President Trump gives Elon Musk an Oval Office send-off
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)– President Donald Trump thanked Elon Musk and gave him a gold-colored key to mark the end of his work at the White House.
Musk's time as a special government employee has been full of controversy as he worked to slim down the federal government and get rid of waste, fraud and abuse.
'Today, it's about a man named Elon,' the president said.
While donning a 'The Dogefather' t-shirt, Elon Musk got an Oval Office send-off from President Trump marking an end to his nearly 130-day tenure at the White House.
'We've found things that are unbelievably stupid and unbelievably bad,' President Trump said.
Musk took a chainsaw to the federal government, overseeing mass terminations at federal agencies and slashing government contracts, which some Republicans have even criticized, and courts have pushed back on.
'He had to go through the slings and the arrows, which is a shame,' President Trump said.
Musk says his departure is not the end of DOGE, but the beginning.
'The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time,' Musk said.
Musk donated $250 million to the president's campaign, and though he's promised to pull back on political donations, both men say Musk will still be a familiar face at the White House.
'I'll continue to be visiting here and be a friend and advisor to the president,' Musk said.
No one has been prosecuted for the fraud that Musk and President Trump have said was widespread within the government.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
19 minutes ago
- The Hill
Here's where normal people can still buy homes, according to real estate data
(NEXSTAR) – If you've given up on home ownership, you're not alone. The dream has grown unaffordable and unrealistic for Americans in many major cities. 'The rapid rise in home values coupled with the doubling of mortgage rates caused the cost of owning a home to soar. Unfortunately, incomes just haven't kept up. That lowered affordability everywhere,' said Zillow senior economist Orphe Divounguy. But if you look closely, some pockets of America are still considered 'affordable' to the average family. In a data analysis shared with Nexstar, Zillow identified which cities are affordable by determining where the median-income family is able to spend less than one-third of their income on housing costs. If you're able to scrape together a 20% down payment, several dozen metro areas remain affordable for a median family looking to buy. However, most people don't have that much cash sitting around in the bank. When you set the target to a more reasonable 10% down payment, only 11 metro areas are still considered 'affordable': Most places that still rank as affordable are found in the Midwest and the South, where zoning codes tend to be more lenient and builders have been able to respond to rising demand more quickly. 'At the start of the pandemic, when residential mobility increased, home values in the Midwest, Great Lakes region and more inland South shot up just as fast as the rest of the country, and even faster in some metros. But home values in these regions — for the most part — were relatively less expensive to begin with,' Divounguy said. 'So even with all that growth, many of them are still relatively more affordable, especially if you have access to a large down payment.' If you're looking for the lowest prices overall, Redfin recently released a list of 10 major metro areas where homes are still under $300,000. Those willing to relocate to Detroit will find some of the best deals. The median sale price there is $180,000. As mentioned before, if prospective homebuyers are able to put a larger payment down up-front, their real estate prospects expand. Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Oklahoma City all become affordable to a median-income family with a 20% down payment. (See the full list at the bottom of this story.) For now, a few Upstate New York cities remain on the list, but that could soon change, according to Divounguy. Buffalo has been one of the hottest housing markets in the country the past couple years and supply isn't keeping up with demand. 'Strong job growth in the area has far outstripped new permits, and inventory of homes is nearly half what it was before the pandemic. Buffalo was previously one of the most accessible large cities in the nation. Now a mortgage for a typical home there is unaffordable for a family making the median household income, even with a 20% down payment.'
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
York County shopping plaza entrance closed for ‘police investigation'
YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — The entrance to the Newberry Commons Shopping Plaza is closed due to a 'police investigation.' According to the Newberry Township Police Department on Facebook, the entrance to Newberry Commons Shopping Plaza at Old Trail Road is currently closed due to a police investigation. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The post urges travelers to use an alternate route to access businesses in the complex at this time. This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Maine lawmakers are still wrangling over state budget with weeks left in session
Jun. 1—Maine's legislative session is scheduled to end in just over two weeks, and many of the biggest issues remain unresolved. Lawmakers still must close out a two-year state budget that could include tax increases and spending cuts to settle thorny policy issues ranging from transgender athletes to immigration enforcement to child care funding. Finalizing the budget is going to be the biggest hurdle and likely will come down to the wire after some marathon days of negotiation and debate. Democratic lawmakers passed a portion of the state budget earlier this session with enough funding to continue basic services into the new fiscal year that starts July 1. But they left unresolved proposed tax increases and program cuts the Mills administration says are needed to meet the state Constitution's mandate for a balanced budget. They took a similar approach two years ago. Republicans, who have criticized Democrats for using their majorities to adopt baseline budgets without their input, are not keen on helping Democrats dig themselves out of a projected budget hole, especially if it includes tax increases. Democrats will need some Republican support for the remaining pieces of the budget to take effect in July. Lawmakers from both parties say they're aiming to conclude the session by June 18. They will need to approve a budget before they adjourn for the year, but they have the option of carrying over until next year any remaining bills, including about 100 spending bills that have passed both chambers and are awaiting funding before being sent to the governor. 'TOUGH CHOICES' Gov. Janet Mills is expected to meet with a bipartisan group of lawmakers next week to urge Republicans and Democrats to agree to a bipartisan budget — one that makes "tough choices" that protect core services at a time when state revenues have begun to level off and decline and as federal funding becomes increasingly uncertain under the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. "The Governor believes that with state revenues leveling off — and cuts likely coming from the President and Republicans in Congress — the time for hard budget decisions is here and now," spokesperson Ben Goodman said. "She continues to strongly urge Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature to work together to make the tough choices that are needed to ensure programs that keep Maine people healthy, our school children fed, our communities safe, and provide access to education and good-paying jobs are maintained in the years to come." Rep. Jack Ducharme, the lead Republican on the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, which is reviewing the budget, said his party is largely in the dark as Democrats debate among themselves about any changes to Mills' budget proposal. Committee Republicans have refused to support of many budget items until Democrats present a plan for new spending and revenue sources, he said. "We're really kind of the mercy of what they're going to bring to the table and what they're not," Ducharme of Madison said. "To date, they have not come up with an idea about where they're getting the money." In a written statement, Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston and co-chair of the budget committee, accused Republicans of not engaging in negotiations. Rotundo said lawmakers have routinely passed bipartisan budgets in her 19 years in elected office, though her statement did not acknowledge that Democrats, who have controlled both chambers since 2019, have passed mostly partyline budgets in recent years. "What has always made Maine's government work, regardless of who holds the majority, is the understanding that governing is a shared responsibility." Rotundo said. "It requires both parties to come to the table, roll up their sleeves, and work through challenges together." Earlier this session, Democrats used their majority to pass an $11.3 billion continuing services budget that continues to fund 55% of public education and provides $122 million to help stabilize the MaineCare program. But that budget doesn't include at least $122 million in additional funding needed to fund MaineCare — Maine's Medicaid program — in the second year of the budget. The governor's budget office said that the continuing services budget does not include $285 million in additional spending originally proposed by Mills. WHAT'S LEFT TO SPEND It's unclear exactly how much money is or isn't left for lawmakers to spend. Ducharme says the continuing services budget already spends $100 million more than state revenue projections over the next two years, which, when coupled with the additional MaineCare spending, has created a hole of more than $200 million. But Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, who is co-chair of the budget committee, said there is more than $120 million in unallocated revenue available for the next biennium. That does not include any of the additional taxes or spending cuts proposed by Mills, he said. Gattine said that lawmakers will likely alter the governor's proposal, though he didn't provide any specifics. "The budget will be different than what the governor proposed — it always is," Gattine said. "Whether or not it's significantly different is in the eye of the beholder." Mills proposed a series of tax increases that could generate $156 million in revenue to meet existing commitments, including proposing the first increase in cigarette taxes in 20 years. Increasing cigarette taxes from $2 a pack to $3 would increase state revenue by $78 million, according to her administration. But Republicans and others have criticized that approach as hurting low-income families. Mills also proposed taxing online streaming services, such as Netflix and Spotify ($14 million); phasing in a new pension income tax for wealthier retirees ($44.7 million); increasing cannabis taxes ($6.3 million); and taxing pharmacies and private ambulance services, which it says will unlock additional federal funding to reinvest into the MaineCare program. Ducharme said Republicans remain steadfastly opposed to new taxes. "Maine people are the third or fourth highest taxed people in the nation with one of the smallest populations," Ducharme said. "It's ridiculous for us to think that we need to add more taxes because government can't get its spending under control." Mills has also proposed cutbacks, including eliminating state-funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds for noncitizens, cutting two crisis receiving centers planned for Aroostook and Kennebec counties, stopping a planned increase in child care worker stipends and planned cost-of-living increases for direct care workers, among others. Mills also proposed reforms to the state's General Assistance program aimed at reducing costs and returning the program to its original mission as a last resort safety net, rather than an ongoing housing assistance program. House Democrats initially agreed to a version of those reforms earlier this year, winning Republican support for a supplemental budget bill that would have allowed the state to immediately pay hospitals for services already provided to MaineCare patients. But that deal fell apart when Senate Republicans blocked its passage. House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham said at a news conference last week that Republicans are still fighting for some of the reforms they had previously sought in the budget, including reforms to the General Assistance and MaineCare programs. "We're still hoping they appear in the budget," Faulkingham said. Gattine said Democrats have focused on scrutinizing the governor's proposals, while also considering changes sought by lawmakers. But he said it's too soon to say where the final budget will land. "When we look at this stuff, we understand that these were tough choices, so we have to be much more careful and diligent in our work reviewing that (proposal), because at the end of the day we have to come up with something that is balanced, but also something that meets the moment and the needs of Maine people, which are significant," he said. Staff Writer Rachel Ohm contributed to this story. Copy the Story Link
