Latest news with #Trump-musk
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Musk feud presents 'unprecedented' dynamic compared to past Trump disputes: expert
The ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, his one-time "special government employee," has brought an "unprecedented" dynamic compared to other famous disputes, long-time Democratic political strategist and Fox News contributor Jacques DeGraff said. After somewhat repeated rumblings from Musk about why he opposed a Trump-endorsed Republican spending package, Trump launched complaints about Musk and began firing back this week, including threats aimed at Musk's business revenue. "It's unprecedented, but the reality is that what makes it a singular moment in history is that no single figure has ever been able to say, 'I made a president and then (fell) out with that individual," DeGraff told Fox News Digital Friday. "There have been groups, there have been individuals who wanted to pretend that they did, but the record is clear. And, I mean, this man (Elon) brought his son into the Oval Office. He wore a hat and didn't wear a suit to the Oval Office. He clearly had carte blanche. … The president, in effect, did a Tesla ad in the Rose Garden … and now they've fallen out in life." Watch: Republicans Rally Behind Trump, Continue To Support Musk Amid 'Big, Beautiful' Brawl DeGraffe, who has been a political advocate and strategist for years, quipped that, ordinarily, "we would have to go to family court," adding "what's the court here?" Read On The Fox News App Trump is no stranger to quarrels with his staff. During his first term, his relationship soured with his National Security Advisor, John Bolton, and his press secretary, Anthony Scaramucci, after they diverged on different issues and publicly criticized Trump. But, for DeGraffe at least, this quarrel has "distinguished itself from anything in the past." One major difference he pointed to is the implications for both parties in this spat. Liz Peek: Five Critical Takeaways From The Epic Trump-musk Rumble "Tesla stock has dropped $150 billion, Trump stock has dropped but it also occurs at the same time as this legislation and so that is going to have – no matter how it turns out – it's going to have massive political and public policy implications for the country," DeGraffe said. "So this is no small dispute." DeGraffe also contended that this is "the first time" there has been a major deviation from Trump "from the MAGA side of the aisle." He suggested the split could be bad news for Trump and others who hope to see the GOP's budget package pass the finish line in its current form. "This major split will allow other players to take positions other than the party line, and it gives them room and comfort and cover in order to do so," DeGraffe suggested. "Will senators who follow Musk, or, better yet, disagree with Musk, face intensely funded primaries? "That's a consideration that everyone involved will have to take. … As a lifelong Democrat, I'm sitting with my bowl of popcorn saying, 'Go at it.' Because anything that slows this horrific legislation has got to be good news to the rest of the country." Click Here To Download The Fox News App However, while DeGraffe sees the Trump-Musk feud as having wide-ranging and lasting implications, GOP political strategist Dallas Woodhouse says he thinks the feud is unimportant to most Republicans. "I am currently at the North Carolina State GOP convention, and this is not a topic of concern among activists," Woodhouse said. "No doubt it makes for funny and entertaining X posts, but the GOP faithful are laser-focused on growing the new diverse GOP/Trump winning coalition."Original article source: Musk feud presents 'unprecedented' dynamic compared to past Trump disputes: expert
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FLASHBACK: Unearthed photo shows smiling Obama touring SpaceX alongside 'Nazi nepo baby' Elon Musk
Before Elon Musk waded into the political arena with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), becoming a key target of Democrats in Congress and on the campaign trail, he was once considered an ally of former President Barack Obama and other Democrats. On April 15, 2010, Elon Musk was pictured with President Barack Obama while the president visited Cape Canaveral, Florida, Kennedy Space Center, while touring the "SpaceX launch pad." Now, SpaceX is one of the leaders in space travel, and it was mostly recently credited for bringing NASA astronauts stuck on the International Space Station back home. "By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow. And I expect to be around to see it," Obama said at the time, according to a news release. Why Elon Musk Handed Out Million Dollar Checks In Wisconsin "But I want to repeat – I want to repeat this: Critical to deep space exploration will be the development of breakthrough propulsion systems and other advanced technologies. So I'm challenging NASA to break through these barriers. And we'll give you the resources to break through these barriers. And I know you will, with ingenuity and intensity, because that's what you've always done," he added. The billionaire and advisor to President Donald Trump recently shared a 2011 clip from Obama expressing the need to crack down on excess government spending. Read On The Fox News App Liberal Wins First Major 2025 Statewide Battleground Election In Race Turned Into Trump-musk Referendum "Obama sounds exactly like [DOGE]!!" Musk posted on March 13. In 2022, Musk said he pulled away from the Democratic Party, and he quickly rose to prominence beyond the business world and into the political arena after his purchase of X, formerly known as Twitter, and his support for Trump in 2024. "In the past, I voted Democrat because they were (mostly) the kindness party. But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican," Musk famously tweeted in May 2022. He donated to Obama multiple times during his 2008 and 2012 campaigns, according to Federal Election Commission records, further emphasizing the change over time of where he has placed his resources. In recent months, Musk has faced an onslaught of vile attacks from left-wing activists and Democratic lawmakers comparing him to the late Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. In February, "Squad" member Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., referred to Musk as a "Nazi nepo baby, a godless lawless billionaire, who no one elected." Former left-wing Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., said Musk is "incompetent. He's a thief. He's a Nazi. And people don't trust him." This attack prompted Musk to say, "I've had enough. Lawsuit inbound." In addition to verbal attacks against Musk, there have been at least "80 incidents of arson or vandalism against Tesla vehicles and 10 incidents of vandalism against Tesla dealerships, charging stations and facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada," according to a resolution introduced by Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. 'Wide-scale Domestic Terrorism': Elon Musk Urges Authorities 'Go After The Generals' Behind Tesla Attacks In Tuesday's special elections, Musk played a key role in the financial backing and rallying for Republican Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schmiel, who lost to Democrat Susan Crawford. Meanwhile, Musk's proximity to the president because of DOGE has led the two to be lumped together on the campaign trail. "Donald Trump and Elon Musk were crushed in Wisconsin. Keep the pressure on," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, D-N.Y., posted to X on Tuesday night. Obama's office declined to comment for this article source: FLASHBACK: Unearthed photo shows smiling Obama touring SpaceX alongside 'Nazi nepo baby' Elon Musk
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dems say Wisconsin voters 'decisively' rejected Trump, Musk after liberal wins state Supreme Court seat
Democrats across the country celebrated after the liberal-leaning candidate won a high-profile election on Tuesday for a seat on Wisconsin's Supreme Court, protecting the liberal majority on the bench. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford defeated conservative-leaning Brad Schimel, a former state attorney general who currently serves as a state circuit court judge in Waukesha County. Schimel was endorsed by President Donald Trump, and the president's billionaire senior advisor, Elon Musk, spent millions of dollars to oppose Crawford's candidacy. After a massive infusion of money from Democrat-aligned and Republican-aligned groups from outside Wisconsin, which turned the race into the most expensive judicial election in the nation's history, the election partially transformed into a referendum on Trump's action during the early months of his second term in the White House. Following Crawford's victory, Democrats said voters in Wisconsin, a battleground state, sent a clear message to reject Trump, Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency — which is led by Musk — as well as the Republican Party's agenda. Liberal Wins First Major 2025 Statewide Battleground Election In Race Turned Into Trump-musk Referendum Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wrote: "Wisconsinites proved we will not be bought — not by the richest or most powerful people in the world or anyone else." Read On The Fox News App Musk had handed out $1 million checks at a rally in Green Bay on Sunday evening to two Wisconsin voters who had already cast ballots in the contest and had signed a petition to stop "activist judges." Wisconsin's Democrat state attorney general sued to block the payments, but the state Supreme Court refused to weigh in. "This election was about the resilience of the Wisconsin and American values that define and unite us," Wisconsin's governor said in a statement. "This election was about doing what's best for our kids, protecting constitutional checks and balances, reaffirming our faith in the courts and the judiciary, and defending against attacks on the basic rights, freedoms, and institutions we hold dear." "For anyone who mistakenly believes actions and decisions in Washington are neither seen nor heard here in Wisconsin or states across our country, the people of Wisconsin responded tonight," he added. Sen. Tammy Balwin, D-Wisc., said Wisconsin voters "showed tonight that their votes are not for sale!" Wisconsin Voters Decide To Enshrine Voter Id Law In State Constitution: 'Big Win For Republicans' "Judge Crawford is a common sense judge who has always been guided by the same basic values she learned growing up in Chippewa Falls," Baldwin said on X. "She believes in doing the right thing, she has fought to protect our rights and freedoms, and she will be a fair and impartial Justice on the WI State Supreme Court!" Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that "[a]nyone who counted Democrats out was dead wrong." "Wisconsin voters tonight sent a decisive message to Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and DOGE by rejecting an extreme Republican for their Supreme Court: our Democracy is not for sale," he said in a statement. "Democrats are in the fight to keep our country." "Elon Musk spent millions in a failed scheme to buy a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote on X. "Voters decisively rejected Donald Trump, Musk and the rapidly deteriorating Republican brand. Back up off the American people." Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., wrote on X: "Congratulations to Wisconsin's newest Supreme Court Justice, Susan Crawford! The voters spoke loud and clear: Wisconsin is not for sale." "Wisconsin beat the billionaire," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on X, referring to Musk. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Crawford's victory was an "amazing win for Wisconsin and the entire country." Wisconsin's high court is likely to rule on crucial issues like congressional redistricting, voting and labor rights and abortion. Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Charles Creitz contributed to this article source: Dems say Wisconsin voters 'decisively' rejected Trump, Musk after liberal wins state Supreme Court seat
