
Donald Trump reveals plans about Tesla model S amid his ongoing feud with Elon Musk
Is Donald Trump planning to get rid of the Tesla Model S that bought to offer support to Elon Musk. When the President was asked about it, he gave a shocking response. The tensions between Musk and Trump escalated when the tech mogul sharpened his attack on President's 'big, beautiful bill'.
US President Trump denies Musk drug rumours; calls Starlink 'good service', says 'won't drop'
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Trump on Starlink
President Donald Trump has refuted rumours that he is planning to give away Model S Tesla that be brought to promote Elon Musk 's business amid his ongoing feud with the tech billionaire. Trump said aid he is keeping his red Model S Tesla despite his recent feud with Elon Musk, but it might not stay at the White House, where the electric car has been parked since he bought it, reports NewsWeek. Trump said he might simply 'move it around' to a different location instead.The car, which the US President bought on March 11 during a public show was in support for Elon Musk when Tesla was facing anger and arson. The high-end Model S, estimated to cost over $100,000, is currently parked in the White House lot for staff use, as the president himself is not allowed to drive under security regulations.Speaking to the press at the White House, Trump was asked by a reporter if he would be getting rid of the Tesla as well as the Starlink satellite internet service on Monday. The president said that he might "move the Tesla around alittle bit" after his clash with Musk on social media saw the Tesla CEO claim that Trump was featured in files related to Jeffrey Epstein and that he should be impeached."I may move the Tesla around a little bit," Trump said before adding that the White House would keep using Starlink because "it's a good service.'When asked what the president meant by moving the Tesla around, he said, "I have a lot of locations. I have so many locations, I don't know what to do with them all."Trump purchased the vehicle in March as a show of support for Musk and Tesla amid a backlash against the company due to Musk's role in the sweeping federal cost-cutting initiative known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, the very public falling-out between the pair after Musk's departure from the White House at the end of May has raised questions about the vehicle's fate.Trump once praised Tesla as a "great American company" amid intense protests targeting the electric vehicle maker. However, his tone shifted after Elon Musk suggested he was the reason behind Trump's 2024 election win. Just last week, Trump remarked that Tesla was "having a hard time" and criticized the company for allegedly wanting "billions of dollars in subsidies."Trump also clarified that he is not going to discontinue Musk's satellite internet venture, Starlink, calling it a 'great service.' When asked if he plans to speak with Elon Musk soon, Trump said, 'If I were him, I would want to speak to me. Maybe he's already called. You'd have to ask him.'Trump and Musk's relationship turned sour recently after the latter sharply criticised Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' calling it an 'abomination' over concerns it would explode the federal deficit. In response, Trump threatened to revoke Musk's government contracts, prompting Musk to warn that SpaceX could pull its Dragon program in retaliation. Trump's "big, beautiful bill" is currently awaiting approval in the Senate. Trump has given senators a July 4 deadline to pass the bill and send it to his desk.Despite the tensions, Trump's Tesla, originally intended as a symbolic stand against left-wing attacks on Musk's ventures, remains a visible gesture of support in the White House driveway.
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Mint
31 minutes ago
- Mint
Sensex crashes 850 points, investors lose ₹5 lakh crore; why is the Indian stock market falling? EXPLAINED
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First Post
32 minutes ago
- First Post
Is the US quietly stepping back from the F-35 it wants India to buy?
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Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Mollycoddling Munir: What's Trump planning with Pakistan military?
Counter-terrorism: A convenient justification? Live Events You Might Also Like: US has to have relationship with Pakistan, India: American general The shadow of Iran attack Containing China's influence in Pakistan You Might Also Like: Trump travel ban: Why did he spare Pakistan? A bargaining chip against India? Trump's strategic pivot (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In January 2018, then-President Donald Trump began the new year with a blistering tweet aimed at Pakistan. He accused the country of betrayal. "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Trump's administration subsequently suspended security assistance to Pakistan, accusing it of harboring terrorists and undermining US interests in now, during his second term in office, there is a remarkable shift in tone and policy. General Michael Kurilla, the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), recently hailed Pakistan as "a 'phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world'. The Pakistani Army Chief, General Asim Munir , is reportedly invited to attend a grand military parade Trump will host on June 14, celebrating the US Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with his 79th birthday. This is an unmistakable symbol of warming ties. This rapprochement begs the question: Why is the US mollycoddling the very military establishment it once condemned for sheltering terrorists?The official narrative emerging from the US is that Pakistan is once again a vital partner in America's counter-terrorism efforts. Given the resurgence of militant groups like ISIS-K in the region and ongoing instability in Afghanistan following the US withdrawal, Pakistan's geography and intelligence apparatus make it a useful ally. Pakistan offers critical overflight access, potential staging areas, and intelligence cooperation that could help prevent another large-scale terror threat to US interests. General Kurilla has praised Islamabad for extraditing Mohammad Sharifullah aka Jafar, an ISIS-K member, to the US. In March, the US Justice Department charged Sharifullah for his role in the August 2021 suicide bombing at Afghanistan's Kabul international this explanation, while plausible, appears overly simplistic given the scale of the diplomatic about-face. There is strong reason to believe that deeper geopolitical considerations are driving the US to re-engage Pakistan's military establishment and they may have little to do with counter-terrorism. Trump's softening attitude towards Pakistan coincided with the country's leaders, including Munir, offering lucrative deals to a cryptocurrency company, World Liberty Financial, owned by Trump's sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. However, there could be several strategic reasons too for Trump's pivot to of the most pressing developments in the Middle East is the possibility of an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, a scenario that seems increasingly imminent. Recent US moves, including the evacuation of non-essential personnel from diplomatic missions and military outposts across the region, suggest serious contingency planning and an imminent attack by Israel in Iran's nuclear this context, Pakistan's role could become strategically significant. As a large Muslim-majority country with nuclear capabilities and deep ties in the Islamic world, Pakistan's position during a US-backed or Israeli-led strike on Iran would matter immensely. The US may be seeking to ensure that Pakistan offers covert help such as use of its military bases and assets and remains supportive during a wider regional conflagration that could involve Iranian proxies in the Middle East. Additionally, Pakistan shares a border with Iran through Balochistan, where anti-Iran insurgent groups operate with alleged tacit support from Pakistan. If the Israel-Iran conflict escalates, Pakistan could serve as a quiet front for logistical or intelligence operations for the US military strategic dimension is the growing Chinese footprint in Pakistan, exemplified by the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). For the US, this presents a long-term threat. The US is wary of China gaining a secure land route to the Arabian Sea and potentially leveraging ports like Gwadar for military Pakistan, especially its powerful military which remains the dominant power over civilian government, offers the US an opportunity to pull Islamabad away from Beijing's orbit. While reversing Pakistan's deepening ties with China may not be feasible, the US can at least aim to diversify Pakistan's dependencies, offering military aid, diplomatic legitimacy and economic incentives in exchange for strategic US-India relations have improved considerably in recent years, friction remains, particularly over trade, technology transfer and India's balancing act between the West and Russia. India has resisted aligning fully with the US geopolitical priorities, especially in its reluctance to criticize Russia over Ukraine and its continued oil and weapons trade with warming up to Pakistan, the US may be signaling to India that it has other options in South Asia. This could serve as leverage in trade negotiations and defense deals, pressing India to make concessions on tariffs, data localization laws or arms procurement. In effect, the US may be using its outreach to Pakistan as a diplomatic tool to extract more favorable terms from Pakistan, foreign policy, particularly with the US, is often the domain of the military, not the civilian government. By dealing directly with Pakistan's army leadership, the US is engaging with the true power center in Islamabad. The military is not only capable of delivering on security guarantees but also enjoys considerable autonomy and continuity compared to Pakistan's unstable civilian inviting Army Chief Asim Munir to the high-profile military parade, the US is sending a clear signal -- the bilateral relationship is back, and it is firmly rooted in ties with the military. For Trump, who values transactional diplomacy, dealing with Pakistan's generals may seem like a more predictable and practical the language of counter-terrorism dominates official statements, the US re-engagement with Pakistan is more likely motivated by a confluence of broader strategic imperatives. The Pakistani military, once shunned by Trump for alleged duplicity, is now being courted as a critical player in America's strategic calculus. Trump's volte-face reflects the realpolitik that often defines US foreign policy. If the interests align, yesterday's adversary can be an ally today. The same approach played out in Syria recently. The US removed the $10 million bounty on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Mohammad al-Jolani, after he led a successful offensive, ousting Assad from power in Syria. Trump later met him and praised him too. Trump said the meeting with Sharaa, who he described as a young, attractive guy with a very strong past, was "great".For Pakistan's military, the positive attention from Trump is a big victory. It signals that, despite Trump's past grievances, it remains an indispensable actor in regional geopolitics.