Latest news with #GovernmentalSubsidiesandContracts
Atlantic
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Atlantic
Musk and Trump Still Agree on One Thing
Far be it from me to judge anyone enjoying the feud between Donald Trump and his benefactor Elon Musk over Trump's signature legislation, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. But in the conflict between the president and the world's richest man, the public is the most likely loser. Four days ago, Musk described the bill as 'disgusting,' 'pork-filled,' and an 'abomination.' He also suggested that Trump was ungrateful, claiming that Republicans would have lost the 2024 election without all the money he had spent supporting GOP candidates. Trump fired back in a post on his network, Truth Social, saying, 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.' Musk then accused Trump of being in 'the Epstein files,' referring to the late financier and sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, whom both men have ties to. Musk later deleted that post, as well as another calling for Trump's impeachment. If all this seems painfully stupid, it is, and it was all made possible by the erosion of American democracy. The underlying issues, however, are significant despite the surreal nature of the exchange. As it happens, Trump and Musk's dueling criticisms are each, in their own ways, at least partially valid. The bill is an abomination, although not because it's 'pork-filled.' And much of Musk's wealth does come from the federal government, which he has spent the past few months trying to dismantle while preserving his own subsidies. According to Axios, among other things, Musk was angry that the bill cuts the electric-vehicle tax credit, which will hurt the bottom line of his electric-car company, Tesla. But neither billionaire—one the president of the United States and the other a major financial benefactor to the president's party—opposes the bill for what makes it a monstrosity: that it redistributes taxpayer dollars to the richest people in the country by slashing benefits for the middle class, the poor, and everyone in between. The ability of a few wealthy people to manipulate the system to this extent—leaving two tycoons who possess the emotional register of toddlers with the power to impoverish most of the country, to their own benefit, speaks ill of the health of American democracy, regardless of the outcome. Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' would make the largest cuts to food assistance for the poor in history, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, eliminating $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program at a time when inflation is still straining family budgets. Some 15 million Americans would become uninsured because of the bill's cuts to Medicaid, also the largest reductions to that program in history, and because of cuts to the Affordable Care Act. The CBPP estimates that about '22 million people, including 3 million small business owners and self-employed workers, will see their health coverage costs skyrocket or lose coverage altogether.' Not everyone would suffer, however, as the bill does offer significant tax cuts to the wealthiest people in America while adding trillions of dollars to the national debt. Whatever meager benefits there are to everyone else would likely be eaten up by the increase in the cost of food and health care caused by the benefit cuts. Charlie Warzel: The Super Bowl of internet beefs For all the insults flying between Trump and Musk, they are both fine with taking from those who have little and giving generously to those who have more than they could ever need. For years, commentators have talked about how Trump reshaped the Republican Party in the populist mold. Indeed, Trumpism has seen Republicans abandon many of their publicly held commitments. The GOP says it champions fiscal discipline while growing the debt at every opportunity. It talks about individual merit while endorsing discrimination against groups based on gender, race, national origin, and sexual orientation. It blathers about free speech while using state power to engage in the most sweeping national-censorship campaign since the Red Scare. Republicans warn us about the 'weaponization' of the legal system while seeking to prosecute critics for political crimes and deporting apparently innocent people to Gulags without a shred of due process. The GOP venerates Christianity while engaging in the kind of performative cruelty early Christians associated with paganism. It preaches family values while destroying families it refuses to recognize as such.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump says Elon Musk will face 'very serious consequences' if he funds Democratic candidates
President Donald Trump on Saturday said there would be 'serious consequences' if tech mogul Elon Musk funds Democratic candidates to run against Republicans who vote in favor of the GOP's sweeping budget bill. 'If he does, he'll have to pay the consequences for that,' Trump told NBC News in a phone interview, but declined to share what those consequences would be. 'He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,' he added. The president also said he has no desire to repair his relationship with Musk after a feud between the two men erupted into public view earlier this week. 'No,' Trump said when asked if he had any wish to do so. Asked if he thought his relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was over, Trump said, 'I would assume so, yeah.' Trump's comments were the most extensive since he and Musk exchanged threats and attacks on X and Truth Social earlier this week. He added that he thought the Republican Party was more unified than ever after the two men fell out in front of the world. Trump said he has no plans to speak with Musk anytime soon. 'I'm too busy doing other things,' he said, adding, 'I have no intention of speaking to him.' Trump also accused Musk of being 'disrespectful to the office of the President.' 'I think it's a very bad thing, because he's very disrespectful. You could not disrespect the office of the President,' he added. Musk on Thursday launched a barrage of posts on X against the president, including a now-deleted post highlighting the onetime links between the president and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'That's called 'old news,' that's been old news, that has been talked about for years,' Trump said on Saturday. 'Even Epstein's lawyer said I had nothing to do with it. It's old news.' In the days leading up to their public falling out, Musk had been critical of a GOP-led spending bill that the House passed last month. In the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump responded to Musk's criticisms, telling reporters, 'I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill. I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot.' Shortly after those comments, Musk launched his flurry of posts, including a now-deleted post promoting a call for Trump to be impeached and another where he said the president's tariff agenda would cause a recession later this year. Trump on Thursday also responded with his own posts on Truth Social. In one post, he wrote, 'I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago,' suggesting that Musk knew what was in the bill before it was passed. He also wrote on Thursday, 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' referring to federal contracts with SpaceX. 'I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!' On Saturday, Trump said he hadn't given his suggestion about canceling Musk's companies' federal contracts any more thought. 'I'd be allowed to do that,' he said, 'but I have, I haven't given it any thought.' Trump also responded to calls from outside allies, like conservative activist Steve Bannon, who have said that Musk's business dealings and immigration record should be investigated by the federal government. The president told NBC News that he hasn't had those conversations. 'I mean it's not something that's on top of my mind right now," Trump said. He also cast doubt on the notion that Musk's opposition to the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' is jeopardizing the bill's chances of success, saying he's 'very confident' that the bill will pass the Senate before July 4. 'The Republican Party has never been united like this before. It's never been. It's actually more so than it was three days ago,' Trump said. Musk contributed major financial support to Trump's presidential bid in 2024, spending over a quarter of a billion dollars to boost him in swing states last year. In the first months of the administration, Trump put Musk in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, where he oversaw mass layoffs of federal workers and the shuttering or partial closing of several agencies. The feud, Trump said, has made lawmakers see the benefits of the bill. 'I think, actually, Elon brought out the strengths of the bill because people that weren't as focused started focusing on it, and they see how good it is,' Trump said. 'So in that sense, there was a big favor. But I think Elon, really, I think it's a shame that he's so depressed and so heartbroken.' This article was originally published on
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Here's How Elon Musk's Daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson Reacted To Her Dad's Fallout With President Trump
Vivian Jenna Wilson shared her thoughts on the viral feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. It only took a few minutes for Tesla CEO's daughter to chime in after her dad dropped a now-deleted bombshell accusation against Trump, alleging the president's name was in the FBI files on Jeffrey Epstein. If you didn't know, Elon's 21-year-old daughter has been estranged from her father since coming out as trans, but she's remained a vocal critic of her father's actions and involvement in politics. "I mean, I'll see things about him in the news and think, That's fucking cringe, I should probably post about this and denounce it, which I have done a few times," Vivan told Teen Vogue back in March. Well, now that her dad and the president are trending for their big fallout, it's no surprise Vivian would find a way to address it. A quick recap: On Jun. 4, Elon voiced his opposition to Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill," which didn't go over well with the president. Speaking with reporters, Trump responded, "I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody. He had no problem with it. All of the sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out we're gonna have to the cut EV mandate... He hasn't said bad about me personally, but I'm sure that'll be next. But I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot." Related: "We Don't Import Food": 31 Americans Who Are Just So, So Confused About Tariffs And US Trade Elon fired back with X posts on Jun. 5, claiming the president "would have lost the election," and Trump's response is a sign of "ingratitude." Then, when Trump threatened to "terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Elon dropped his "really big bomb" of an X post, which has since been removed. Elon's now-deleted X post read, "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!" Related: AOC's Viral Response About A Potential Presidential Run Has Everyone Watching, And I'm Honestly Living For It Although Elon has since removed the X post claiming the president's name was in the Epstein files, the claim went viral, so of course, his daughter, who's been critical of her billionaire father in the past, had to post about it. Vivian posted a video of herself with the caption, "I love being proven right." In the video, she says, "I do not want to comment," before laughing on camera. @vivllainous / Instagram: @vivllainous Vivian also posted an Instagram Story of her Threads post, which read, "Such beauty in life," with Chase Icon's "Job Application" playing in the background. If it wasn't obvious that Vivian was throwing a little shade at Elon and President Trump's online feud, people in the comments sure as heck made it clear. "I love that everyone knows EXACTLY what you're talking about with just 4 words. I fucking L O V E I T," one person wrote. Another person said Vivian was "the best at giving shade without naming anyone." People were really celebrating with Vivian in the replies. Finally, somebody wrote, "I really hope you're taking this day to put your feet up with a glass of wine. You've endured so much shit -this must feel glorious." Whew. What a week! Also in In the News: People Can't Believe This "Disgusting" Donald Trump Jr. Post About Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis Is Real Also in In the News: Republicans Are Calling Tim Walz "Tampon Tim," And The Backlash From Women Is Too Good Not To Share Also in In the News: JD Vance Shared The Most Bizarre Tweet Of Him Serving "Food" As Donald Trump's Housewife
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Elon Musk's Daughter Responds To Trump-Musk Fallout
Vivian Jenna Wilson shared her thoughts on the viral feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. It only took a few minutes for Tesla CEO's daughter to chime in after her dad dropped a now-deleted bombshell accusation against Trump, alleging the president's name was in the FBI files on Jeffrey Epstein. If you didn't know, Elon's 21-year-old daughter has been estranged from her father since coming out as trans, but she's remained a vocal critic of her father's actions and involvement in politics. "I mean, I'll see things about him in the news and think, That's fucking cringe, I should probably post about this and denounce it, which I have done a few times," Vivan told Teen Vogue back in March. Well, now that her dad and the president are trending for their big fallout, it's no surprise Vivian would find a way to address it. A quick recap: On Jun. 4, Elon voiced his opposition to Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill," which didn't go over well with the president. Speaking with reporters, Trump responded, "I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody. He had no problem with it. All of the sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out we're gonna have to the cut EV mandate... He hasn't said bad about me personally, but I'm sure that'll be next. But I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot." Elon fired back with X posts on Jun. 5, claiming the president "would have lost the election," and Trump's response is a sign of "ingratitude." Then, when Trump threatened to "terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Elon dropped his "really big bomb" of an X post, which has since been removed. Elon's now-deleted X post read, "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!" Although Elon has since removed the X post claiming the president's name was in the Epstein files, the claim went viral, so of course, his daughter, who's been critical of her billionaire father in the past, had to post about it. Vivian posted a video of herself with the caption, "I love being proven right." In the video, she says, "I do not want to comment," before laughing on camera. Vivian also posted an Instagram Story of her Threads post, which read, "Such beauty in life," with Chase Icon's "Job Application" playing in the background. If it wasn't obvious that Vivian was throwing a little shade at Elon and President Trump's online feud, people in the comments sure as heck made it clear. "I love that everyone knows EXACTLY what you're talking about with just 4 words. I fucking L O V E I T," one person wrote. Another person said Vivian was "the best at giving shade without naming anyone." People were really celebrating with Vivian in the replies. Finally, somebody wrote, "I really hope you're taking this day to put your feet up with a glass of wine. You've endured so much shit -this must feel glorious." Whew. What a week!
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- 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.
