Elon Musk Is Posting Through It
Jun 5, 2025 6:00 PM Donald Trump and Elon Musk are going to war—and giving everyone a front row seat. Photograph:Elon Musk is many things: billionaire, natalist, aspiring gamer. He runs gigantic companies and dreams of colonizing Mars. But above all, Elon Musk is a poster. And as his storied relationship with President Donald Trump dissolves in real-time, by god, he is posting through it.
The resulting timeline—a chaotic, catty, incendiary voyage into the grievances of the world's richest man with the president of the United States—should be enshrined as a historical artifact, a front-row seat to the apparent end of an extraordinarily consequential partnership.
Tensions between Musk and Trump had been steadily building, but they spilled into the open on Thursday. After Musk took repeated shots at the president's 'Big Beautiful Bill' and the trillions of dollars it will add to the deficit, Trump accused Musk of caring only about the removal of an electric vehicle credit that helps Tesla, and suggested their relationship had frayed.
Then came Musk's many, many posts on X. Between 12:19 pm ET and 3:20 pm ET Musk fired off 49 posts, reposts, or replies. That's an average of one new missive every 3.5 minutes, over a three-hour stretch.
It started simply enough. 'Whatever,' Musk posted to X at 12:19 pm ET. 'Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill. In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both [sic] big and beautiful. Everyone knows this! Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way.'
Less than half an hour later, after a few more innocuous posts and in response to a video of Trump saying he would have won Pennsylvania regardless of Musk's help, Musk went nuclear. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,' he posted.
From there, Musk played the hits: A bad pun ('Kill Bill'). Multiple 'crying laughing' emojis. A worthless quiz. Sympathetic retweets. The last few hours have been a sprint through Musk's posting playbook, well-honed through years of being X's owner and one of its most committed users.
Trump posted too: 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' he wrote on Truth Social during Musk's meltdown. 'Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!'
Musk responded by accusing Trump of being in the Epstein Files. (As of this writing, he's still following that thread.) He also claimed that '@SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately,' which would deprive NASA of its preferred shuttle to the International Space Station.
'I don't mind Elon turning against me,' wrote Trump on Truth Social, 'but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress.'
The very public spat between the world's richest man and its most powerful leader shows no sign of slowing. The consequences of the falling out could also be astronomical: Musk is worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and has proven that he's happy to deploy it to achieve his own political and personal ends.Trump has power to choke off many of Musk's companies from lucrative government contracts.
It's an unprecedented moment that seems likely to lead to unpredictable places. But whatever twists it takes, there's at least some assurance that they'll happen out in the open.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
32 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Marines take over some security in LA while cities across US prep for ‘No Kings' rallies
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After a week of protests over federal immigration raids, about 200 Marines moved into Los Angeles on Friday to guard a federal building in the city while communities across the country prepped for what's anticipated to be a nationwide wave of large-scale demonstrations against President Donald Trump's polices this weekend. The Marine troops with rifles, combat gear and walkie-talkies took over some posts from National Guard members who were deployed to the city after the protests erupted last week . Those protests sparked dozens more over several days around the country, with some leading to clashes with police and hundreds of arrests. The Marines had not been seen on Los Angeles city streets until Friday. They finished training on civil disturbance and have started to replace Guard members protecting the federal building west of downtown, so the Guard soldiers can be assigned to protect law enforcement officers on raids, the commander in charge of 4,700 troops deployed to the LA protests said. The Marines moved into Los Angeles before Saturday's planned 'No Kings' demonstrations nationally against Trump's policies, which will also happen the same day as a military parade in Washington, D.C., when troops will march and tanks will rumble through the streets of the nation's capital. The Marines' arrival also came a day after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked a federal judge's order that had directed Trump to return control of Guard troops to California. The judge had ruled the Guard deployment was illegal, violated the Tenth Amendment, which defines the power between state and federal governments, and exceeded Trump's statutory authority. The judge did not rule on the presence of the Marines. Military mission Some 2,000 National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles this week. Hundreds have provided protection to immigration agents making arrests. Another 2,000 Guard members were notified of deployment earlier this week. None of the military troops will be detaining anyone, Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, the commander of Task Force 51 who is overseeing the 4,700 combined troops, said. 'I would like to emphasize that the soldiers will not participate in law enforcement activities,' Sherman said. 'Rather, they'll be focused on protecting federal law enforcement personnel.' Roughly 500 National Guard members have been used to provide security on immigration raids after undergoing expanded instruction, legal training and rehearsals with the agents doing the enforcement before they go on those missions. By mid-afternoon Friday, more than a dozen Marines were stationed outside the 17-story Wilshire Federal Building, replacing some members of the National Guard at various entrances. They mostly appeared to be checking tickets from members of the public who were there to renew their passports. The building is the same place Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla on Thursday was forcefully removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's news conference and handcuffed by officers as he tried to speak up about the immigration raids. There were no protesters around the building. Occasionally, a passing driver shouted from their window, registering a mix of anger and support for the military presence. Sherman said the U.S. Marine Corps is responsible for guarding U.S. embassies overseas so they are well-trained on how to defend a federal building. California vs. Trump California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called the troop deployment a 'serious breach of state sovereignty' and a power grab by Trump, and he has gone to court to stop it. The president has cited a legal provision that allows him to mobilize federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' A federal judge said in a ruling late Thursday that what is happening in Los Angeles does not meet the definition of a rebellion and issued an order to return control of the Guard to California before the appeals court stopped it from going into effect Friday. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump thanked the appeals court Friday morning. 'If I didn't send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now,' he said. The court will hold a hearing on the matter Tuesday. Under federal law, active-duty forces are prohibited by law from conducting law enforcement. The Trump administration has characterized the city as a 'war zone,' which local authorities dispute. Recent protesters have drawn a few hundred attendees who marched through downtown chanting, dancing and poking fun at the Trump administration's characterization of the city. There have been about 500 arrests since Saturday, mostly for failing to leave the area at the request of law enforcement, according to the police. There have been a handful of more serious charges, including for assault against officers and for possession of a Molotov cocktail and a gun. Nine officers have been hurt, mostly with minor injuries. An 8 p.m. curfew has been in place in a 1-square-mile (2.5-square-kilometer) section of downtown. The city of Los Angeles encompasses roughly 500 square miles (1,295 square kilometers). Protests have ended after a few hours with arrests this week largely for failure to disperse. No Kings The 'No Kings' demonstrations are planned in nearly 2,000 locations around the country , according to the movement's website. A flagship march and rally is planned for Philadelphia, but no protests are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., where the military parade will be held. Participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation, organizers say. In Florida, state Attorney General James Uthmeier warned that any protesters who become violent will be dealt with harshly. States face questions on deploying troops Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has put 5,000 National Guard members on standby in cities where demonstrations are planned. In other Republican-controlled states, governors have not said when or how they may deploy troops. A group of Democratic governors in a statement called Trump's deployments 'an alarming abuse of power.' Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson took to social media Friday to call for peaceful protests over the weekend, to ensure the military is not sent to the state. 'Don't give him an excuse to try and federalize the National Guard like he did in California,' he said. Military parade The military parade in Washington which Trump had unsuccessfully pushed for during his first term — will also feature concerts, fireworks, NFL players, fitness competitions and displays all over the National Mall for daylong festivities. The celebration Saturday also happens to be Trump's birthday. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend and says putting on the celebration will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million . ___ Taxin reported from Santa Ana, California. Baldor contributed from Washington. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The Hill
32 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump clears path for Nippon Steel investment in US Steel, so long as it fits the government's terms
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order paving the way for a Nippon Steel investment in U.S. Steel, so long as the Japanese company complies with a 'national security agreement' submitted by the federal government. Trump's order didn't detail the terms of the national security agreement. But U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel said in a joint statement that the agreement stipulates that approximately $11 billion in new investments will be made by 2028 and includes giving the U.S. government a 'golden share' — essentially veto power to ensure the country's national security interests are protected. 'We thank President Trump and his Administration for their bold leadership and strong support for our historic partnership,' the two companies said. 'This partnership will bring a massive investment that will support our communities and families for generations to come. We look forward to putting our commitments into action to make American steelmaking and manufacturing great again.' The companies have completed a U.S. Department of Justice review and received all necessary regulatory approvals, the statement said. 'The partnership is expected to be finalized promptly,' the statement said. The companies offered few details on how the golden share would work and what investments would be made. Trump said Thursday that he would as president have 'total control' of what U.S. Steel did as part of the investment. Trump said then that the deal would preserve '51% ownership by Americans.' The Japan-based steelmaker had been offering nearly $15 billion to purchase the Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel in a merger that had been delayed on national security concerns starting during Joe Biden's presidency. Trump opposed the purchase while campaigning for the White House, yet he expressed optimism in working out an arrangement once in office. 'We have a golden share, which I control,' said Trump, although it was unclear what he meant by suggesting that the federal government would determine what U.S. Steel does as a company. Trump added that he was 'a little concerned' about what presidents other than him would do with their golden share, 'but that gives you total control.' Still, Nippon Steel has never said it was backing off its bid to buy and control U.S. Steel as a wholly owned subsidiary. The proposed merger had been under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, during the Trump and Biden administrations. The order signed Friday by Trump said the CFIUS review provided 'credible evidence' that Nippon Steel 'might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States,' but such risks might be 'adequately mitigated' by approving the proposed national security agreement. The order doesn't detail the perceived national security risk and only provides a timeline for the national security agreement. The White House declined to provide details on the terms of the agreement. The order said the draft agreement was submitted to U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel on Friday. The two companies must successfully execute the agreement as decided by the Treasury Department and other federal agencies that are part CFIUS by the closing date of the transaction. Trump reserves the authority to issue further actions regarding the investment as part of the order he signed on Friday. ___ Associated Press writer Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa., contributed to this report.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US scrambles to bring back VOA's Persian service amid Iran-Israel conflict
Employees of Voice of America's Persian-language service who were sidelined by the Trump administration have been hastily called back to duty as Iran and Israel exchange missile strikes in a high-stakes Middle East conflict. The U.S. Agency for Global Media told employees placed on administrative leave to immediately return to their roles providing counter-programming to Iranian state media as the conflict between the two nations escalated Friday, according to an email seen by POLITICO and three people familiar with the situation. 'Effective immediately, you are recalled from administrative leave,' said the email from USAGM's human resources department. 'You are expected to report to your duty station immediately.' There are 75 full time employees within VOA's Persian wing — the language predominantly spoken in Iran — and it's believed most, if not all, have now been brought back after being put on administrative leave for three months. VOA's Persian service had been shut down as a part of President Donald Trump's March 15 executive order dismantling U.S.-backed global media, which included VOA, among other outlets. Since, the embattled network has been rattled with court orders — and discussions of company-wide reductions-in-force. In the last several weeks, RIFs have begun going out to employees in small doses. Patsy Widakuswara, one of the lead plaintiffs in VOA's lawsuit against the Trump administration, said this move is a perfect example of why the entirety of VOA should be brought back. 'After months off the air, we've already lost a lot of audience and credibility,' said Widakuswara, the VOA White House bureau chief. 'They should bring us all back so we can respond to breaking news in all parts of the world.' The abrupt decision to recall employees of the Persian service occurs as the conflict appears to be escalating following the overnight strike on Iran directed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Iranian response. VOA would typically heavily rely on contractors for this coverage — but last month the administration terminated a large swath of them. 'It just shows how idiotic they are, consistent with this firing and rehiring pattern that has cost Americans who knows how many millions of dollars,' one VOA employee on administrative leave, said on condition of anonymity to speak candidly. 'This is the real fraud, waste and abuse.'
