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Trump makes alarming hint at third term after brutal joke about Biden 'falling'

Trump makes alarming hint at third term after brutal joke about Biden 'falling'

Donald Trump appeared to make an alarming hint at a third presidential term after taking a brutal jibe about
Joe Biden
'falling' during a speech Wednesday evening.
As he spoke to
attendees of the White House Summer Soiree
from the Truman Balcony, he appeared to reference Biden tripping on stage during his presidential campaign, telling the crowd on the South Lawn: "Don't fall, please, nobody. We had an administration that fell a lot. We don't want to have that."
Biden
fell several times
following his election in 2020, including during an Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in 2023.
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Donald Trump spoke for about 15 minutes on the south lawn Wednesday evening at his first Summer Soiree event.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
When Biden announced his diagnosis of an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer on May 18, Trump extended his "warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family" on social media. Seven days later, on Memorial Day, he called the former president "incompetent" and implied that Biden had intentionally hidden his cancer diagnosis while in office.
After his jab at Biden on Wednesday, Trump described the Summer Soiree event as the first of a continuing series, hinting that the White House speeches could go on for "eight more years."
'The previous administration wouldn't have thought of doing it. But we're going to do it for four more years, I don't know, maybe eight more years," Trump said to cheers from the attending crowd.
Trump has offered conflicting information about whether he will seek a third presidential term, which is prohibited by the 22nd Amendment.
(Image: AP)
The 22nd Amendment of the United States Constitution limits the number of times a person can be elected president to two terms, prohibiting anyone who has been elected twice to be elected again.
Since reentering the Oval Office this year, Trump has made conflicting claims about whether or not he will seek legal justification to run for a third term. Trump told NBC's Meet the Press in May that he would remain a "two-term president." However, just two weeks later, he told US troops stationed in Qatar that he would "have to think" about running again in 2028.
The Summer Soiree event was billed as a way for Trump to thank his political appointees for their service.
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From banning X to killing government contracts – all the ways Musk and Trump could hurt each other as they go nuclear
From banning X to killing government contracts – all the ways Musk and Trump could hurt each other as they go nuclear

Irish Independent

timean hour ago

  • Irish Independent

From banning X to killing government contracts – all the ways Musk and Trump could hurt each other as they go nuclear

Within a few hours on Thursday, the public spat between Donald Trump and Elon Musk exploded into debates over the president's impeachment and Musk's accusation that the president is implicated in a sexual abuse scandal. But how they choose to escalate from here could have far-reaching impacts – and not just for the fate of a massive bill that sparked their break-up. Trump and Musk command the world's attention, own competing social media platforms, and are each in a position to wield the power of the presidency and spend, and lose, billions of dollars against one another. How Trump could go after Musk Kill government contracts Trump has already suggested yanking government contracts for Musk's companies Tesla and SpaceX, which are due to receive at least $3bn in contracts from 17 agencies. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. On his War Room podcast, Trump ally Steve Bannon urged Trump to retaliate against the world's wealthiest man by, among other things taking control of SpaceX. 'The US government should seize it,' Bannon said on Thursday. Cut off Elon's access to the White House Musk ended his 130-day 'special government employee' term in the Trump administration last week after serving as an 'adviser' to the president for the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk unleashed across the federal government to make drastic cuts to spending and the workforce. But Trump left the door open for Musk to return. That 130-day term can be renewed next year. Trump could sever that arrangement at any time. Bannon also called on Trump to strip Musk's top-secret clearances, which he is granted in conjunction with his work on SpaceX and NASA. Make X illegal With more than 220 million followers on a social media platform under his control, Musk can use that audience and ability to shift media narratives against the president to advance his agenda. Trump, whose entire campaign was built on retribution, possesses executive authority to shut X down, according to experts. ADVERTISEMENT Trump could declare X a national security risk, 'which would permit him to ban the platform outright', claims Devan Leos, from platform Undetectable AI. He can ban Trump from X in retaliation, but that would almost certainly trigger an executive response from the White House The president could invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on national security grounds to prevent X from operating, which would probably trigger a high-profile legal battle. 'Musk now faces a difficult choice. He can ban Trump from X in retaliation, but that would almost certainly trigger an executive response from the White House,' according to Leos. The president, meanwhile, owns more than 100 million shares, or roughly 53pc, of Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of social media platform Truth Social. His stake in the company is worth billions of dollars. Investigate Musk's immigration status and drug use Musk was born in South Africa before he emigrated to Canada and later the US. Last year, the Washington Post reported that the billionaire worked in the country illegally before gaining citizenship. Bannon called on the president to deport him. 'Elon Musk is illegal. He's got to go too,' Bannon said on his podcast. Trump also could wield the power of his office to initiate other investigations under a Department of Justice controlled by his fierce ally Attorney General Pam Bondi, including into allegations of his drug use at the campaign trail and within the administration. How Musk could go after Trump Flood opponents with cash The world's wealthiest person spent tens of millions of dollars supporting Trump's 2024 campaign. On Thursday, he took credit for his victory. But this year, his multi-million dollar effort to support a conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate blew up in his face, with his DOGE efforts tanking his – and Tesla's – appeal. 'Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80 percent in the middle? Still, Republican candidates fear being his target. Musk and his allies have threatened to fund primary challenges against any GOP member of Congress who supports legislation he doesn't. 'Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80 percent in the middle?' Musk asked on Thursday. Democrats agree with Musk that Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' is a disaster, but aren't necessarily welcoming him to the party after the right-wing billionaire torched government agencies and helped but Trump back in office. 'We should ultimately be trying to convince him that the Democratic Party has more of the values that he agrees with,' California Democratic representative Ro Khanna, whose district represents Silicon Valley, told Politico. 'A commitment to science funding, a commitment to clean technology, a commitment to seeing international students like him.' Wield social media against the president It took just four hours for a feud playing out on two different social media platforms for Musk to drop what he called a 'bomb' against the president. 'Time to drop the really big bomb,' he wrote on X. 'Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.' That loaded accusation – Musk's suggestion that Trump was involving the sex offender's trafficking scheme – appeared to be the tipping point in their feud. Musk, who just days ago seemed to have no problem associating with a man he is now alleging is implicated in Epstein's crimes, could launch a humiliation campaign against the president for an audience that has been largely disappointed with the Trump administration's approach to the Epstein case. Far-right influencers have turned on top federal law enforcement officials over the case, accusing Trump of continuing what they believe is a 'deep state' conspiracy theory covering up powerful people. Musk could leverage that hostility. Use DOGE against Trump Musk hired a small army of young loyalists and old allies for his government-wide operation to not only eliminate jobs and spending but extract reams of data from millions of Americans. DOGE's unprecedented access to Americans' data 'is alarming, made worse by the complete absence of meaningful oversight,' according to Ben Zipperer, a senior economist with the Economic Policy Institute. 'That unrestrained access to data will likely worsen the problem of identity theft in the United States, which could cost working families tens of billions of dollars annually.' A report from Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren's office also uncovered more than 100 instances that Musk allegedly abused his role as a 'special government employee' overseeing DOGE to benefit his private interests. Musk violated 'norms at an astonishing pace,' amounting to 'scandalous behaviour regardless of whether it subjects him to criminal prosecution.' The report accuses Musk of using the government to promote his businesses, including turning the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom, and allegedly discovered roughly two dozen instances where the government 'entered or explored new lucrative contracts' with the billionaire while halting enforcement actions against his companies.

Activist aid ship Madleen reaches Egyptian coast as it heads for Gaza
Activist aid ship Madleen reaches Egyptian coast as it heads for Gaza

The Journal

time2 hours ago

  • The Journal

Activist aid ship Madleen reaches Egyptian coast as it heads for Gaza

AN AID SHIP carrying twelve activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, has reached the Egyptian coast and is nearing the besieged Palestinian territory, organisers said today. The Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left Sicily last week with a cargo of relief supplies 'to break Israel's blockade on Gaza'. 'We are now sailing off the Egyptian coast,' German human rights activist Yasemin Acar told AFP. 'We are all good,' she added. In a statement from London, the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza – a member organisation of the flotilla coalition – said the ship has entered Egyptian waters. The group said it remains in contact with international legal and human rights bodies to ensure the safety of those on board, warning that any interception would constitute 'a blatant violation of international humanitarian law'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yas (@yaseminacr_) Advertisement French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan, who is on board the vessel, urged governments to 'guarantee safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla.' Israel's aid blockade of the Palestinian enclave since 2 March has resulted in the deaths of many children due to starvation. More than 90% of the enclave's 2.3 million people are facing acute food shortages, according to aid groups. The Palestinian territory was under Israeli naval blockade even before Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack. Israel has enforced its blockade with military action in the past. A 2010 commando raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which was part of a similar aid flotilla trying to breach the blockade, left 10 civilians dead. In May, another Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, reported coming under drone attack while en route for Gaza, prompting Cyprus and Malta to send rescue vessels in response to its distress call. There were no reports of any casualties. Earlier in its voyage, the Madleen changed course near the Greek island of Crete after receiving a distress signal from a sinking migrant boat. Activists rescued four Sudanese migrants who had jumped into the sea to avoid being returned to Libya. The four were later transferred to an EU Frontex vessel. Related Reads US vetoes UN ceasefire resolution as aid centres closed again today in Gaza Flotilla: If we don't act now, we'll be complicit in the annihilation of the Palestinian people Israel vows to 'protect' maritime space as Gaza-bound aid boat reports drones overhead On Wednesday, one of the activists on the boat claimed the vessel was being tightly tracked by Israeli overhead surveillance drones . Israel had said it was ready to 'protect' the country's maritime space. Launched in 2010, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a coalition of groups opposed to the blockade on humanitarian aid for Gaza that Israel imposed on 2 March and has only partially eased since. Israel has faced mounting international condemnation over the resulting humanitarian crisis in the territory, where the United Nations has warned the entire population of more than two million is at risk of famine. © AFP 2025 Need more information on what is happening in Israel and Gaza? Check out our new FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to navigating the news online. Visit Knowledge Bank

Musk deletes post alleging Trump link to Epstein files
Musk deletes post alleging Trump link to Epstein files

RTÉ News​

time2 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Musk deletes post alleging Trump link to Epstein files

Elon Musk has deleted his post on X alleging US President Donald Trump was "in the Epstein files". Mr Musk made the unverified accusation on Thursday as the two men clashed over Mr Trump's proposed spending bill. The accusation was among a number posts deleted by Mr Musk. It comes after US President Donald Trump said yesterday that Elon Musk had "lost his mind" but insisted he wanted to move on from the fiery split with his billionaire former ally. Mr Trump had scrapped the idea of a call with Mr Musk and was even thinking of ditching the red Tesla he bought at the height of their bromance, White House officials said. "Honestly I've been so busy working on China, working on Russia, working on Iran... I'm not thinking about Elon Musk, I just wish him well," Mr Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to his New Jersey golf club yesterday evening. Mr Trump told US broadcasters that he now wanted to focus instead on passing his "big, beautiful" mega-bill before Congress. Mr Musk's harsh criticism of the bill had sparked their bust-up. But the 78-year-old Republican could not stop himself from taking aim at his South African-born friend-turned-enemy. "You mean the man who has lost his mind?" Mr Trump said in a call with ABC when asked about Mr Musk, adding that he was "not particularly" interested in talking to the tycoon. Mr Trump later told Fox News that Mr Musk had "lost it". Just a week ago Mr Trump gave Mr Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after four months working there. While there had been reports of tensions, the sheer speed at which their relationship imploded stunned onlookers. After Mr Musk called Mr Trump's spending bill an "abomination" on Tuesday, Mr Trump hit back in an Oval Office diatribe on Thursday in which he said he was "very disappointed" by the entrepreneur. Mr Trump's spending bill faces a difficult path through Congress as it will raise the US deficit, while critics say it will cut health care for millions of the poorest Americans. The row then went nuclear, with Mr Musk slinging insults at Mr Trump and accusing him without evidence, in a since deleted post on X, of being in government files on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

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