Martina Devlin: Never mind the ‘liberal elites', it's Trump and his allies on the right who pose the biggest threat to free speech
Team Trump only want the freedom to say anything they like, without being prepared to allow others to express different views
'Democracy was a very nice idea for a while but now it's worn out,' says a character in a TV drama I'm watching. Years and Years imagines a dystopian near future with some eerily familiar characteristics, such as free speech under threat and extremist politicians going mainstream.
The six-part series, broadcast on the BBC in 2019 but having a resurgence after landing on Netflix, follows the rise of a wealthy, populist leader. She's played by Emma Thompson, who channels Nigel Farage with a side order of Donald Trump. The politician harvests support by expressing public anxieties while using emotionally charged rhetoric to push a tribalising, polarising, radicalising agenda.
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Extra.ie
31 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
Elon Musk slams Donald Trump as US President 'very disappointed' in backer
Elon Musk has slammed Donald Trump after the US President said that he was 'very disappointed' in Mr Musk's criticisms of him. Mr Musk, who was the self-appointed 'first buddy' of Mr Trump and spent over $250million backing his re-election, left as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) back in April after spending more than 100 days in Mr Trump's inner circle. Now, in what many expected to happen after Mr Musk's departure, Mr Trump took aim at his former confidant after Mr Musk criticised Mr Trump's 'big beautiful bill' on Twitter (X) for, he claims, increasing the US' debt ceiling — something Mr Trump previously decried in 2013, as Mr Musk pointed out. Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025 'He's not the first … people leave my administration and some of them actually become hostile,' Mr Trump said of Musk. 'They leave, and they wake up in the morning, and the glamour's gone, the whole world is different, and they become hostile. I'm very disappointed in Elon. I helped Elon a lot.' Taking to Twitter on Thursday evening, Mr Musk initially wrote 'whatever,' before saying without him, he would've lost the 2024 election to Kamala Harris. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,' Mr Musk wrote. 'Such ingratitude.' WAElon Musk has slammed Donald Trump after the US President said that he was 'very disappointed' in Mr Musk's criticisms of him. Pic:Mr Musk also hit back at Mr Trump's claims that he opposed Mr Trump's tax bill over getting rid of tax credits for clean energy and electric vehicles, calling it a 'disgusting abomination' and also adding '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.' Mr Musk also tweeted a video of him showing off a fleet of Teslas to Mr Trump outside of the White House back in March, when he said that he 'ended the EV mandate' — with Mr Musk tweeting at Mr Trump and writing 'remember this?' Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday, the US President said 'We are doing things in that bill that are unbelievable.' Mr Musk was heavily involved in Mr Trump's re-election campaign, and was the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Pic:'I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here. All of a sudden he had a problem. 'He hasn't said bad [things] about me personally, but I'm sure that'll be next.' Mr Musk endorsed Mr Trump in his re-election bid over the summer of last year, and reportedly spent upwards of $250million in helping Mr Trump get re-elected. He added that he was Mr Trump's 'first buddy' and was the head of DOGE where he said he would cut trillions in government spending; but figures fell short of expectations.
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gerry Adams to donate €100k to Irish language and Palestinian charities
Gerry Adams said he will donate the €100,000 (£84,000) he is to receive in damages from the BBC to charities that help children in Gaza, the homeless in Ireland and Irish language groups. Mr Adams took the BBC to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, which he said defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson, for which he denies any involvement. Last Friday a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him €100,000 (£84,000) after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article. The BBC will also have to pay Mr Adams's legal costs. During an eight-minute video posted on the official Sinn Fein YouTube channel, Mr Adams accused the BBC of showing "arrogance" when it did not resolve the dispute after he issued legal letters nine years ago. In Putting Manners On The BBC – The Gerry Adams Blog, Mr Adams said that the BBC has been held accountable for the content it broadcasts. Mr Adams said: "As for the money that the jury awarded me in damages, I will donate this to good causes. "These will include the children of Gaza, groups in Ireland involved in helping the homeless, Cumann Carad, the Irish language sector and other projects like this in west Belfast." He added: "When the case began six weeks ago, the BBC's legal strategy was evident very quickly. Their narrative was that pursued by successive British and Irish governments for years. "They blamed everything during the conflict on Irish Republicans and by extension, during this trial, on me. "The BBC lawyers embarked on a Jesuitical presentation of the case that tried to convince the jurors that the words broadcast and published by the British Broadcasting Corporation, that I had sanctioned the murder of Denis Donaldson, did not, in fact, mean that I sanctioned the murder of Denis Donaldson. "They were, they said, that's the British Broadcasting Corporation, not defending the truth of the accusation. "Instead they were defending, they claimed, their journalism, which they said was fair and reasonable, in the public interest and made in good faith. "They concluded their case by trying to exert moral pressure on the jurors by claiming that a defeat for the British Broadcasting Corporation would be a blow to freedom of speech and a setback to victims. "In the end the jury didn't buy in to any of this. "On all the key issues the jurors unanimously accepted that the script used by the Spotlight programme did mean that I had sanctioned and approved the murder of Denis Donaldson." He said that after the BBC's decision to air the Spotlight programme, he decided to sue the broadcaster. Mr Adams said the BBC could have resolved the dispute there and then. "They chose not to. Why? That's a question to be asked. Why did they not resolve this issue when they could have? "Was it arrogance? Yes, that's part of it. But I also suspect political interference. "In January, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded to a decision in the High Court in Belfast, which included that I and, by implication, up to 400 other former internees, were wrongfully detained and that we were entitled to compensation. "Mr Starmer told the British Parliament that he would look at every conceivable way to block compensation being paid." Mr Adams also urged the Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan to meet Denis Donaldson's family. He signed off by saying "slan agus tog go bog e", which means goodbye and take it easy. Earlier this week the BBC was granted time to consider appealing against the jury's decision. The broadcaster was granted a stay on paying the full costs and damages to allow it time to consider whether to lodge an appeal. The stay was subject to paying half the damages (€50,000 or £42,000) and €250,000 (£210,000) towards solicitors' fees.
Irish Daily Star
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Star
Elon Musk hits out as Trump reveals he was 'upset' and 'disturbed' before leaving White House
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has issued a fiery retort to U.S. President Donald Trump 's scathing remarks about him during his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House. During the meeting , Musk made several scathing remarks. "Whatever," Musk wrote. "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 big and beautiful," he added. Musk later reposted a clip of Trump badmouthing him and saying that he had seen a copy of the bill before he left. Read More Related Articles Sisters, 9, 8 and 5, found dead on planned father visitation had zip-tied bags over heads Read More Related Articles Liam Neeson opened up about friends who died on hunger strike during the Troubles During the meeting, Musk made several scathing remarks (Image: Getty Images) "False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it ," Musk added. The attacks on his former boss come after Trump lambasted Musk during a meeting with the German Chancellor when a reporter asked the president how he felt about the X CEO's attacks. "Well, look, I like Elon and I was very surprised," Trump said. Musk later reposted a clip of Trump badmouthing him and saying that he had seen a copy of the bill before he left. (Image: Getty Images) "You saw the words he had for me and he hasn't said anything about me which is bad," Trump added. "I would rather have him criticize me than the bill. Because the bill is incredible." "It's the biggest cut in the history of our country we've ever cut, Trump added. "It's about 1.6 trillion cuts." However, Trump did not stop there and doubled down on the comments. The attacks on his former boss come after Trump lambasted Musk during a meeting with the German Chancellor (Image: AFP via Getty Images) "Elon is upset because we took the EV mandate -- which was a lot of money for electric vehicles -- and they're having a hard time," Trump said, claiming that EV companies want them to pay "billions of dollars in subsidies." According to Trump, "Elon knew this from the beginning from a long time ago." Trump said, "I know that disturbed him. He wanted somebody whom he knew very well to run NASA and I didn't think it was appropriate. He happened to be a Democrat. We won, we get certain privileges." "You saw the words he had for me and he hasn't said anything about me which is bad," Trump added (Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images) "You saw a man who was very happy when he stood behind the Oval desk. Even with a black eye," Trump added. "I said, do you want a little makeup? He said, 'No, I don't think so,' which is interesting ... Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore." "I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here," Trump lamented. "He had no problem with it. All of a sudden, he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out we're gonna have to cut the EV mandate." Trump believed that Elon was going to come after hi next. (Image: Getty Images) "He hasn't said bad about me personally but I'm sure that'll be next. But I'm very disappointed in Elon," he said. Of course, Elon refused to go quietly and posted, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate." "Such ingratitude," he said. This past week, Musk slammed the president and his bill in various attacks on social media. According to Musk, the Big Beautiful Bill, undermines all the work DOGE allegedly has done. "I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it," he wrote. Musk also spoke out against the bill on Sunday during an interview on CBS's Sunday Morning. "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," he said.
