Michael Wolff: Trump is getting what he wants, conflict
There's never a dull moment in the White House when Donald Trump is the president.
Elon Musk yesterday began 'offloading' from his role overseeing the 'DOGE' programme, after coming to the end of his 130 day limit as a special government employee.
But rumours abound of a falling out between Musk and Trump, with the South African-born businessman criticising the president's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' in an interview yesterday, claiming that the programme of massive tax cuts would actually raise the federal deficit, undermining his work cutting government spending.
In this episode of The Daily T, Kamal Ahmed speaks to Michael Wolff - Trump biographer and author of four behind-the-scenes books about the president - who explains why the president won't be unduly bothered by Elon Musk's criticism and the shock news that his global tariffs have been blocked by a US federal court.
The Daily Telegraph's Chief US Correspondent Rob Crilly also speaks to Kamal from Washington DC, having been in Delaware to witness Joe Biden's first public appearances since his cancer diagnosis.
Watch episodes of the Daily T here. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe to The Daily T newsletter for updates.
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CNN
13 minutes ago
- CNN
Trump asks aides if they think Musk's behavior could be related to alleged drug use, source says
Source: CNN President Donald Trump has asked aides and advisers if they believe Elon Musk's behavior over the past 48 hours could be related to his alleged drug use, privately seeking to understand the tech billionaire's broadsides against him while signaling publicly he doesn't care, a source familiar with the conversations told CNN. In his own telling, Trump is not wasting any time thinking about the man who, one week ago, was receiving a giant golden key in the Oval Office and has since lobbed insults toward its occupant. The president told CNN's Dana Bash in a brief phone call Friday morning he was 'not even thinking about Elon' and wouldn't be speaking to Musk 'for a while.' But questions about the spectacularly public break-up have come nonetheless. Talking to reporters on Air Force One Friday night, Trump said he would 'take a look at' canceling some of Musk's government contracts, a possibility he had floated on Truth Social in the height of their feud, and asserted the country would be fine without them. 'The US can survive without almost anybody – except me,' he said, adding that he was joking on the latter point. Though the source said Trump had privately inquired about Musk's alleged drug use, the president declined to weigh in on the matter publicly. 'I don't want to comment on his drug use. I don't know - I don't know what his status is,' he said on Air Force One, adding that New York Times reporting on the matter 'sounded very unfair.' CNN has reached out to a Musk representative. When Musk was asked about the report during his Oval Office farewell with Trump a week ago, he declined to answer and attacked the newspaper instead. The Times reported that Musk was 'using drugs far more intensely than previously known,' as he rose to prominence in Trump's inner circle in 2024, including 'using ketamine often, sometimes daily, and mixing it with other drugs,' according to people familiar. In a 2024 interview with Don Lemon, Musk acknowledged he took 'a small amount' of ketamine to treat negative moods, under a prescription, but that a heavy workload prevented him from using too much. Neither Musk nor his lawyer responded to the Times' request for comment about his drug use. CNN also reached out to his representative about the allegations at the time. Last week, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, whose wife Katie Miller left a job with the Department of Government Efficiency to work for Musk, told CNN he had no concerns over the New York Times report that Musk used drugs more extensively than previously known. In the day since the Trump-Musk feud erupted on their respective social media platforms, Trump's aides said the president has been focused on advancing that supersized bill that started the whole thing, and has directed his team to follow suit. His online presence Friday morning was limited to posts about the economy, without any mention of the tech billionaire. He spent the morning on the phone — not with Musk, but with the new president of South Korea, whom he invited to the US for talks. He chatted with the president of Poland about the upcoming NATO summit. And before traveling to Bedminster, New Jersey, in the evening, he stopped to tour a golf course. Whether the president is successful in turning attention away from the ugly spat remains to be seen. The Justice Department's announcement late Friday afternoon that Kilmar Abrego Garcia has returned to the US to face criminal counts began to shift the narrative. Nor was it precisely clear what effect the wreckage of the Trump-Musk alliance would have on the president's agenda bill being considered by Congress, on Musk's businesses or on the direction of the Republican Party. All seemed potentially caught in the undertow after the two men spent Thursday afternoon and evening lashing out at each other online. A tipping point for Trump and his advisers, people familiar with what was happening behind the scenes said, was Musk's linkage of the president to Jeffrey Epstein. Musk suggested the administration wasn't releasing information about the convicted pedophile because it invokes Trump. (Musk cited no evidence and gave no detail how he would have gained access to unreleased files.) White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called his claims an 'unfortunate episode' in a Thursday evening statement. After that, any chance of reconciliation appeared to be scuttled. For Trump, Musk's criticism of the major legislative package could only embolden Republicans who share the tech CEO's concerns the bill would explode the US deficit. Rep. Thomas Massie, who voted against the bill, told CNN that he thinks Musk's opposition could fuel buyer's remorse. And Rep. Michael McCaul, who supported it, said he worries that a prolonged fight between Musk and Trump could become a distraction for getting Trump's agenda passed, before going on to cite 'very good intelligence' that the two men would soon settle their spat. But Musk – who less than a month ago had said he'd spend 'a lot less' on politics – has also threatened to put his substantial spending power behind efforts to remove from office Republicans who vote for the bill. After spending more than $290 million to help elect Trump and Republicans last year, the future of Musk's political spending now appears unknown. Funds Musk privately promised to groups associated with Trump are now in doubt. One powerful Trump ally, Steve Bannon, suggested Trump use his power to go after Musk in multiple ways. He said on his 'War Room Live' show Thursday that Trump should begin deportation proceedings for Musk, saying he is 'illegal' and has 'got to go.' Musk was born in South Africa but became an American citizen in 2002. Bannon also suggested the Trump administration investigate Musk's alleged drug use, and potentially suspend his security clearance. Still, allies of both seemed to hold out hope the rupture would not be permanent, and that the two most dominant figures in current Republican politics might be able to patch things up. 'I'm not going to speak for either of them. I was with the president in the Oval Office yesterday afternoon as some of this unfolded. And I can just say he was disappointed. I mean, he said that himself. And I was, as well,' House Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday. 'I believe in redemption,' Johnson went on. 'I hope we can resolve it, get everybody together again. That's really important for all of us.' CNN's Hadas Gold, Molly English, Lauren Fox and Betsy Klein contributed to this report. See Full Web Article
13 minutes ago
Trump admin live updates: Supreme Court gives DOGE access to Social Security data
A bitter public feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk erupted on Thursday, with the Tesla billionaire agreeing to calls for Trump's impeachment while Trump suggested ending Musk's government contracts. Musk showed some signs of softening his tone, but Trump on Friday told ABC News Musk was a "man who has lost his mind" and that he was "not particularly" interested in talking to him right now. The spat began in part because of Musk's criticism of Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a sweeping immigration and tax bill that would fund much of the president's domestic agenda.
San Francisco Chronicle
14 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Elon Musk turns against Trump, calls for impeachment as Tesla stock plunges
Elon Musk publicly signaled support for the impeachment of President Donald Trump on Thursday, deepening a dramatic split between the two men that sent Tesla 's stock tumbling 16% and stunned political and financial circles alike. Musk & Trump: From Allies to Adversaries November 2022 Musk reinstates Trump's Twitter account after a public poll. 2023 Their alliance grows. Musk praises Trump's immigration stance and visits the southern border. March 2024 Musk says he won't back any candidate yet, but leans away from Biden. July 2024 After an attempt on Trump's life, Musk endorses him and reportedly donates millions of dollars. August 2024 Musk hosts Trump for a live interview on X. January 2025 Trump gives Musk a government role to help cut federal spending. Inauguration Day Musk makes a controversial hand gesture at Trump's swearing-in, sparking backlash. April–May 2025 Musk steps back from his role, then quits — criticizing Trump's big spending bill. June 2025 The feud goes public: Musk mocks Trump's policies and alleges that Trump's name appears in secret records tied to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump fires back. Musk briefly threatens to pull NASA support, then backs down. It came hours after Musk made an explosive allegation — without offering evidence — that Trump's name appears in secret records tied to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier with connections to powerful figures worldwide. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,' Musk wrote, as he alleged the president had ties to the convicted sex offender — an accusation that has not been independently verified. The White House moved quickly to counter the allegations. 'Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave,' Trump posted on Truth Social, referring to Musk's recent departure as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. 'I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars … and he just went CRAZY!' Speaking Thursday from the Oval Office, where he was supposed to be discussing an end to the Russia-Ukraine war with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump expressed regret over the deteriorating relationship. 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore,' he said. 'I was surprised.' Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, which trades under the ticker DJT, also fell 8% amid the feud. House Democrats quickly seized on Musk's bombshell claim that Trump's name appears in classified records related to Epstein. Within hours, lawmakers renewed calls for the unsealing of those documents. Trump retaliated by threatening to eliminate billions of dollars' worth of federal contracts and subsidies benefiting Musk's companies, including Tesla, his internet company Starlink and rocket company SpaceX. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' the president wrote on Truth Social. 'I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!' 'Go ahead, make my day,' Musk quickly replied on X, where he warned that Trump's economic policies could backfire. 'The Trump tariffs will cause a recession in the second half of this year,' he wrote on X. Musk later announced SpaceX would begin decommissioning the Dragon spacecraft it used to carry astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station for NASA. Just days earlier, the two men had shared a stage in the Oval Office, exchanging praise and posing with a ceremonial golden key to the nation. 'Elon's service to America has been without comparison in modern history,' Trump said at the time. Musk, wearing a black T-shirt with wording that read 'The Dogefather,' returned the compliment. 'The Oval Office finally has the majesty that it deserves, thanks to the president,' he said. Musk spent at least $250 million backing Trump's reelection campaign last year, including a daily $1 million voter sweepstakes in Pennsylvania. On Thursday, Stephen Bannon, a longtime Trump confidant and frequent Musk critic, called for formal investigations into the billionaire's businesses and immigration history. 'I believe a formal inquiry into his immigration status is warranted,' Bannon told the New York Times. 'I am firmly convinced he is in the country illegally and should be deported without delay.' Rapper Kanye West, an ardent Trump supporter who now performs as Ye, took a more conciliatory tone. In a post on X, he pleaded with both men to reconcile. President vs Elon. Who wins? My money's on Elon. Trump should be impeached and JD Vance should replace him. — Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 5, 2025 By late Thursday, tensions appeared to be easing. White House officials told Politico they had arranged a call between Trump and Musk for Friday. 'It's okay,' Trump said of the dispute. 'It's going very well, never done better.' Musk also seemed to tone things down. When an X user suggested both sides 'take a step back for a couple days,' the Tesla CEO replied, 'Good advice. Ok, we won't decommission Dragon.' Amid the political firestorm, Tesla faces worsening fundamentals. The automaker is grappling with declining sales in Europe and diminished brand strength in the U.S. A long-delayed robotaxi pilot in Austin, Texas, set for June 12, faces mounting pressure from competitors such as Waymo, which is already logging 250,000 autonomous rides per week. Tesla stock is down more than 25% this year.
