Behind the Story: Nursing home care issues, the Trump-Musk breakup
The RTÉ Investigates documentary into care at one of Ireland's leading nursing home providers revealed multiple examples of care failings.
On Behind the Story, Fran and Katie discuss the staff shortages and unsafe practices found in the programme and the questions raised about how older people are cared for.
Meanwhile, the bromance between US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk ended abruptly after the tech boss criticised the president's "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill.
In a statement, the White House called it an "unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted".
The Musk-Trump breakup sent Tesla's stock price plunging and could jeopardise US government contracts pledged to his companies.
Adam Maguire joins the podcast to explain the money behind their relationship.
You can listen to Katie and Fran's analysis on the situation on Behind the Story which is available on the RTÉ Radio Player.
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The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Elon Musk hints at new ‘America Party' as Trump fumes billionaire has ‘lost his mind' after bitter bromance break-up
ELON Musk has hinted at launching a new political force just days after a spectacular public falling-out with President Donald Trump. In a string of posts on X, the tech mogul asked his 220 million followers whether it was 'time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle.' 6 Elon Musk is considering a new 'America Party' in his latest jab at Trump Credit: AFP 6 The pair had been showing off their political bromance until their public fall-out Credit: AFP 6 The feud erupted over Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which proposed stripping billions in government subsidies from Tesla Credit: AFP By Friday, after 80 per cent of the 5,6million responders backed the idea, Musk declared: "This is fate." He later endorsed a supporter's suggestion to name it the America Party. It echoes the name of Musk's America PAC - the vehicle he used to pour $239million into backing Trump and GOP candidates in 2024. But the former allies are now locked in an escalating war of words, with Trump telling ABC News, 'You mean the man who has lost his mind?' when asked about a possible call with Musk. Read more on Trump & Musk 'Not particularly,' he added when pressed on whether he planned to speak to the billionaire. The rift appears rooted in Trump's prized One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping domestic spending package Musk has called a 'disgusting abomination.' The president has hit back, reportedly threatening to strip Musk's companies of federal subsidies. Musk also called for Trump's impeachment earlier this week, adding fuel to the feud by promoting baseless claims linking the president to the Jeffrey Epstein case — claims which GOP lawmakers quickly rejected. Most read in The US Sun Political fallout Musk may not be serious about launching a new party — he also responded 'Hmm' to a suggestion he reform the GOP from within — but his comments have added fresh uncertainty to an already divided political landscape. Launching a viable third party would require navigating complex state-by-state ballot access laws. Elon Musk's craziest moments, as Tesla CEO leaves White House after 130 days of drama: from chainsaw to double hats and billionaire has ALREADY turned on Trump 6 And unlike his super PAC, direct party donations are capped under federal election rules. Still, the fallout from the split is spreading. House Speaker Mike Johnson — a key Trump ally — waved off Musk's criticism and threw his support behind the bill that triggered the clash. 'The American people are concerned about things that really matter,' Johnson said Thursday. 'That is making their taxes low, making their economy work, making the border secure, making energy dominance a big thing again.' Vice President 6 Trump is now reportedly considering to sell his Tesla or give it away Credit: AP 6 Vice President JD Vance blasted Musk's 'ridiculous' claims Credit: AP Tesla out, Mars off-limits The bromance breakup has even reached the White House garage. Trump, who bought a red Tesla Model S in March in a show of support for Musk, now plans to sell or give it away, administration officials said. Republican lawmakers and influencers appear divided. Some, like Rep. Thomas Massie, acknowledged Musk's frustrations but urged caution. Others, including members of Trump's youth advisory board, declared their loyalty firmly with the president. Meanwhile, Musk's allies hinted at deeper tensions, with MAGA influencers joking that Trump's 'not invited to Mars anymore.' Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman called for reconciliation, but hopes of a peace deal faded quickly as Trump doubled down Friday morning. Musk, for his part, says he'll be around for '40+ years.' Whether that includes a third-party bid or a return to GOP primaries remains unclear. How did Musk and Trump's relationship crumble? ELON Musk and Donald Trump spent Thursday launching insults on social media as their relationship quickly went sour. The Tesla owner called for Trump's impeachment as the president hit back and warned the government could end all federal contracts with Musk's companies. Here's how it went down: On Tuesday, Musk tweeted that Trump's signature "big beautiful" spending bill was a "disgusting abomination" that would add billions to the federal deficit On Thursday in the Oval Office, Trump addressed Musk's criticism of the bill and accused Musk of trying to kill it because the bill ends federal subsidies for electric vehicles Musk responded by live-posting on X as Trump spoke, initially shrugging off the president's assessment with an unbothered "Whatever," before tearing into the bill's other spending provisions Trump escalated the feud after the Oval Office meeting with multiple posts on Truth Social, saying he told Musk to leave the White House instead of continuing to work with Doge and threatening to dump Musk's federal contracts, which are worth billions Musk fired back on X by saying he was "decommissioning" the Dragon spacecraft made by SpaceX that brought the stranded Nasa astronauts back from the International Space Station in March Musk also escalated the war of words by reposting and replying "Yes" to a tweet claiming that Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance Musk further fanned the flames by claiming that Trump is named in the infamous "Epstein files" and making unfounded accusations that its the reason they haven't been released to the public.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Trump says he has no plans to speak to Musk as feud persists
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 anytime 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. However, Trump said a review of Musk's extensive contracts with the federal government was in order. "We'll take a 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. Musk 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. Elon Musk listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Oval Office of the White House, in May, in Washington. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci 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 stock 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. However, 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% of total spending, far short of his brash plans to axe $2 trillion from the federal budget. Since 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. President Donald Trump Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci '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. Trump 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. -Reuters Read More Elon Musk signals he may back down in public row with Donald Trump
Irish Independent
8 hours ago
- Irish Independent
The Irish Independent's View: As Trump and Musk scrap, US voters could be hit by the fallout
Sceptics had long believed this union was more probably made in the darkest reaches of the nether world and would be happy to see it returned to its hottest corner. By their logic, no single universe could possibly contain two such colossal egos. Perhaps it is a back-handed compliment to Mr Musk that the ending of his 'First Buddy' status was celebrated with equal glee by the MAGA faithful and Democratic die-hards alike. What is clear is that when the planet's richest man falls out with its most powerful, there will be consequences. If Mr Musk thought the hundreds of millions he had given the president would spare him from his master's whims, he could not have been more wrong. In Trumpworld there can be only one emperor. The South African-born billionaire may have been cast into the void, but as owner of X — and Tesla, Space-X, Starlink and more — he makes for a dangerous adversary. The fallout from putting his nose out of joint could literally have been out of this world. 'In light of the president's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately,' Mr Musk said. Told that such a move would 'both end the International Space Station and simultaneously provide no way to safely de-orbit it', he rowed back. Mr Musk's conjuring up of the spectre of Jeffrey Epstein and the president's friendship with the convicted paedophile may yet be explosive Clearly, when two stars of the ultra-wealthy firmament collide, mere mortals need to be wary. The dispute could be destabilising, with far-reaching political and economic implications. Mr Musk's conjuring up of the spectre of Jeffrey Epstein and the president's friendship with the convicted paedophile may yet be explosive. US author Mark Twain understood the power of the press when he warned: 'Never quarrel with a man who buys ink by the barrel.' The advice is even more pertinent when it comes to tramping on the toes of a tech giant who also owns the planet's most influential media platform. Of course, the real concern is for the interests of voters who could be caught up in the havoc wreaked by such a titanic clash. ADVERTISEMENT The little guy rarely does well when the irresistible force meets the immoveable object; it did not take long for the mutual congratulations after the so-called 'Dogefather' stepped down to turn caustic. Mr Musk has told Republicans that Mr Trump will be gone in the next few years, while he will be strutting his stuff for the 'next 40'. The celebrity divorce has already reduced Mr Musk's estimated $388bn (€340bn) fortune by $36.6bn. It was his dismissal of Mr Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' as an 'abomination' that caused the lightning storm. With US national debt at $36.22tn, someone needed to say something. The two billionaires will recover from their respective sweet sorrows: the hope is that the parting will not prove too bitter for American taxpayers.
