way to counter what its members saw as liberal domination of the nation's law-school faculties. During his 2016 campaign, as Trump worked to win over social conservatives wary of electing a thrice-married New York businessman, he promised that the Federalist Society would oversee his judicial nominations, assuring their non-liberal bona fides. 'We're going to have great judges, conservative, all picked by the Federalist Society,' Trump told Breitbart News radio. And indeed, all three of the Supreme Court Justices Trump went on to nominate had appeared on a list famously compiled by Leo, who took a leave of absence as executive vice president of the society to serve as an outside adviser in the selection process. Leo has since stepped back from the Federalist Society and is now working to extend his reach beyond the courts with the Teneo Network , which he has described as an effort to 'crush liberal dominance' and create pipelines of conservative talent 'in all sectors of American life,' including Hollywood, entertainment, business and finance.
CBS News
41 minutes ago
- CBS News
Elon Musk on DOGE and why he doesn't want to "take responsibility for everything the administration's doing"
Elon Musk on DOGE and his work in and out of government Elon Musk on DOGE and his work in and out of government Elon Musk on DOGE and his work in and out of government In the beginning, Donald Trump and Elon Musk got along great. "He is a truly incredible guy," Trump said at a campaign rally last October, "and I don't say that that often." Musk spent $288 million to elect Trump and his allies. The president invited Musk into the Oval Office and Cabinet meetings. Musk called himself "first buddy." Mr. Trump welcomed Musk's idea to create a Department of Government Efficiency. ["You gotta give him credit!" the president told reporters.] Musk demonstrated his goals for DOGE by wielding a chainsaw at a February meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference. "This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy!" he bellowed. Elon Musk holds a chainsaw reading "Long live freedom, damn it" during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on February 20, 2025. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images In four months, DOGE took the chainsaw to every federal department: 250,000 workers were fired or bought out; Musk even slashed grants and staffing at environmental agencies, like the EPA and NOAA, after decades of warning about the risks of climate change. But Musk did not enjoy the pushback. There were acts of violence; death threats; lawsuits; mandatory re-hirings; and shouting matches with Cabinet members. Tesla profits plummeted by 71%—and Musk's net worth dropped by $100 billion. Last month, Musk finally left Washington, but still intended to work on DOGE a day or two a week. And this past Tuesday, he offered "Sunday Morning" an interview at SpaceX's headquarters near Brownsville, at the southern tip of Texas. "It's a bit unfair" We knew we were in the right neighborhood when we saw a huge bust of Musk, installed by his admirers—and vandalized by his critics. A vandalized bust of Elon Musk outside his SpaceX facility in southern Texas. CBS News But the interview didn't get off to a smooth start. I asked, "I noticed that all of your businesses involve a lot of components, a lot of parts. Do the tariffs and the trade wars affect any of this?" "You know, tariffs always affect things a little bit," Musk replied. "I'm wondering what your thought is on the ban on foreign students, the proposal. I mean, you were one of those kids, right?" "Yeah. I mean, I think we wanna stick to, you know, the subject of the day, which is, like, spaceships, as opposed to, you know, presidential policy," Musk said. "Oh, okay," I said. "I was told anything is good, but…" "No, well—no," Musk replied. Correspondent David Pogue and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who says he is stepping away from his White House role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). CBS News But Musk was willing to talk about the DOGE firestorm. I asked him, "You've spoken about how much of a grind and a stress it was on you, and you know, Tesla's reputation took a hit, your reputation took a hit. People are very upset about [effects on] Social Security, and national parks, and air traffic, and food safety, and cancer research, Alzheimer's research. Now that you've had a chance to look at it, might there have been a different approach?" Musk said, "Yeah, I think … what was starting to happen was that, like, it's a bit unfair because, like, DOGE became the whipping boy for everything. So, if there was some cut, real or imagined, everyone would blame DOGE. I've had people think that, like, somehow DOGE is gonna stop them from getting their Social Security check, which is completely untrue." I asked, "I was just thinking about the, you know, 'move fast and break things,' you know, before you really understand what the agency does?" "Yeah, I mean, I guess part of it is, like, is it depends on where you're coming from," Musk said. "I'm like a proponent of smaller government, not bigger government. So, now if somebody's a proponent of, you know, more government programs and bigger government, and they see, 'Hey, DOGE is cutting all these government programs,' then they'll be fundamentally opposed to that because they just think the government should do more things. That's just a fundamental, I guess, ideological opinion. "But my frank opinion of the government is that, like, the government is just, like, the DMV that got big, okay? So, when you say it like, 'Let's have the government do something,' you should think, 'Do you want the DMV to do it?'" And then, Musk started talking about the Trump administration, without even being asked about Trump. "And you know, it's not like I agree with everything the administration does," said Musk. "So it's like, I mean, I agree with much of what the administration does. But we have differences of opinion. You know, there are things that I don't entirely agree with. But it's difficult for me to bring that up in an interview because then it creates a bone of contention. So then, I'm a little stuck in a bind, where I'm like, well, I don't wanna, you know, speak up against the administration, but I also don't wanna take responsibility for everything this administration's doing." On the "Big, Beautiful Bill" In Washington, federal workers say that DOGE has left the government's operations in disarray. And worst of all, it might have all been for nothing. Musk claims to have saved the government $175 billion so far (nowhere close to his original target of $2 trillion, or even his revised target of $1 trillion). And that was before the president's new spending bill passed the House. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the president's proposed budget will add $3.8 trillion to our debt over the next ten years. It's now being debated in the Senate. Musk said, "I was, like, disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, doesn't decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing." I said, "I actually thought that, when this 'big, beautiful bill' came along, it'd be like, everything he's done on DOGE gets wiped out in the first year." "I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful," Musk laughed. "But I don't know if it could be both. My personal opinion." And here is where the story gets a little complicated. On Tuesday, right after our interview, CBS News released a clip of it to promote this very report. It was that part, where Musk criticizes Trump's spending bill, and his remarks became news. It went all the way to the White House, where the president was asked about Musk's criticism of the bill. Within 24 hours, Musk announced that his time in the Trump administration was officially over. Out of DOGE, out of government. Musk said that the reason was that his limited 130-day stint as advisor was ending. But until that moment, he'd been saying that he still intended to work on DOGE part-time. "Well, DOGE is gonna continue, just as a way of life," he told us. "I will have some participation in that, but as I've said publicly, my focus has to be on the companies at this point." Truth is, the Trump-Musk relationship had already seemed to be cooling. The president used to post about Musk about six times a week. But by April, he'd stopped mentioning Musk altogether. Still, on Friday, they held a media event at the White House to confirm their mutual admiration—and to leave the door open for future collaboration. "Elon's really not leaving," Mr. Trump said. "He's gonna be back and forth, I think, I have a feeling." Musk added, "The DOGE team is doing an incredible job. They're going to continue doing an incredible job, and I will continue to be visiting here and be a friend and advisor to the president." President Donald Trump looks on as Elon Musk speaks during a news conference in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci / AP Musk might be the first to admit that his DOGE experiment gave him a black eye—like the actual black eye he had on Friday, which he says he got from his five-year-old son … or the matching one on that statue. At least for now, Musk says that his focus will be running his business ventures: Tesla, Starlink, X, xAI, Neuralink, Optimus robots, the Boring Company, and SpaceX. I asked, "Are all of your businesses related in some way?" "I guess you can think of the businesses as things that improve the probable trajectory of civilization," Musk replied. "So you know, for making life multi-planetary or extending life to Mars, the idea there is to ensure the long-term survival of life and consciousness as we know it." After our interview Tuesday, we were invited to witness the ninth launch of his Starship, the biggest rocket ever built. The two previous Starship tests ended in explosions – or, as SpaceX puts it, "rapid unscheduled disassemblies." So, all eyes were on Test Launch 9 to see if a Starship could return to Earth in one piece. As Musk left our interview to watch the launch, he said something that could sum up all his enterprises: "I can't guarantee success, but I can guarantee excitement." In the end, Elon Musk's giant rocket spun out of control. It did not survive re-entry. For more info: Story produced by Dustin Stephens. Editor: Carol Ross.
