Elon Musk says he'll reduce political spending after heavily backing Trump in 2024
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'In terms of political spending I'm going to do a lot less in the future,' Musk said. Asked why, he responded: 'I think I've done enough.'
Musk's statement marks a reversal of the course he had set during the 2024 campaign — when he was among the very top political spenders — and immediately after.
Musk spent at least $250 million supporting Trump in the presidential campaign, as the main contributor to America PAC, a super PAC that was active in advertising and funding door-to-door canvassing groups across the seven most-competitive states in the November presidential election.
Musk relished in the publicity, campaigning alongside Trump at times and headlining some of his own campaign rallies on the GOP nominee's behalf.
And while he took credit for helping Trump return to the White House, Musk suffered a public defeat in April, after he became deeply involved in a Wisconsin Supreme Court campaign. Musk-backed groups America PAC and Rebuilding America's Future spent more than $21 million on the April 1 election in support of the Republican-backed candidate Brad Schimel.
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CBC
32 minutes ago
- CBC
'Come hug it out': Canadian tourism groups reassure U.S. visitors they're welcome amid political tension
Late last year, Dan Davis of Cleveland, Ohio, began planning a motorcycle trip with friends this summer that includes several days in Ontario. But those plans became a little uncertain after U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January and imposed tariffs on Canada, sparking a trade war. That, coupled with Trump's frequent threats to make Canada the 51st state, has sparked anger among many Canadians. Davis noted that, in February, Canadians booed the U.S. national anthem at several NHL hockey games, and in March, the Canadian government ran a billboard campaign in a dozen U.S. states, including Ohio, declaring that Trump's "tariffs are a tax." "Those things just made us wonder, 'Wow, are we going to be welcome in Canada?' " said Davis, adding that the licence plates on the group's motorcycles reveal they're from Ohio — a state Trump won in the 2024 election. "On a motorcycle, you're a little more vulnerable," he said. "All it takes is one person to say, 'You know what, I'm going to show these guys a lesson,' whether it's vandalizing a bike or … throwing a beer can at you." Fewer U.S. tourists visiting Canada Since Trump took office and Canada-U.S. relations have become strained, fewer Canadians are visiting the U.S., and fewer Americans are coming to Canada. In May, the number of trips Americans took to Canada declined 10.7 per cent by car, and 5.5 per cent by air compared to the same time last year. Some tourism associations worry a number of Americans may be staying away because they fear a chilly reception, so they've launched ad campaigns which assure their neighbours they'll be warmly welcomed. It's a worthy cause considering what's at stake: The majority of Canada's tourists come from the U.S., and they spent $15.3 million in the country last year. "It was really important for us to send the message to these visitors … that they are truly welcome, not to be scared to visit us," said Isabelle Charlebois, general director of Tourism Eastern Townships, a region in southeastern Quebec near the U.S. border. The group launched a TV ad in late May, running in New England and New York state. Set in the Eastern Townships, it shows a U.S. tourist whispering sheepishly to a hotel clerk that he's American. The clerk smiles knowingly, and gives the American a big, warm hug. "Come hug it out in the Eastern Townships," says the tagline. WATCH | Quebec tourism group offers to 'hug it out': Charlebois says the ad campaign was partly inspired by the fact that local tourism operators were fielding numerous calls from concerned Americans. "They were calling … asking if they should postpone their trip, or if they will be welcome in Quebec," she said. "This relationship we have with our neighbour is really important for us. That's why we sent this message, and I hope it works." 'Perception is reality' In May, out of the 200 businesses surveyed by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, 32 per cent reported lower summer bookings by Americans compared to the same time last year. John Kinney, owner of Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours, says, so far this season, his location just outside Niagara Falls has seen 15 per cent fewer American customers compared to this time last year. "Unfortunately, perception is reality," said Kinney. "If it's perceived that there's political woes, people say, 'I hear Myrtle Beach is nice.' They just go to a completely different area." To encourage Americans to heard north, Niagara Falls Tourism has launched a page on its website just for them. Along with listing attractions, it declares, "To our friends in the U.S.A. — we can't wait to welcome you!" Back in Cleveland, Davis spotted a billboard last week on the highway and says he took it as a sign he's welcome in Canada. This time, instead of denouncing Trump's tariffs, the billboard invited Americans to visit Ontario and take advantage of the low Canadian dollar. Destination Ontario, the province's tourism organization, launched the campaign in several U.S. states last month. "It's good to see that they are encouraging visitors," said Davis, who is now looking forward to his Ontario trip. "We all just need to come together as human beings on both sides of the border and embrace each other." B.C. bear tour operators beckon Americans Over on the West Coast, British Columbia businesses that specialize in bear viewing are also rolling out the welcome mat. More than a dozen took part in a video, posted on YouTube on May 30, which promises Americans "open arms" and "warm hospitality." B.C.'s Commercial Bear Viewing Association, which put together the ad, says it will soon be launched as part of a social media campaign in select U.S. markets. WATCH | B.C. businesses welcome U.S. tourists: Marg Leehane, general manager of Great Bear Lodge in Campbell River, B.C., shouted out, "You're always welcome," in the video. It's a message she hopes will resonate, as American bookings at her lodge are down by 28 per cent so far compared to this time last year. "Americans always make up a good percentage of our visitors, and we're disappointed to not have them coming," she said. "I think they're worried the political message will get reflected on them. But of course, that's not how most Canadians feel." Leehane says she's getting more Canadian bookings this year than usual, which helps offset the decline in American customers. Still, she worries that decline could have lasting repercussions. "We don't want to lose that pipeline of American visitors," she said. "They would have come back as repeat guests. So it's not just this year that we would lose out on those visitors, it's the future years."
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
War is in the air
Opinion 'There is a clear, present risk, particularly as Vladimir Putin does see himself as being at war with the West. The homeland is again (in peril)… Air and missile attacks will potentially cause civilian casualties (in the United Kingdom) in very large numbers.' Therefore, concludes Gen. Sir Richard Barrons, the U.K. needs to bring back air-raid sirens and air-raid drills. I'm not making this up. Barrons, a former deputy chief of the defence staff who retired from the British Army in 2016, is not just an aging military fantasist longing to relive the Blitz he was too young to experience first time around. He co-wrote the British government's Strategic Defence Review, published last week, and the government adopted it wholesale. It's not just the U.K. In only four months, the NATO countries of Europe have managed to talk themselves into the belief that their continent is on the brink of war. Almost the entire Russian army has been bogged down in Ukraine for three years and there is no other military threat in sight, yet the rhetoric suggests that Armageddon is just around the corner. This is yet another consequence of that highly infectious disease, Trump Derangement Syndrome. The American president's penchant for making random radical comments, often just for the hell of it, has a way of panicking other countries into making policy decisions that are premature or just plain wrong. For example, the European members of NATO are now convinced that the United States is cancelling its eight-decade commitment to the defence of Europe. In particular they think that the U.S. is ending its guarantee of nuclear retaliation against a Russian attack, which enabled all of them (except Britain and France) to avoid getting nuclear weapons of their own. They are right to be concerned about all that, because that is certainly being considered by some factions in the Trump circus. But it is far too early to base policy on these concerns, because Trump himself has no idea where he is going with all this. Could the United States end up in a de facto alliance with Russia when the dance ends (or at least pauses for a while)? Unlikely but possible, given Trump's highly personalistic style and his bizarre but undeniably very close relationship with the Russian leader. What would become of the existing Russian-Chinese alliance in such a case? Hard to say, but Putin might prefer an American alliance that would deliver Ukraine into Russia's hands. That would be a more equal partnership (assuming continuing American decline) than Russia's current precarious alliance with a Chinese giant that has aspirations on Russian territory. Does that then leave China free to join with Europe and the more or less free-trading countries of Asia in an effort to preserve or restore the rules-based, law-abiding world order that is under attack by Russia and the United States? The possible permutations and combinations are almost endless. It is unfortunately true that flurries of last-minute changes in alliances often happen just before the great powers go into a great war, but that is another reason not to rush into radical changes now. This will require a high tolerance for make-believe on the part of Europe, but wait-and-see is probably the continent's least bad strategy for the time being. The European members of NATO should do everything possible to sustain Ukraine's resistance even when Trump cuts it off again, and rebuild their own defensive capabilities as fast as possible in case Trump does take the Russian option. But there's no need to practise bleeding, as the soldiers say: try to sustain the fiction of a united NATO as long as possible. And if you're in need of consolation as the talk of war swamps the news, remember that the only genuinely revisionist great power at the moment is Russia. People will tell you China is revisionist too, but that is untrue apart from Taiwan. Beijing believes it can overtake the United States by economic means alone, and with Trump's help it may be right. Gwynne Dyer's new book is Intervention Earth: Life-Saving Ideas from the World's Climate Engineers.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump authorizes additional 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles, US officials say
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Another 2,000 National Guard troops along with 700 Marines are headed to Los Angeles on orders Monday from President Donald Trump, escalating a military presence local officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom don't want and the police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests. An initial 2,000 Guard troops ordered by Trump started arriving Sunday, which saw the most violence during three days of protests driven by anger over Trump's stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws that critics say are breaking apart migrant families. Monday's demonstrations were far less raucous, with thousands peacefully attending a rally at City Hall and hundreds protesting outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids across the city. Trump has described Los Angeles in dire terms that Mayor Karen Bass and Newsom say are nowhere close to the truth. They say he is putting public safety at risk by adding military personnel even though police say they don't need the help. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement he was confident in the police department's ability to handle large-scale demonstrations and that the Marines' arrival without coordinating with the police department would present a 'significant logistical and operational challenge' for them. Newsom called the deployments reckless and 'disrespectful to our troops' in a post on the social platform X. 'This isn't about public safety,' Newsom said. 'It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego.' The protests began Friday in downtown Los Angeles after federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city. The smell of smoke hung in the air downtown Monday, one day after crowds blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire as police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. Additional protests against immigration raids continued into the evening on Monday in several other cities including San Francisco and Santa Ana in California and Dallas and Austin in Texas. In Austin, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a post on X that more than a dozen protesters were arrested, while in Santa Ana, a spokesperson for the city's police department said the National Guard had arrived in the city to secure federal buildings. California pushes back against presence of federal troops California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit over the use of National Guard troops following the first deployment, telling reporters in his announcement Monday that Trump had 'trampled' the state's sovereignty. 'We don't take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilizing California National Guard troops,' Bonta said. He sought a court order declaring Trump's use of the Guard unlawful and asking for a restraining order to halt the deployment. Trump said Monday that the city would have been 'completely obliterated' if he had not deployed the Guard. U.S. officials said the Marine troops were deployed to protect federal property and personnel, including federal immigration agents. Trump's Monday order put more National Guard members on active duty, but one U.S. official warned that the order was just signed and it could take a day or two to get troops moving. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements. Despite their presence, there has been limited engagement so far between the Guard and protesters while local law enforcement implements crowd control. Bass criticized the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines as a 'deliberate attempt' by the Trump administration to 'create disorder and chaos in our city.' She made a plea to the federal government: 'Stop the raids.' Early protests remained peaceful On Monday, thousands flooded the streets around City Hall for a union rally ahead of a hearing for arrested labor leader David Huerta, who was freed a few hours later on a $50,000 bond. Huerta's arrest on Friday while protesting immigration raids has become a rallying cry for people angry over the administration's crackdown. He is the president of the Service Employees International Union California, which represents thousands of the state's janitors, security officers and other workers. Early protests had a calm and even joyful atmosphere at times, with people dancing to live music and buoyed by Huerta's release. Protesters linked hands in front of a line of police officers outside the downtown federal detention center where Huerta was being held. Religious leaders joined the protesters, working with organizers at times to de-escalate moments of tension. There was a heavy law enforcement presence in the few square blocks including the federal detention facility, while most in the immense city of some 4 million people went about their normal business on peaceful streets. Chanting against a line of National Guard troops with Homeland Security officers behind them surrounding the federal buildings ramped up in the afternoon as people yelled, 'Free them all!' and 'National Guard go away.' As the crowd thinned, police began pushing protesters away from the area, firing crowd-control munitions as people chanted, 'Peaceful protest.' Officers became more aggressive in their tactics in the evening, occasionally surging forward to arrest protesters that got too close. At least a dozen people remaining in the busy Little Tokyo neighborhood were surrounded by police and detained. Other protests took shape Monday across LA County. Outside a Los Angeles clothing warehouse, relatives of detained workers demanded at a news conference in the morning that their loved ones be released. The family of Jacob Vasquez, 35, who was detained Friday at the warehouse, where he worked, said they had yet to receive any information about him. 'Jacob is a family man and the sole breadwinner of his household,' Vasquez's brother, Gabriel, told the crowd. He asked that his last name not be used, fearing being targeted by authorities. Several dozen people were arrested in protests throughout the weekend. Authorities say one was detained Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers. Guard deployment is a nearly unprecedented escalation The deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration's mass deportation efforts. The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor's permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. In a directive Saturday, Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' ___ Sullivan reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writers Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles, Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Hallie Golden in Seattle and Jake Offenhartz in New York contributed to this report.
