
Musk explains why he changed his stance on Trump
Musk made the comments in a thread on X when asked by a user what prompted him to go from 'loving' Trump 'as much as a straight man can' to opposing the president and attacking his policies.
'Increasing the deficit from an already insane $2 [trillion] under Biden to $2.5T. This will bankrupt the country,' Musk replied.
Musk was a key supporter in Trump's return to the White House last November. Following the president's inauguration, the tech billionaire became a key figure in the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was established to cut federal spending and costs.
The Trump-Musk honeymoon turned out to be short-lived, after the billionaire stepped down from his post last month. Since then, Musk has been critical of Trump's flagship legislation – the One Big, Beautiful Bill – which envisions massive increases in spending, cuts to social programs, and a sharp increase to the budget deficit limit.
The two have been locked in a war of words, with the president accusing his former ally of receiving more government subsidies 'than any human being in history,' while openly considering the potential deportation of the South African-born entrepreneur.
This week, the One Big, Beautiful Bill narrowly passed the Senate and House, and was signed into law by Trump on July 4.
Musk, having pledged to launch his own political party if the bill passes, announced on Independence Day the creation of the America Party, representing the '80% in the middle.'
Musk has said he wants to make his new party active by the midterm elections next year, suggesting that he will focus on a handful of seats to take advantage of 'the razor-thin legislative margins' and therefore have 'the deciding vote on contentious laws.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Trump ready to back new Russia sanctions bill
US President Donald Trump is ready to sign a bill aimed at eliminating Russia's trade under certain conditions, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing a senior administration official. If adopted, the 'bone-crushing' legislation spearheaded by hawkish Senator Lindsey Graham would impose a 500% tariff on countries buying oil, gas, uranium, and other goods from Russia. Although the bill grants the president the power to exempt nations from the tariff for up to 180 days, Trump reportedly wants Congress to give him sole authority to decide on the sanctions. 'The administration is not going to be micromanaged by the Congress on the president's foreign policy. The bill needs a waiver authority that is complete,' an official told Politico. The source added that otherwise, 'conceptually there's an openness' to signing the legislation. Graham said on Tuesday that the Senate would soon vote on the draft. 'The Senate bill has a presidential waiver to give President Trump maximum leverage,' he wrote on X. According to The New York Times, the vote could take place as soon as this month. The push for tougher sanctions has gained momentum after Trump stepped up criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as restarted negotiations between Moscow and Kiev have so far failed to produce a ceasefire. Moscow has insisted that any lasting settlement must address the 'root causes' of the conflict, including NATO's eastward expansion and Ukraine's aspirations to join the US-led alliance, which Russia views as a threat to its national security. 'We don't need a pause, which the regime in Kiev and its foreign handlers would like to use to regroup their forces, continue mobilization, and strengthen their military potential,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet on Monday. Putin has demanded that Ukraine recognize Russia's new borders and adopt permanent neutrality with a legally limited army. Lavrov said this week that Moscow is working to arrange a third round of direct talks with Ukraine in Türkiye.


Russia Today
4 hours ago
- Russia Today
Dmitry Trenin: The West's war on Russia will go beyond Ukraine
The trademark style of the current US president, Donald Trump, is verbal spectacle. His statements – brash, contradictory, sometimes theatrical – should be monitored, but not overestimated. They are not inherently favorable or hostile to Russia. And we must remember: Trump is not the 'king' of America. The 'Trump revolution' that many anticipated at the beginning of the year appears to have given way to Trump's own evolution – a drift toward accommodation with the American establishment. In that light, it's time to assess the interim results of our 'special diplomatic operation'. There have now been six presidential phone calls, several rounds of talks between foreign ministers and national security aides, and sustained contact at other levels. The most obvious positive outcome is the restoration of dialogue between Russia and the United States – a process that had been severed under the Biden administration. Crucially, this revived dialogue extends beyond Ukraine. A range of potential areas for cooperation have been mapped out, from geopolitical stability to transportation and sport. These may not carry immediate strategic weight, but they lay the groundwork for future engagement. Under Trump, the dialogue is unlikely to break off again – though its tone and pace may shift. One visible result of this diplomacy was the resumption of talks with the Ukrainian side in Istanbul. While these negotiations currently hold little political substance – and the recent prisoner exchanges occurred independently of them – they nonetheless reaffirm a core tenet of Russian diplomacy: we are ready for a political resolution to the conflict. Still, these are technical and tactical achievements. The strategic reality remains unchanged. It was never realistic to expect Trump to offer Russia a deal on Ukraine that met our security requirements. Nor for that matter would Russia accept one that compromised its long-term security interests. Likewise, any notion that Trump would 'deliver' Ukraine to the Kremlin, join Moscow in undermining the EU, or push for a new Yalta agreement with Russia and China was always fantasy. So the page has turned. What comes next? Trump will almost certainly sign the new US sanctions bill into law – but he'll try to preserve discretion in how those measures are applied. The sanctions will add friction to global trade, but they will not derail Russian policy. On the military front, Trump will deliver the remaining aid packages approved under Biden, and perhaps supplement them with modest contributions of his own. But going forward, it will be Western Europe – especially Germany – that supplies Ukraine, often by buying US-made systems and re-exporting them. Meanwhile, the United States will continue to furnish Kiev with battlefield intelligence – particularly for deep strikes inside Russian territory. None of this suggests the conflict will end in 2025. Nor will it end when hostilities in Ukraine eventually wind down. That's because the fight is not fundamentally about Ukraine. What we are witnessing is an indirect war between the West and Russia – part of a much broader global confrontation. The West is fighting to preserve its dominance. And Russia, in defending itself, is asserting its sovereign right to exist on its own terms. This war will be long. And the United States – with Trump or without him – will remain our adversary. The outcome will shape not just the fate of Ukraine, but the future of Russia itself. This article was first published in Kommersant, and was translated and edited by the RT team.


Russia Today
6 hours ago
- Russia Today
Trump threatens BRICS with 10% duties
US President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on BRICS nations and those aligned with them, saying members of the economic bloc could pay an additional 10%. Trump has repeatedly criticized BRICS and recently escalated his rhetoric, claiming he is ready for tariffs not only on its members but also on any country that 'aligns itself' with the bloc, which he accuses of embracing 'anti-American policies.' Speaking during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his tariff threats, warning that any country 'aligned' with such policy through BRICS would face levies. 'BRICS was set up to hurt us,' he stated. 'They want to destroy the dollar as the global standard – but I can play that game too. Anybody that's in BRICS is getting a 10% charge.' Asked whether the tariffs would take effect immediately, Trump said they would kick in 'pretty soon.' BRICS, originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, and China in 2006, has expanded to include South Africa, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. At the group's summit in the Russian city of Kazan last year, BRICS approved a new 'partner country' status in response to growing membership interest shown by more than 30 countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday, during the BRICS summit in Brazil, that the bloc's combined GDP has overtaken that of the G7 when measured by purchasing power parity. The group now represents nearly half the world's population and about 40% of global GDP. Trump said he believes the bloc has 'largely broke[n] up,' while accusing BRICS of trying to undermine America's financial dominance by dethroning the dollar as the global standard. Losing the 'dollar is king' status, he warned, would be tantamount to 'a major world war.' 'We would not be the same country any longer,' he said. BRICS leaders have repeatedly stated that they have no interest in weakening the dollar, and that it can only be weakened by its politicization. Putin has criticized Washington's 'weaponization' of US currency through sanctions and financial restrictions, calling it a 'big mistake' that is pushing countries to seek alternatives.