Latest news with #Butterworth's
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yomiuri Shimbun
The MAGA Faithful Celebrate the End of the Trump-Musk Bromance
Tom Brenner/For The Washington Post President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk on May 30 inside the Oval Office. 'Boooooooooooo CYBERTRUCK!' Raheem Kassam stood on a sidewalk in the Capitol Hill stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, pulling a Hestia cigarette from a pack and preparing to light it. He had spotted the truck, a heap of matte silver and sharp angles, parked on the street nearby. It was the uninvited guest to an unofficial party celebrating what the MAGA faithful here view as the end of Elon Musk's influence in President Donald Trump's Washington. The festive mood Thursday night came after an hours-long public feud between Musk and Trump that captivated Washington and appeared to mark the dissolution of the two men's bromance. Musk spent tens of millions to help elect Trump last year before heading up a controversial cost-cutting effort over the past five months known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. But Musk turned on Trump this week over the president's massive deficit-busting tax and spending plan. 'We're popping bottles tonight,' said Kassam, who had just set down his tin of caviar and pearl spoon before stepping outside for a smoke break. So goes the sentiment at Butterworth's, the French-inspired bistro on Capitol Hill that has become something of a MAGA clubhouse in Trump's second term. Kassam, the editor in chief of the National Pulse, a right-wing populist news site, is one of the investors. And 'MAGA' – Make America Great Again – is the operative adjective here. Over plates of lamb tartare and generous pours of Côtes du Rhône – perhaps the only liberal thing here – diners said their loyalties would be to Trump in the high-profile breakup. 'This is a lesson the MAGA right needed to learn right now,' he continued. The establishment Republican Party had already gone through something similar, Kassam said, when the tea party 'got bought out by the Kochs,' referring to two wealthy brothers who funded traditionalist conservative causes. 'I was very worried for a time that MAGA would be bought out by the oligarchs, too,' he said. 'And it's just so satisfying to see that that is now no longer the case.' All evening, acerbic tones of a Musk-inspired diss track could be heard across the bar. 'What people need to remember is that, you know, this is President Trump's movement,' said CJ Pearson, a Gen Z MAGA influencer. 'The least-surprising thing I've ever seen,' said Matthew Boyle, the Washington bureau chief of the conservative news outlet Breitbart. 'We were all ready for this from the beginning.' Butterworth's is a haunt of Stephen K. Bannon, the 'War Room' podcast host and former Trump adviser, and his political sympathizers. Bannon never cared for Musk, who embodied the tech right and ultrawealthy interests; the two routinely clashed over the direction of Trump's second term, with Bannon pushing a more populist, nationalist agenda. The attacks often veered into name-calling: Musk called Bannon 'a great talker, but not a great doer'; Bannon called Musk a 'truly evil person' and a 'parasitic illegal immigrant.' Bannon wasn't at Butterworth's on Thursday – he had spent much of the evening on the phone with reporters and allies, reveling in the moment. Phoning in to The Washington Post as a reporter was perched at the bar, Bannon said federal officials should investigate whether Musk, who was born and raised in South Africa, had legally entered the country and should deport him if he hadn't followed all proper procedures. The Post reported last year that Musk worked illegally in the United States as he launched his entrepreneurial career after ditching a graduate studies program in California. And Bannon said Trump should sign an executive order to keep Musk from interfering with government work that his companies have contracts on. Federal officials should take over Musk's businesses, at least temporarily, Bannon said. 'The government should seize control of SpaceX tonight through the Defense Production Act,' Bannon said. He was referring to Musk's declaration Thursday that he would decommission the spacecraft tasked with delivering supplies to the International Space Station – a threat he later retracted. And he said the government should seize Musk's Starlink satellite company while they're at it. 'He's an unstable individual who has a history of massive drug use,' Bannon said, referring to a recent New York Times report. 'He should not be in charge of essential national security programs.' What about that tantalizing tidbit Musk dropped on X – that Trump is 'in the Epstein files?' The claim referred to convicted and deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Musk threw it like a match on his way out the door. 'He is a national security threat,' Bannon said of Musk's claim against Trump and his declared support Thursday for impeaching the president to replace him with Vice President JD Vance. This evening at Butterworth's, technically, wasn't supposed to be about Musk. It was supposed to be about a plaque – specifically, one about the size of a hot dog bun, mounted near a floral pattern sofa by Butterworth's entrance. 'THE AMBASSADOR'S SOFA,' it shouted in bronze. The diplomat in question was British ambassador Peter Mandelson, who had fond notions of being served lobster thermidor 'sprawled out on this sofa here.' That's what he would prefer to talk about. But he indulged The Post's queries about Trump and Musk, too. 'Honestly, I genuinely don't know what Elon has said,' Mandelson said, when confronted about Musk's recent social media posts about Trump. 'But I think the office of the president should be respected at all times.' If Butterworth's is the safe space for the Trump faithful, the X social media site that he owns – formerly known as Twitter – is Musk's. Pearson, the influencer, has seen MAGA influencers taking Musk's side. 'It's completely economically motivated by some of these people who are, honestly, grifters,' Pearson said. 'These are folks who depend on Elon bucks to pay their rent, and now they're betraying their values and their principles simply because they need to make ends meet.' Bart Hutchins, Butterworth's chef and resident bon vivant, stood behind the host counter, turning to tend to a customer waiting to check in for his reservation. Hutchins, like Musk, has gone through more liberal and conservative phases – and Hutchins has liked Musk through none of them. 'Elon Musk is an insufferable nerd, and I hope this marks the end of his engagement with public life,' Hutchins said. 'He's an aesthetic nightmare,' he added. 'Like, he doesn't have anything interesting to say.' Back on the sidewalk, Kassam was twirling a cigarette between his fingertips. He was thinking aloud about Musk's fights with conservative leaders on the international stage, such as Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain's Reform Party whom Musk had harshly criticized. (Kassam, an associate of Farage, said Musk 'went crawling back to him, by the way, and apologized.') There was also Peter Navarro, Trump's longtime trade adviser and a top champion of aggressive tariffs who, like Bannon, served prison time after being found in contempt of Congress in connection with investigations of Trump. After the president announced his 'Liberation Day' tariff plan, Musk posted on X that Navarro was 'truly a moron.' 'Dr. Peter Navarro went to jail for the movement and for the president,' Kassam said, while admitting he is 'not even a huge fan of him personally.' 'But he's a made man. You don't get to pick fights with Dr. Peter Navarro,' Kassam continued. Kassam paused before lighting his cigarette. 'What's also really funny, what Elon doesn't realize, is all of his DOGE people leak all around town,' Kassam said. 'They talk to everyone – they talk to reporters, they talk to MAGA people, they talk to Bannon world people, they talk to everyone, because they're not political people. 'They don't know how to work in this town. And so as I stare at his Cybertruck,' Kassam continued, looking at the vehicle parked on the street a few doors down, 'his greenness has finally come back to bite him. … And good riddance.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘MAGA Will Not Sell Out to Ketamine': In the Trump-Musk Breakup, the MAGA Faithful Is Sticking With Trump
People had a lot of worries at Butterworth's on Thursday night. In the hours after the near-apocalyptic online showdown between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, a palpable angst permeated the fashionable MAGA bistro on Capitol Hill. As the Velvet Underground crooned 'Oh! Sweet Nuthin'' over the sound system, patrons let loose with their anxieties: Was the gas station erectile dysfunction drug 'Rhino Dick' safe? Would the guy from The Heritage Foundation ever stop stealing their beef tallow-soaked french fries? These were the pressing concerns for this far-right crowd. But Elon Musk's online attacks on Donald Trump? Those were mere trifles at the Trumpist haunt where lamb tartare, not cheeseburgers, is on the menu. In the hours after the Musk-Trump feud blew up online, with the tech billionaire bashing the Republican spending bill, suggesting Trump should be impeached and tying him to notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, those criticisms barely registered. As the denizens of Butterworth saw things, the kerfuffle was simply the temper tantrum of a disgruntled administration official who'd run afoul of a popular president. And Trump's counter attacks dismissing the world's richest man as 'going CRAZY'? Now that was gospel. At a night in which MAGA personalities congregated to greet the British Ambassador, Lord Mandelson for the unveiling of a plaque in his honor at the restaurant, the spat was little more than a sideshow. Still, the men and women bumping up to the bar all had their opinions. Raheem Kassam, the longtime ally of Nigel Farage, who is a part owner of the restaurant, waved off Musk's Twitter spree as the rantings of a mega donor disappointed that he could not bend the Republican Party to his will. 'The Tea Party sold out to Koch,' said Kassam. 'MAGA will not sell out to ketamine,' in a reference to first, the billionaire Koch brothers and second, Musk's admitted use of the anesthetic. Matt Boyle, the Washington bureau chief for Breitbart and longtime conservative media powerhouse, opined biblically, 'Pride cometh, before the fall. Elon Musk got too big for his britches. This was destined to happen. It's better now than later. President Trump is going to win, as he always does.' One key theme last night: For all his wealth, Elon Musk has never run for office. Donald Trump was on the ballot, not the billionaire. As conservative influencer C.J. Pearson noted, 'The reason I'm in this movement is because of President Trump. And the person that was on the ballot was President Trump. The American people voted overwhelmingly for him — not for Elon Musk.' Pearson added of those defending the tech mogul, 'I think it's unfortunate to see people who are so desperate for validation from someone like Elon Musk, they're betraying the very person who made them who they are.' As one Trump administration appointee, who asked not to be identified because they were there for drinks, not work, put it starkly, 'This is Elon's insurrection. He's disloyal.' Not everyone there was willing to go quite that far. Mandelson, the evening's honoree, had witnessed titanic personality clashes across the pond, notably, the decades-long drama between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He dismissed the Trump-Musk drama as 'a small earthquake.' He added as a careful diplomatic caveat, 'I don't really follow it because I'm not on social media. So I have no idea what they're saying to each other.' Natalie Winters, the hard right media personality on Steve Bannon's War Room, coyly responded 'I'll let the men handle that one.' Another administration appointee, who asked not to be identified so they could speak freely, noted that Musk represented a different libertarian element on the right than the more populist aspects of Trump's party. Both, the appointee said, have a place in the GOP. 'It was a very valid conversation.' However, the appointee noted that Trump had not run his campaign on what the billionaire wanted. Musk, they said, would have few defenders. 'People want careers in politics and when they see the writing on the wall,' the appointee said, 'they see the writing on the wall.' Outside the Capitol Hill restaurant, Musk did not find a sympathetic audience from other members of the right, either. After former top White House aide Steve Bannon suggested that the South African born billionaire should be deported, one administration official, who asked not to be identified so they could speak frankly, told POLITICO Magazine, 'Elon should be careful. Trump could easily drug test him based on erratic behavior and nationalize SpaceX.' Other Beltway Republicans merely groaned at the additional work that this online drama created. "A lot of staffers are having to explain what Ketamine is to their bosses this week," one said. But inside Butterworth's on Thursday, all of that was irrelevant. For the blazer-and-slacks crowd at the bar, all that really mattered was that the Guinness taps were flowing for a steady pour and a solid drink.
Politico
3 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
‘MAGA Will Not Sell Out to Ketamine': In the Trump-Musk Breakup, the MAGA Faithful Is Sticking With Trump
People had a lot of worries at Butterworth's on Thursday night. In the hours after the near-apocalyptic online showdown between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, a palpable angst permeated the fashionable MAGA bistro on Capitol Hill. As the Velvet Underground crooned 'Oh! Sweet Nuthin'' over the sound system, patrons let loose with their anxieties: Was the gas station erectile dysfunction drug 'Rhino Dick' safe? Would the guy from The Heritage Foundation ever stop stealing their beef tallow-soaked french fries? These were the pressing concerns for this far-right crowd. But Elon Musk's online attacks on Donald Trump? Those were mere trifles at the Trumpist haunt where lamb tartare, not cheeseburgers, is on the menu. In the hours after the Musk-Trump feud blew up online, with the tech billionaire bashing the Republican spending bill, suggesting Trump should be impeached and tying him to notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, those criticisms barely registered. As the denizens of Butterworth saw things, the kerfuffle was simply the temper tantrum of a disgruntled administration official who'd run afoul of a popular president. And Trump's counter attacks dismissing the world's richest man as 'going CRAZY'? Now that was gospel. At a night in which MAGA personalities congregated to greet the British Ambassador, Lord Mandelson for the unveiling of a plaque in his honor at the restaurant, the spat was little more than a sideshow. Still, the men and women bumping up to the bar all had their opinions. Raheem Kassam, the longtime ally of Nigel Farage, who is a part owner of the restaurant, waved off Musk's Twitter spree as the rantings of a mega donor disappointed that he could not bend the Republican Party to his will. 'The Tea Party sold out to Koch,' said Kassam. 'MAGA will not sell out to ketamine,' in a reference to first, the billionaire Koch brothers and second, Musk's admitted use of the anesthetic. Matt Boyle, the Washington bureau chief for Breitbart and longtime conservative media powerhouse, opined biblically, 'Pride cometh, before the fall. Elon Musk got too big for his britches. This was destined to happen. It's better now than later. President Trump is going to win, as he always does.' One key theme last night: For all his wealth, Elon Musk has never run for office. Donald Trump was on the ballot, not the billionaire. As conservative influencer C.J. Pearson noted, 'The reason I'm in this movement is because of President Trump. And the person that was on the ballot was President Trump. The American people voted overwhelmingly for him — not for Elon Musk.' Pearson added of those defending the tech mogul, 'I think it's unfortunate to see people who are so desperate for validation from someone like Elon Musk, they're betraying the very person who made them who they are.' As one Trump administration appointee, who asked not to be identified because they were there for drinks, not work, put it starkly, 'This is Elon's insurrection. He's disloyal.' Not everyone there was willing to go quite that far. Mandelson, the evening's honoree, had witnessed titanic personality clashes across the pond, notably, the decades-long drama between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He dismissed the Trump-Musk drama as 'a small earthquake.' He added as a careful diplomatic caveat, 'I don't really follow it because I'm not on social media. So I have no idea what they're saying to each other.' Natalie Winters, the hard right media personality on Steve Bannon's War Room, coyly responded 'I'll let the men handle that one.' Another administration appointee, who asked not to be identified so they could speak freely, noted that Musk represented a different libertarian element on the right than the more populist aspects of Trump's party. Both, the appointee said, have a place in the GOP. 'It was a very valid conversation.' However, the appointee noted that Trump had not run his campaign on what the billionaire wanted. Musk, they said, would have few defenders. 'People want careers in politics and when they see the writing on the wall,' the appointee said, 'they see the writing on the wall.' Outside the Capitol Hill restaurant, Musk did not find a sympathetic audience from other members of the right, either. After former top White House aide Steve Bannon suggested that the South African born billionaire should be deported, one administration official, who asked not to be identified so they could speak frankly, told POLITICO Magazine, 'Elon should be careful. Trump could easily drug test him based on erratic behavior and nationalize SpaceX.' Other Beltway Republicans merely groaned at the additional work that this online drama created. 'A lot of staffers are having to explain what Ketamine is to their bosses this week,' one said. But inside Butterworth's on Thursday, all of that was irrelevant. For the blazer-and-slacks crowd at the bar, all that really mattered was that the Guinness taps were flowing for a steady pour and a solid drink.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lord Mandelson honoured with tiny plaque by Maga elite
With his legs crossed, and grinning ear to ear, Lord Mandelson was honoured by the Maga elite with a plaque at a restaurant favoured by Trump supporters. The British ambassador to the US was in a jovial mood as he arrived at Butterworth's to pull back the tiny curtains on a brass plate above his favourite sofa. The plaque, roughly as long as the Labour peer's index finger, rests above the French-style couch upon which he sprawled during his first visit to the restaurant. 'I do feel that I have finally made it from tribal politician to real diplomat now that I have unveiled the first plaque in my new diplomatic career,' he said, gesturing towards the sign. 'When I came here, I wandered off the streets hungry, not knowing what it was. I thought I might get a nice lobster thermidor if I was lucky. I sprawled out on this sofa and we had a wonderful conversation for a long time.' After a tumultuous three decades pulling the strings in Westminster, Lord Mandelson has spent the past six months trying to schmooze his way into 'Magaland'. It has involved a three-pronged charm offensive – endless meetings on the hill, lunches with big businesses and the odd party to prove to the US president's allies that he is a friend. Many of those allies have been lobbying for the peer's removal since his appointment was announced, due to him once labelling Mr Trump a 'danger to the world'. Donning a red tie emboldened with butterflies, borrowed from an embassy staffer, Lord Mandelson made his way to the sofa through a small group of hacks and supporters who sipped Hambledon English sparkling wine. In front of a backdrop of British and American bunting, he said he felt 'really chuffed by the ambassador's sofa', which is where he first met Raheem Kassam, a British Right-winger and the co-owner of the restaurant. 'In deeply partisan-charged environments, it is incumbent upon those who believe in putting Britain's best foot forward to lock arms,' said Mr Kassam, the National Pulse editor and an ally of the president. 'Washington is a cut-throat city, but if you want to represent the country in a serious diplomatic way, you have to reach out to all sides.' Like many who have dined in Butterworth's, the ambassador wasted no time digging into the restaurant's famous French fries, which are fried in beef tallow. The nouveau French restaurant has quickly emerged as the destination du jour for Republican elites in Washington, and for good reason. Only Mr Trump's breakneck takeover of the capital itself has matched the booming popularity of this Maga haven. Then there is the food. Glowing reviews in the Washington Post and the New York Times magazine, both of which should be ideological foes, means the restaurant is already taking Christmas bookings. The chic dining room on Capitol Hill, which opened in October, is the creation of several investors including Alex Butterworth, the senior counsel for Uber. While his name appears above the door, it is Mr Kassam, another investor, who has drawn in clientele including Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, and Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state. 'Although we don't have identical politics, we are familiar with masters of the same drivers that brought our respective figures to power – President Trump in your case and Keir Starmer in mine,' Lord Mandelson said, smiling to Mr Kassam. 'I feel that over centuries now, British diplomats here in the United States have been creating coalitions that support the special relationship. I just think what you have created here at Butterworth's is fairly remarkable. 'You've brought the best of British gastro pub food and planted it down here on Capitol Hill. I feel you've brought the special relationship up to a new higher level.' The new climate in Washington is one even the most experienced of diplomats have struggled to navigate. Embassies across the city have resorted to throwing their own parties in the hopes White House officials and staffers alike will venture through their doors. It is an environment even Lord Mandelson, one of the wiliest of political operators, admits has been difficult to crack. 'It's complicated, it's challenging, it's unpredictable, and changes day by day. Indeed, quite often it changes during the time,' he said, appearing to reference the explosive fallout between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Mr Kassam, who was sceptical of Lord Mandelson's appointment, said it was important to show 'Brits back home that we can actually work together in His Majesty's interest'. 'Despite my historic political differences with Lord Mandelson, I'm delighted to help him help Britain, and we will endeavour to vigorously pursue that cause with rugged prejudice,' he added. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Axios
5 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Scoop: MAGA's favorite restaurant partners with Kennedy Center
Butterworth's, the MAGA-favorite watering hole on Capitol Hill, is partnering with the Kennedy Center and will offer discounts to some of its customers, according to plans first shared with Axios. Why it matters: The deal is the latest sign of MAGA's growing entrenchment in the Washington cultural scene, and comes as the Kennedy Center faces backlash for President Trump's takeover of the iconic theater venue. Details: Starting Wednesday, Butterworth's will offer 10% off checks for Kennedy Center ticket holders, staffers and performers. Butterworth's, which is frequented by Steve Bannon and other prominent MAGA personalities, joins several other restaurants in offering perks to those affiliated with the Kennedy Center. Ticketholders for next week's Les Miserables showings will qualify for the discount. Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Vance and second lady Usha Vance will be in attendance at opening night on Wednesday, according to Fox News. The big picture: Trump moved swiftly to assert control over the Kennedy Center after inauguration, firing its president, naming himself chairman of the board, and appointing longtime ally Ric Grenell as interim executive director. Performances from groups like the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C. were cancelled, and artists like Issa Rae and the Hamilton cast boycotted their scheduled appearances. Trump's takeover has also sparked protests outside of the theater. The intrigue: Subscription sales for the next season of programming at the Kennedy Center are down about 36% compared to this time last year, according to internal data obtained by The Washington Post. The Kennedy Center denied any drop, saying the data stemmed from a consolidation of subscription packages. The Kennedy Center also boasted to Fox News that Les Miserables, one of Trump's favorite musicals, has topped $3 million in ticket sales at the box office. Zoom in: The popularity of Butterworth's and Trump's reshaping of the Kennedy Center are two examples of MAGA making good on its promise to disrupt Washington's culture, not just its politics. Trump claimed last week that he fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery. In March, he signed an executive order calling for the removal of "improper ideology" from the district's Smithsonian museums. Butterworth's, opened just before the 2024 election, has drawn headlines as the place to see and be seen among MAGA adherents, replacing the lobby of the former Trump International Hotel during the president's first term. An "America Is Hot Again" event hosted by the Conservateur earlier this year solidified it as a spot for young conservatives. Bannon, The National Pulse editor Raheem Kassam (who is also a co-investor), Grenell and other administration officials are regulars at the Capitol Hill restaurant. What they're saying: "I'm a long-standing Kennedy Center admirer, and a big fan of what Ric Grenell and his team are doing to breathe new life into what is arguably D.C.'s most important cultural institution," Kassam told Axios. "I'm also aware that many people think Butterworth's is explicitly a 'MAGA' venue. Kennedy Center attendees of all political stripes (or none) should feel free to come and find out what we're all about for themselves. We welcome everyone who loves great food and impeccable vibes."
