Trump downplays plans to speak with Elon Musk: Hope he does well with Tesla
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has no plans to speak with Elon Musk, signalling the president and his former ally might not resolve their feud over a sweeping tax-cut bill any time soon.Addressing reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he wasn't "thinking about" the Tesla CEO."I hope he does well with Tesla," Trump said.advertisement
However, Trump said a review of Musk's extensive contracts with the federal government was in order. "We'll take look at everything," the president said. "It's a lot of money." Trump may get rid of the red Tesla Model S that he bought in March after showcasing Musk's electric cars on the White House lawn, a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.Musk, for his part, did not directly address Trump but kept up his criticism of the massive Republican tax and spending bill that contains much of Trump's domestic agenda.On his social-media platform X, Musk amplified remarks made by others that Trump's "big beautiful bill" would hurt Republicans politically and add to the nation's $36.2 trillion debt. He replied "exactly" to a post by another X user that said Musk had criticised Congress and Trump had responded by criticising Musk personally.advertisementMusk also declared it was time for a new political party in the United States "to represent the 80% in the middle!"People who have spoken to Musk said his anger has begun to recede and they think he will want to repair his relationship with Trump, according to one person who has spoken to Musk's entourage.The White House statements came one day after the two men battled openly in an extraordinary display of hostilities that marked a stark end to a close alliance.Tesla stockTSLA.O rose on Friday, clawing back some losses from Thursday's session, when it dropped 14% and lost $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the company's history.Musk's high-profile allies have largely stayed silent during the feud. But one, investor James Fishback, called on Musk to apologise."President Trump has shown grace and patience at a time when Elon's behaviour is disappointing and frankly downright disturbing," Fishback said in a statement.Musk, the world's richest man, bankrolled a large part of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Trump named Musk to head a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending.Trump feted Musk at the White House a week ago as he wrapped up his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk cut only about half of 1 per cent of total spending, far short of his brash plans to axe $2 trillion from the federal budget.advertisementSince then, Musk has denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill as a "disgusting abomination." His opposition is complicating efforts to pass the bill in Congress where Republicans hold a slim majority.Trump's bill narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say the measure would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years.House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been texting with Musk and hopes the dispute is resolved quickly."I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," Johnson said on CNBC.'VERY DISAPPOINTED'Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk.Musk, who spent nearly $300 million in last year's elections, said Trump would have lost without his support and suggested he should be impeached.advertisementTrump suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink.The billionaire then threatened to decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. Musk later backed off that threat.Musk had been angered when Trump over the weekend revoked his nomination of Musk ally Jared Isaacman to head the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Two sources with direct knowledge of the dispute said White House personnel director Sergio Gor had helped turn Trump against Isaacman by highlighting his past donations to Democrats.Musk and Gor had been at odds since the billionaire criticised Gor's pace of hiring at a March cabinet meeting, the two sources said.A White House spokesperson, Steven Cheung, praised Gor's efforts to staff the administration but did not address his relationship with Musk.A prolonged feud could make it harder for Republicans to keep control of Congress in next year's midterm elections if Musk withholds financial support or other major Silicon Valley business leaders distance themselves from Trump.Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year.His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided.Tune InTrending Reel
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Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Fadnavis responds to Rahul Gandhi's Maharashtra ‘poll rigging' claim: ‘Insulted voters'
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday reacted to Rahul Gandhi's claims about last year's election in the state, saying that the Congress leader is "insulting" the people of Maharashtra. Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the Maharashtra assembly election held last year had been 'rigged' and alleged that the same would be repeated in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. In a post on X, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, shared his own article published in a newspaper and wrote that the Maharashtra elections were a 'blueprint for rigging democracy'. Pointing to the article, Fadnavis said that Rahul Gandhi should understand the ground reality of the Congress party's grim future. "Unless and until Rahul Gandhi understands the ground-level facts and stops lying to himself and giving false comfort and promises, his party will never win. He should wake up (from ignorance), otherwise, he will keep talking such things which are devoid of facts," he told reporters, according to PTI. Also Read | 'Completely absurd': EC on claims over Maharashtra elections Fadnavis also alleged that Gandhi has insulted the electors of Maharashtra by casting aspersions on the fairness of elections. "He has insulted voters and ladki bahins (beneficiaries of a state government scheme for poor women). I condemn his statement," he said, reported PTI. Fadnavis pointed out that the Election Commission had earlier debunked his claims with evidence and released figures of increased voters in the previous elections and the latest one. Also Read | 'Rahul Gandhi's tongue is like Pakistan': Giriraj Singh's fierce attack on LoP in Bihar "He is habituated to speaking lies. Gandhi believes that by lying every day, people will accept his claims as truth. He has made such allegations in the past. He doesn't know what he is saying. People listening to him don't understand what he says. I feel there is no need to react," he added. The senior BJP leader also advised Gandhi to stop "convincing himself, wake up, and work on the ground", claiming Congress has no future. In his post on X, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, shared his own article published in a newspaper and wrote: 'How to steal an election? Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy. My article shows how this happened, step by step.' He added, 'Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission, Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll, Step 3: Inflate voter turnout, Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win, Step 5: Hide the evidence.' Gandhi further said: 'It's not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra. But rigging is like match-fixing - the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroy public faith in the result.' He also urged all concerned Indian citizens to demand answers and judge the situation for themselves while evaluating the evidence. (Inputs from PTI)
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Nishikant Dubey hits back at Rahul Gandhi: 'Read 1975 Allahabad HC judgment to see how Indira Gandhi "fixed" elections
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nishikant Dubey on Saturday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his accusation that the 2024 Maharashtra assembly election was "rigged" in favour of the BJP. Dubey urged the Congress leader to read the 1975 judgement of the Allahabad High Court to know how his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi "fixed" and "stole" the 1971 Lok Sabha elections to win from the Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh. "Rahul Baba, how is the election fixed or stolen? Read the exploits of your grandmother, Indira Gandhi, which is the judgment of the Allahabad High Court," Dubey said in a post on X. "The army and its helicopters were used in the 1971 elections. Liquor and clothes were openly distributed during the election of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi 3. Ask for votes in the name of Hinduism. Voters were brought in vehicles. Money is distributed indiscriminately. Government employees engaged in an election campaign. You create the election drama, your family ruins the country, and you will not get the liberty to loot the elections anymore," he added. In the judgement, the Allahabad High Court held that Indira Gandhi was guilty of electoral malpractices, and disqualified her from holding public office for 6 years. On Saturday, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Maharashtra assembly election held in November 2024 was "rigged", and claimed that the same will be repeated in Bihar assembly polls due later this year. Live Events In a post on X, Gandhi shared his article published in a newspaper, explaining the "rigging" in the Maharashtra assembly polls. "Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy. My article shows how this happened, step by step," Gandhi said on X. The former Congress President explained a five-point process. He said that step one includes rigging the panel that appoints the Election Commission, followed by adding fake voters to the electoral roll. He further claimed that the next steps include inflating the voter turnout, targeting the bogus voting exactly where the BJP needs to win and hiding the evidence. "Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission; Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll; Step 3: Inflate voter turnout; Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win; Step 5: Hide the evidence," Gandhi said. He further labelled rigging as "match-fixing", saying that the side cheats might win the game but damage institutions and destroy public faith in the result. "It's not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra. But rigging is like match-fixing - the side that cheats might win the game, but will damage institutions and destroy public faith in the result. All concerned Indians must see the evidence. Judge for themselves. Demand answers," the Rae Bareli MP said. Gandhi warned that the "match-fixing" of Maharashtra would come to Bihar next, where the polls are due later this year, and then "anywhere" the BJP was losing elections. "Match-fixed elections are a poison for any democracy," he added. The Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 witnessed a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance , securing a landslide win with 235 seats. The results marked a significant milestone for the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Rahul's ‘match-fixing' allegation sparks outrage among NDA netas
Patna: Senior BJP leader and deputy CM Samrat Choudhary on Saturday reacted over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's "match-fixing" remarks on the coming Bihar polls and said if the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha doesn't have faith in democracy, he should ask the state govts, led by his party, to resign and seek a fresh people's mandate. The Congress MP on Saturday again accused the BJP of rigging elections in Maharashtra last year and warned against similar "match-fixing" activities by the saffron party in the upcoming Bihar elections. In a strong rebuttal, Samrat said it is natural for a person, who has lost, to say such things. "If someone does not trust the democratic system, he should resign and get out of this system," the BJP leader said. Union minister and HAM (S) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi also said Rahul's remarks show he has accepted defeat. "People who accept defeat say such things... I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. It is because of him that we have got a chance to land at the new terminal (Patna airport)," he said. "Rahul is saying that the Maharashtra election was fixed, so should the Bihar elections also be fixed? He has accepted defeat. Since there is an election in Bihar, Rahul met the family of 'Mountain Man' Dashrath Manjhi. We built Atal Kendra there; we are trying to honour him with Bharat Ratna. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Rahul did not say anything about this," Manjhi said. BJP's firebrand leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh also targeted Rahul for his "Bihar crime capital" statement during his Gaya and Rajgir visits on Friday. "The people on whose support Rahul is contesting elections in Bihar were the pioneers of 'jungle raj' and protectors of criminals. During RJD chief Lalu Prasad's rule, hardly anyone would leave the house in the evening. Mother used to ask her son to come back home before sunset," the Begusarai MP said. Patna: Senior BJP leader and deputy CM Samrat Choudhary on Saturday reacted over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's "match-fixing" remarks on the coming Bihar polls and said if the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha doesn't have faith in democracy, he should ask the state govts, led by his party, to resign and seek a fresh people's mandate. The Congress MP on Saturday again accused the BJP of rigging elections in Maharashtra last year and warned against similar "match-fixing" activities by the saffron party in the upcoming Bihar elections. In a strong rebuttal, Samrat said it is natural for a person, who has lost, to say such things. "If someone does not trust the democratic system, he should resign and get out of this system," the BJP leader said. Union minister and HAM (S) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi also said Rahul's remarks show he has accepted defeat. "People who accept defeat say such things... I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. It is because of him that we have got a chance to land at the new terminal (Patna airport)," he said. "Rahul is saying that the Maharashtra election was fixed, so should the Bihar elections also be fixed? He has accepted defeat. Since there is an election in Bihar, Rahul met the family of 'Mountain Man' Dashrath Manjhi. We built Atal Kendra there; we are trying to honour him with Bharat Ratna. Rahul did not say anything about this," Manjhi said. BJP's firebrand leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh also targeted Rahul for his "Bihar crime capital" statement during his Gaya and Rajgir visits on Friday. "The people on whose support Rahul is contesting elections in Bihar were the pioneers of 'jungle raj' and protectors of criminals. During RJD chief Lalu Prasad's rule, hardly anyone would leave the house in the evening. Mother used to ask her son to come back home before sunset," the Begusarai MP said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
