Latest news with #ClashoftheTitans
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Clash of the Titans:' allies fear fallout in Trump-Musk split
He is almost certainly off the guest list for White House galas, but Elon Musk's astonishing spat with Donald Trump could inflict damage for both men that goes far beyond catchy headlines and an incinerated friendship. On one side, there's the US president -- a man who has already shown unprecedented appetite for using the levers of power to go after opponents. On the other: the world's richest man, with a business empire entwined deep into the heart of the US economy and space industry. "Get your popcorn," Chaim Siegel, an analyst at financial services company Elazar Advisors told AFP. "I've never seen two people this big go at it this nasty in all my time in the business. Can't be good for either side." Trump allies worry that the messy breakup could have ramifications for his legacy and Republicans' election prospects, as well as damaging the administration's ties with Silicon Valley donors. Musk is also in jeopardy. Trump has threatened to scrap the tech mogul's lucrative subsidies and federal contracts, potentially devastating Tesla and risking some $22 billion of SpaceX's government income -- even if it remains unclear how the US government itself would manage the fallout. - From policy to insults - The catalyst for the split was Trump's sprawling domestic policy bill, a package that Musk has complained in increasingly apocalyptic terms will swell the budget deficit, undermining the president's agenda. But the issue quickly has become extraordinarily bitter. Musk called Thursday for Trump's impeachment, implying that the Republican was linked to the crimes of financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide after being charged with sex-trafficking to elite, international clients. The dust-up has rocked to the core the fragile coalition between the populists in Trump's "MAGA" movement and the Musk-friendly "tech bros" whose podcasts and cash helped secure the Republican's second term. Influential figures on the populist side hit back with calls for investigations into South African-born Musk's immigration status, security clearance and alleged drug use. Meanwhile in Congress, Republicans are calling for a ceasefire, worried that the world's richest man will use his deep pockets to exact revenge in the 2026 midterm congressional election. - Two big beasts - Trump and Musk were never obvious allies, but the flamboyant entrepreneur turned into the Republican's surprise wingman -- and mega-donor -- during the 2024 election. Musk ended up spending $290 million to help the campaigns of Trump and other Republicans. He was then rewarded with overseeing the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which embarked on ruthless and, critics say, ideologically driven slashing of the State Department and other bodies. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," Musk posted on his social platform X at the height of a dust-up that US media labeled the "Clash of the Titans." As president, Trump is arguably the most powerful person in the world. But Musk's megaphone -- X -- is much bigger than Trump's Truth Social and he is a prolific trash talker, instantly reaching many millions of people. Musk's portfolio of almost 100 contracts with 17 government agencies also gives him enormous power over the federal bureaucracy, including the US space program. Trump, on the other hand, has ultimate say over those contracts. If Trump heeds his supporters' calls for investigations he could tie Musk down for years, revoking his security clearances and issuing executive orders to gum up his business. - Congress in balance - Trump, 78, may need to walk a delicate line given the risk that Musk will lobby Congress to scuttle his budget plans. Republican lawmakers -- most of whom are fighting elections next year -- have welcomed Musk with open arms, nodding approvingly at his calls for federal cuts and grateful for his campaign cash. But when it comes to picking sides, most Republicans who have spoken out on the spat are sticking with Trump. The president has a long history of forcing wavering lawmakers to step back into line. "Every tweet that goes out, people are more in lockstep behind President Trump, and (Musk's) losing favor," Congressman Kevin Hern told political website NOTUS. Musk, who dreams of colonizing Mars, responded with a longer view of the situation. "Some food for thought as they ponder this question: Trump has 3.5 years left as President," Musk posted, "but I will be around for 40+ years." ft-elm/sms
France 24
10 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
'Can't be good for either side': Allies fear fallout from Trump–Musk feud
He is almost certainly off the guest list for White House galas, but Elon Musk 's astonishing spat with Donald Trump could inflict damage for both men that goes far beyond catchy headlines and an incinerated friendship. On one side, there's the US president – a man who has already shown unprecedented appetite for using the levers of power to go after opponents. On the other: the world's richest man, with a business empire entwined deep into the heart of the US economy and space industry. 'Get your popcorn,' Chaim Siegel, an analyst at financial services company Elazar Advisors told AFP. 'I've never seen two people this big go at it this nasty in all my time in the business. Can't be good for either side.' Trump allies worry that the messy breakup could have ramifications for his legacy and Republicans' election prospects, as well as damaging the administration's ties with Silicon Valley donors. Musk is also in jeopardy. Trump has threatened to scrap the tech mogul's lucrative subsidies and federal contracts, potentially devastating Tesla and risking some $22 billion of SpaceX 's government income – even if it remains unclear how the US government itself would manage the fallout. MAGA vs 'Tech bros' The catalyst for the split was Trump's sprawling domestic policy bill, a package that Musk has complained in increasingly apocalyptic terms will swell the budget deficit, undermining the president's agenda. But the issue quickly has become extraordinarily bitter. Musk called Thursday for Trump's impeachment, implying that the Republican was linked to the crimes of financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide after being charged with sex-trafficking to elite, international clients. The dust-up has rocked to the core the fragile coalition between the populists in Trump's 'MAGA' movement and the Musk-friendly 'tech bros' whose podcasts and cash helped secure the Republican's second term. Influential figures on the populist side hit back with calls for investigations into South African-born Musk's immigration status, security clearance and alleged drug use. Meanwhile in Congress, Republicans are calling for a ceasefire, worried that the world's richest man will use his deep pockets to exact revenge in the 2026 midterm congressional election. From election wingman to DOGE chief Trump and Musk were never obvious allies, but the flamboyant entrepreneur turned into the Republican's surprise wingman –and mega-donor – during the 2024 election. Musk ended up spending $290 million to help the campaigns of Trump and other Republicans. He was then rewarded with overseeing the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which embarked on ruthless and, critics say, ideologically driven slashing of the State Department and other bodies. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election,' Musk posted on his social platform X at the height of a dust-up that US media labelled the 'Clash of the Titans'. As president, Trump is arguably the most powerful person in the world. But Musk's megaphone – X – is much bigger than Trump's Truth Social and he is a prolific trash talker, instantly reaching many millions of people. Musk's portfolio of almost 100 contracts with 17 government agencies also gives him enormous power over the federal bureaucracy, including the US space program. Trump, on the other hand, has ultimate say over those contracts. If Trump heeds his supporters' calls for investigations he could tie Musk down for years, revoking his security clearances and issuing executive orders to gum up his business. Congress in balance Trump, 78, may need to walk a delicate line given the risk that Musk will lobby Congress to scuttle his budget plans. Republican lawmakers – most of whom are fighting elections next year – have welcomed Musk with open arms, nodding approvingly at his calls for federal cuts and grateful for his campaign cash. But when it comes to picking sides, most Republicans who have spoken out on the spat are sticking with Trump. The president has a long history of forcing wavering lawmakers to step back into line. 'Every tweet that goes out, people are more in lockstep behind President Trump, and (Musk's) losing favour,' Congressman Kevin Hern told political website NOTUS. Musk, who dreams of colonising Mars, responded with a longer view of the situation. 'Some food for thought as they ponder this question: Trump has 3.5 years left as President,' Musk posted, 'but I will be around for 40+ years.'
New Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
'Clash of the Titans:' allies fear fallout in Trump-Musk split
HE is almost certainly off the guest list for White House galas, but Elon Musk's astonishing spat with Donald Trump could inflict damage for both men that goes far beyond catchy headlines and an incinerated friendship. On one side, there's the US president – a man who has already shown unprecedented appetite for using the levers of power to go after opponents. On the other: the world's richest man, with a business empire entwined deep into the heart of the US economy and space industry. "Get your popcorn," Chaim Siegel, an analyst at financial services company Elazar Advisors told AFP. "I've never seen two people this big go at it this nasty in all my time in the business. Can't be good for either side." Trump allies worry that the messy breakup could have ramifications for his legacy and Republicans' election prospects, as well as damaging the administration's ties with Silicon Valley donors. Musk is also in jeopardy. Trump has threatened to scrap the tech mogul's lucrative subsidies and federal contracts, potentially devastating Tesla and risking some $22 billion of SpaceX's government income – even if it remains unclear how the US government itself would manage the fallout. The catalyst for the split was Trump's sprawling domestic policy bill, a package that Musk has complained in increasingly apocalyptic terms will swell the budget deficit, undermining the president's agenda. But the issue quickly has become extraordinarily bitter. Musk called Thursday for Trump's impeachment, implying that the Republican was linked to the crimes of financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide after being charged with sex-trafficking to elite, international clients. The dust-up has rocked to the core the fragile coalition between the populists in Trump's "MAGA" movement and the Musk-friendly "tech bros" whose podcasts and cash helped secure the Republican's second term. Influential figures on the populist side hit back with calls for investigations into South African-born Musk's immigration status, security clearance and alleged drug use. Meanwhile in Congress, Republicans are calling for a ceasefire, worried that the world's richest man will use his deep pockets to exact revenge in the 2026 midterm congressional election. Trump and Musk were never obvious allies, but the flamboyant entrepreneur turned into the Republican's surprise wingman – and mega-donor – during the 2024 election. Musk ended up spending US$290 million to help the campaigns of Trump and other Republicans. He was then rewarded with overseeing the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which embarked on ruthless and, critics say, ideologically driven slashing of the State Department and other bodies. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," Musk posted on his social platform X at the height of a dust-up that US media labelled the "Clash of the Titans." As president, Trump is arguably the most powerful person in the world. But Musk's megaphone – X – is much bigger than Trump's Truth Social and he is a prolific trash talker, instantly reaching many millions of people. Musk's portfolio of almost 100 contracts with 17 government agencies also gives him enormous power over the federal bureaucracy, including the US space programme. Trump, on the other hand, has ultimate say over those contracts. If Trump heeds his supporters' calls for investigations he could tie Musk down for years, revoking his security clearances and issuing executive orders to gum up his business. Trump, 78, may need to walk a delicate line given the risk that Musk will lobby Congress to scuttle his budget plans. Republican lawmakers – most of whom are fighting elections next year – have welcomed Musk with open arms, nodding approvingly at his calls for federal cuts and grateful for his campaign cash. But when it comes to picking sides, most Republicans who have spoken out on the spat are sticking with Trump. The president has a long history of forcing wavering lawmakers to step back into line. "Every tweet that goes out, people are more in lockstep behind President Trump, and (Musk's) losing favour," Congressman Kevin Hern told political website NOTUS. Musk, who dreams of colonising Mars, responded with a longer view of the situation. "Some food for thought as they ponder this question: Trump has 3.5 years left as President," Musk posted, "but I will be around for 40+ years."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Clash of the Titans': Inside the Trump-Musk implosion
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's messy breakup could have long-term ramifications for the Republican Party's congressional primaries — as well as the Trump administration's ties to Musk's companies and his allies. Still, senior Republicans are confident it won't disrupt the Republican Party's central focus this summer: Trump's tax and spending megabill. 'We're a long ways down the trail and we know what we have to do,' said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Thursday afternoon. 'We've got to get this done. We've got to deliver. There's always a lot of noise out there around it. And we've just got to keep our heads down.' After building from a simmer over the past week, Musk's feud with Trump spilled out into the open on Thursday as Musk continued to tweak the president's signature legislation for raising the deficit. When Trump said he's 'disappointed' with his onetime adviser's public attack on his bill, Musk redoubled attacks on the legislation. Then, the entire relationship collapsed in public Thursday afternoon. It was a remarkably quick flip for the Musk-Trump relationship, spurred on by Musk's relentless multi-day public attack on Trump's megabill. But the tension had been building, and some insiders say the groundwork for the breakup had been laid for quite some time. Ultimately, Thursday's combustion was a culmination of Musk's frustration with how the US government operates combined with months of mini-rifts over how the billionaire businessman operated, according to conversations over the last several weeks with administration officials and people close to the White House. 'Anyone who paid close attention to the H1B controversy back in December could have seen this coming,' one person close to the White House told Semafor. 'Elon's implosion and the collapse of the relationship were entirely predictable.' Musk, this person pointed out, has 'pissed off a ton of people.' Internally, his 'antics got really old' — coupled with the fact that Trump himself has privately mused about Musk's failure to deliver on his promise to cut $1 trillion from the government. A person close to Trump, meanwhile, jokingly compared the spat to the movie classic 'Clash of the Titans.' (Trump is Perseus, emerging victorious at the end.) 'Elon did great things for the government, super appreciative of the work he did,' Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, told Semafor. 'I align myself with America and the leader of this country is President Trump. And to most people all of this is a distraction from the core message, which is: We have a really strong bill.' After days of silence from Trump, designed intentionally by the White House, he was finally asked about Musk's attacks during an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday. By Trump standards, the response was relatively tame: Trump lamented the attacks, said Musk was annoyed that the administration had taken away electric vehicle tax credits which would have benefited Tesla, and that he wasn't sure whether they would continue to have a good relationship. Musk then fired off a flurry of posts on X pushing back, at one point declaring that without him, the president 'would have lost the election' and he was ungrateful. Trump, on Truth Social, said Musk was 'wearing thin' and that he'd been asked to leave the White House. He continued on to suggest an easy way to save money would be 'to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.' If the eventual result was foreseen among people close to Trump, the speed and vitriol of the now-public spat still surprised some inside the administration. Many had hoped this would remain a one-sided argument and Trump would ignore Musk's attacks. Instead, aides were left scrambling when Musk began firing off tweets accusing the president of being involved with disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And Trump allies like Steve Bannon, long a Musk adversary, called for the administration to investigate Musk's immigration status and deport him from the country. Trump was surprised when Musk began publicly tweeting his opposition to the 'big, beautiful bill' earlier this week. But top officials were reluctant to give the attacks oxygen. And until Trump was asked directly about the growing drama on Thursday, he'd steered clear of engaging with his onetime close friend. The White House took pains to send Musk off last month on a positive note, holding a press conference in the Oval Office with Trump on his last day and heaping praise on his efforts at DOGE. Part of that, multiple people inside and around the administration say, was because officials recognized Musk's growing frustration with the bureaucracy he encountered while working as a special government employee. Trump's stature in the GOP is certainly not at risk; many Republicans only aligned themselves with Musk because he was part of the administration and had Trump's favor. Trump is still the kingmaker in the party's primaries and far more of an influence in the Capitol compared to Musk, whose influence peaked with his DOGE cuts — which had the backing of the president. Musk's attacks on Trump's massive tax cuts, health care and spending bill had animated some concerns about the debt, but Republicans brushed off the idea it could derail the bill. Thune and other GOP leaders declined to weigh into the feud when asked about the row. Thune said 'I've got nothing for you on that one' and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, said she'd 'just let them fight it out.' Notably, Musk swept up Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson in addition to Trump, needling them over their past debt concerns. If there's a political threat by the break-up, it could play out in Republican primaries if Musk is really serious about opposing Republicans who vote for the bill. He could spend money or create a super PAC and focus on competitive House and Senate primaries to topple incumbents, although that's a long way away. Still Trump's ugly break has had implications for Capitol Hill. Musk ally Jared Isaacman was removed from his nomination to lead NASA, which several Republican aides said was more about his ties to Musk than past donations to Democrats. One person familiar with the nomination said the Democratic donations were litigated during the confirmation process, yet it was listed by the White House as a reason for Isaacman's removal over the weekend. The administration tried to contain the fallout between Musk and Trump and preserve their alliance, to no avail. Perhaps only a mutual agreement to lock away their phones can end the row captivating the nation's capital and Internet all at once. It's unlikely Musk's push against Trump's legislative agenda will derail it entirely. But it's a distraction the administration tried to avoid. Ultimately, Musk pushed Trump over the edge. The next things to look out for: How much this breakup impacts actual policy. Will the cost-cutting effort DOGE survive? Will Musk go through with his threat to decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft? And will the two be at odds next spring when GOP congressional primaries take place? Tesla stock plunged as Trump and Musk's feud broke into the open Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
This fantasy action sequel just became one of Netflix's most-watched movies — and I'm not sure why
Fantasy fans might have spotted that an epic new action-adventure has crashed the Netflix US top 10 list. "Wrath of the Titans," Jonathan Liebesman's epic swords-and-sorcery follow-up to "Clash of the Titans" recently got added to the streaming service — and it looks to be a hit with subscribers. In just a few days, the sequel has already jumped up to the No. 3 spot in the streamer's most-watched movies list, behind the magical heist thriller "Now You See Me" and Netflix's recent crime thriller, "A Widow's Game". If you'd spotted the movie rising through the ranks and were trying to decide whether to stream "Wrath of the Titans" on Netflix, here's a little more info about the movie, and a quick round-up of critical opinion on the movie to help make up your mind. (spoilers: it's a definite skip from me) Following the box office success of "Clash of the Titans", Warner Bros. brought us another movie loosely inspired by the Greek mythos. Here, we find Perseus (Sam Worthington) attempting to live a quiet life as a fisherman and parent to his young son, Helius. Alas, conflict's brewing between the gods and the Titans, and when Ares (Édgar Ramirez) and Hades (Ralph Fiennes) ally with Titan leader Kronos, Perseus is dragged back into the fray. The traitorous gods make a deal to capture Perseus' father, Zeus (Liam Neeson), prompting the demigod to set off on a perilous journey into the underworld in order to rescue him. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. In addition to all those named above, "Wrath of the Titans" also stars Rosamund Pike, Toby Kebbell, Bill Nighy, Danny Huston, among others. Despite being a massive fantasy fan myself, I can't in good conscience recommend "Wrath of the Titans" unless you're really desperate to stream a loud, overblown swords-and-sorcery story. It's epic in genre and scope, but not exactly in terms of quality. The big draw here should be the action, and while some of the battles are well constructed (if edited in a disorienting manner), others lack real weight because they hinge so much on clashes with hulking beings mostly rendered with CGI. And, viewed through modern eyes, the effects certainly look dated (especially in the obviously made-for-3D viewings moments), and dominate the movie so much, making it quite a relentless and exhausting viewing experience. It wouldn't be as disappointing if "Wrath of the Titans" didn't also boast poor dialogue and stiff performances. And, seeing as practically every streaming service has turned its hand to fantasy at one point, these days, there are far better options out there (check out my round-up of the best fantasy shows on Netflix, for starters). I'm not the only one who wouldn't recommend it, though. As I mentioned, "Wrath of the Titans" doesn't exactly come highly praised. At the time of writing, the fantasy sequel holds a mere 26% critics score on the review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 49% — indicating at best mixed reactions. Empire's Helen O'Hara gave "Wrath of the Titans" a two-star rating, writing: "If even a tenth of the care and attention lavished on the production design and action sequences had been afforded the script, this could have been an adventure of legendary proportions. As it is, this fizzles whenever anyone opens their mouths." Want a second opinion? Well, critic Roger Ebert echoed that take in his own two-star review: ""Wrath of the Titans' is obviously not concerned with plausibility. It lacks a comprehensible story, and you won't need your Cliff Notes on the Greek myths. You get an idea of who the major players are, and then they spend a modest amount of time shouting laughable dialogue at one another while being all but forced off the screen by special effects." Audience reactions on the platform vary wildly; some RT reviewers have "Wrath of the Titans" logged as a 5-star watch or "overhated" as a blockbuster release. Others, meanwhile, describe it as "boring," "forgettable," "cliché" and a "total waste of my time." Not sold on "Wrath of the Titans" after reading those takes? We can still help you find your next Netflix watch; take a look at our list of the best Netflix action movies or our overall round-up of the best movies on Netflix for tons for streaming recommendations.
