Latest news with #TrumpInauguration
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Elon Musk's most memorable moments as Trump's adviser
Billionaire Elon Musk has said he is leaving his role in the US government, in which he was tasked with reducing federal spending, shortly after his first major break with Donald Trump over the president's signature spending bill. While classified as a "special government employee" and "senior adviser to the president," the South African-born tycoon has left indelible marks on American politics as Trump's most visible backer. The 'Nazi' salute Being Trump's right-hand man took on a new meaning when the world's richest person made headlines by dramatically throwing out his arm — twice — at a rally celebrating Trump's January 20 inauguration. Standing at a podium bearing the presidential seal, Musk's right arm was straight, his hand open, his palm facing down. Historians agreed with Democratic politicians that the sharp gesture looked exactly like a Nazi salute. The Tesla boss — whose electric vehicles were soon dubbed "swasticars" by critics — dismissed the claims, posting on his X social media platform: "The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired." Whatever the display meant, Nazi-related jokes and memes dominated public reactions to the day meant to mark Trump's triumphant return to office. Endorsing Germany's extreme-right Hot off his salute shock, Musk participated virtually at a January rally for Germany's anti-immigration, ultra-nationalist AfD party. Musk told the crowd "you really are the best hope" for Germany and urged them to be "proud of German culture and German values." His endorsement of the AfD shook mainstream German parties, which said they viewed it as foreign interference by Trump's advisor. Vandals burned four Teslas in the streets of Berlin afterward. Despite record gains at the polls, AfD ultimately took second place in the election behind Germany's conservatives. Brings kid to work Dressed down in MAGA hats and t-shirts, Musk became a near-constant presence in the White House. For a while, so did his four-year-old son named X. During Musk's first appearance before reporters since his arrival in Washington to run DOGE, the child was trotted out and Trump said: "This is X and he's a great guy." The boy was filmed picking his nose while his father boasted about his cost-cutting exploits while standing next to the Oval Office's Resolute Desk. Brings chainsaw to budget Unelected and unconfirmed by the Senate, Musk has repeatedly bashed the "unelected, fourth unconstitutional branch of government, which is the bureaucracy" and immediately made brutal cuts to the federal workforce and budget. To illustrate his management style, Musk donned sunglasses and brandished a chainsaw on stage at a conservative get-together in Washington. It was handed to him -- not turned on -- by right-wing Argentine President Javier Milei, who made the machine a symbol of slashing bureaucracy and state spending in his own country. Overshadowing Trump's cabinet At Trump's first cabinet meeting on February 26, Musk had a starring role even though he is not part of the cabinet. He stood looming near a doorway, wearing a t-shirt with the words "Tech Support" across the chest as the cabinet met. Even without a literal seat at the table Musk, who helped bankroll Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, overshadowed the country's most powerful officials. Trump downplayed this tension shortly before the meeting, posting on his social media platform: "ALL CABINET MEMBERS ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ELON." Trump the Tesla salesman With Musk's Tesla car company taking a battering on the stock market and sales dropping sharply, and with vandals targeting his brand, the White House hosted a highly publicized test drive to boost Tesla's reputation. With a Tesla Cybertruck and a Model S parked on the South Portico, Trump and Musk mounted a sales pitch. Trump even said he had purchased one. The stunt didn't ultimately turn around Tesla's plummeting sales, with the electric vehicle maker reporting a 71 percent drop in first-quarter profits. Fails to sway court election Money can't buy you everything, Musk discovered, after pouring $25 million into the most expensive court race in US history to try to get a pro-Trump Republican judge elected to Wisconsin's Supreme Court. Musk paid voters $100 to sign a petition opposing "activist judges" and even handed out $1 million checks to voters, beseeching the public to select the conservative judge. The court's docket was packed with precedent-setting cases over abortion and reproductive rights, the strength of public sector unions, voting rules and congressional district boundaries. The US state instead chose a liberal judge by a wide margin in April, dismaying the billionaire -- who had spent roughly $277 million in 2024 in the national race to help get Trump elected. Tariff dissenter After Trump announced his sweeping US tariffs, deeply affecting major trading partners China and the European Union, Musk made the case for a free-trade zone between the United States and Europe. This clashes with Trump's trade policy. Shortly after, he called Trump's economic advisor Peter Navarro, a longtime advocate for trade barriers, "dumber than a sack of bricks." Navarro had taken aim at Tesla, saying the carmaker mostly sourced assembled major components from factories in Asia. Musk retorted with studies he said showed "Tesla has the most American-made cars." White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt tried to play down the public feud, saying that "boys will be boys." Big, Beautiful Bill Musk said he was "disappointed" by Trump's divisive mega-bill, which offers sprawling tax relief and spending cuts, in a rare split with the Republican president. The tech tycoon said the "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" -- which passed the US House last week and now moves to the Senate -- would increase the deficit and undermine the work of DOGE, which has fired tens of thousands of people. Critics warn the legislation will gut health care and balloon the national deficit by as much as $4 trillion over a decade. "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," Musk told CBS News. Musk announced he was quitting his US government role shortly after.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
‘Swasticars', chainsaws and MAGA: Elon Musk's turbulent White House stint ends in high-profile resignation
WASHINGTON, May 29 — Billionaire Elon Musk has said he is leaving his role in the US government, in which he was tasked with reducing federal spending, shortly after his first major break with Donald Trump over the president's signature spending bill. While classified as a 'special government employee' and 'senior advisor to the president,' the South African-born tycoon has left indelible marks on American politics as Trump's most visible backer. The 'Nazi' salute Being Trump's right-hand man took on a new meaning when the world's richest person made headlines by dramatically throwing out his arm – twice – at a rally celebrating Trump's January 20 inauguration. Standing at a podium bearing the presidential seal, Musk's right arm was straight, his hand open, his palm facing down. Historians agreed with Democratic politicians that the sharp gesture looked exactly like a Nazi salute. The Tesla boss -- whose electric vehicles were soon dubbed 'swasticars' by critics – dismissed the claims, posting on his X social media platform: 'The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired.' Tesla CEO Elon Musk was alleged to have performed a Nazi salute during the inauguration of US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. — AFP pic Whatever the display meant, Nazi-related jokes and memes dominated public reactions to the day meant to mark Trump's triumphant return to office. Endorsing Germany's extreme-right Hot off his salute shock, Musk participated virtually at a January rally for Germany's anti-immigration, ultra-nationalist AfD party. Musk told the crowd 'you really are the best hope' for Germany and urged them to be 'proud of German culture and German values.' His endorsement of the AfD shook mainstream German parties, which said they viewed it as foreign interference by Trump's advisor. Vandals burned four Teslas in the streets of Berlin afterward. Despite record gains at the polls, AfD ultimately took second place in the election behind Germany's conservatives. Brings kid to work Dressed down in MAGA hats and t-shirts, Musk became a near-constant presence in the White House. For a while, so did his four-year-old son named X. During Musk's first appearance before reporters since his arrival in Washington to run DOGE, the child was trotted out and Trump said: 'This is X and he's a great guy.' The boy was filmed picking his nose while his father boasted about his cost-cutting exploits while standing next to the Oval Office's Resolute Desk. Brings chainsaw to budget Unelected and unconfirmed by the Senate, Musk has repeatedly bashed the 'unelected, fourth unconstitutional branch of government, which is the bureaucracy' and immediately made brutal cuts to the federal workforce and budget. To illustrate his management style, Musk donned sunglasses and brandished a chainsaw on stage at a conservative get-together in Washington. CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk wields a chainsaw as he leaves the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 20, 2025 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. — AFP pic It was handed to him – not turned on – by right-wing Argentine President Javier Milei, who made the machine a symbol of slashing bureaucracy and state spending in his own country. Overshadowing Trump's cabinet At Trump's first cabinet meeting on February 26, Musk had a starring role even though he is not part of the cabinet. He stood looming near a doorway, wearing a t-shirt with the words 'Tech Support' across the chest as the cabinet met. Even without a literal seat at the table Musk, who helped bankroll Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, overshadowed the country's most powerful officials. Trump downplayed this tension shortly before the meeting, posting on his social media platform: 'ALL CABINET MEMBERS ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ELON.' Trump the Tesla salesman With Musk's Tesla car company taking a battering on the stock market and sales dropping sharply, and with vandals targeting his brand, the White House hosted a highly publicized test drive to boost Tesla's reputation. With a Tesla Cybertruck and a Model S parked on the South Portico, Trump and Musk mounted a sales pitch. Trump even said he had purchased one. The stunt didn't ultimately turn around Tesla's plummeting sales, with the electric vehicle maker reporting a 71 percent drop in first-quarter profits. Fails to sway court election Money can't buy you everything, Musk discovered, after pouring US$25 million into the most expensive court race in US history to try to get a pro-Trump Republican judge elected to Wisconsin's Supreme Court. Musk paid voters US$100 to sign a petition opposing 'activist judges' and even handed out US$1 million checks to voters, beseeching the public to select the conservative judge. The court's docket was packed with precedent-setting cases over abortion and reproductive rights, the strength of public sector unions, voting rules and congressional district boundaries. The US state instead chose a liberal judge by a wide margin in April, dismaying the billionaire -- who had spent roughly US$277 million in 2024 in the national race to help get Trump elected. Tariff dissenter After Trump announced his sweeping US tariffs, deeply affecting major trading partners China and the European Union, Musk made the case for a free-trade zone between the United States and Europe. This clashes with Trump's trade policy. Shortly after, he called Trump's economic advisor Peter Navarro, a longtime advocate for trade barriers, 'dumber than a sack of bricks.' Navarro had taken aim at Tesla, saying the carmaker mostly sourced assembled major components from factories in Asia. Musk retorted with studies he said showed 'Tesla has the most American-made cars.' White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt tried to play down the public feud, saying that 'boys will be boys.' Big, Beautiful Bill Musk said he was 'disappointed' by Trump's divisive mega-bill, which offers sprawling tax relief and spending cuts, in a rare split with the Republican president. The tech tycoon said the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill Act' – which passed the US House last week and now moves to the Senate – would increase the deficit and undermine the work of DOGE, which has fired tens of thousands of people. Critics warn the legislation will gut health care and balloon the national deficit by as much as US$4 trillion over a decade. 'I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,' Musk told CBS News. Musk announced he was quitting his US government role shortly after. — AFP
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Trump Commutes Sentence of Major Donor to his 2017 Inauguration
President Trump on Wednesday commuted the sentence of a California venture capitalist and major political donor who had been sentenced to 12 years in prison for violating lobbying, campaign finance and tax laws, and obstructing an investigation into Mr. Trump's 2017 inaugural committee. The donor, Imaad Zuberi, 54, had been a major supporter of Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, before shifting his support to Mr. Trump after his 2016 victory. In the three months after the 2016 presidential election, Mr. Zuberi donated more than $1.1 million to committees associated with Mr. Trump and the Republican Party, scoring coveted invitations to a pair of black-tie dinners celebrating Mr. Trump's inauguration. In the process, he posted photos of himself with the president, as well as Mr. Trump's first chief of staff, Reince Priebus and various cabinet nominees. In 2020, Mr. Zuberi pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal investigation into the source of a $900,000 donation he made through his company to Mr. Trump's inaugural committee in late December 2016. In 2019, Mr. Zuberi pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign donations during the Obama administration, including some funded by foreign sources, as part of a scheme to gain access to American politicians for foreign clients. He also pleaded guilty to falsifying records filed with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act to conceal his lobbying work on behalf of Sri Lanka to help burnish the country's reputation in Washington amid human rights concerns. And he pleaded guilty to failing to report and pay taxes on $5.65 million he was paid for the Sri Lankan lobbying campaign, much of which, prosecutors say, he diverted for personal use. During some of the criminal proceedings, Mr. Zuberi was represented by David Warrington, who is now Mr. Trump's White House counsel. The White House did not immediately respond to a question about whether Mr. Warrington recused himself from deliberations about the commutation. Part of Mr. Zuberi's defense involved arguing that some of the activity with which he was charged stemmed from his work as a longtime intelligence source for the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Zuberi was sentenced in 2021. In addition to the prison term, he was ordered to pay nearly $16 million in restitution and $1.75 million in fines. He had been held at a low-security federal correctional institution in California and was scheduled to be released in 2030, according to the Bureau of Prisons website.
Bloomberg
19-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Warren Questions Pilgrim's Pride, JBS Over $5 Million Trump Donation
By and Gabriella Borter Save Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren queried chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride Corp. and its parent company JBS USA over the meat processor's donation to Donald Trump's Inaugural Committee. The $5 million donation was the single biggest to Trump's inauguration committee, Warren said.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fox News Channel accounts for all top 1,000 cable news telecasts since Election Day
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Fox News Channel now accounts for the top 1,000 cable news telecasts since Election Day as the network continues to dominate the landscape. Since Election Day last November, Fox News has placed the top 1,013 cable news telecasts in television. One of the highlights includes its coverage of President Donald Trump 's inauguration in January, when it drew 11.7 million viewers during his swearing-in, the highest-rated hour of the year so far. MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" didn't appear on the list until 1,104th place, in a March 24 episode that netted 2.4 million viewers. Maddow returned to only airing on Mondays this week after putting her show on five nights a week for the first 100 days of the new Trump administration. Fox News Channel Finishes Highest-rated First 100 Days In Cable News History With Dominant April Fox News Channel's coverage of the hour Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president is the top-rated hour of the year to date in cable news. Since the election, Fox's total day cable news share is a whopping 65%, while its primetime share is 66%. In comparison, CNN drew 14% of cable news viewers in total day and 12% in primetime, while MSNBC got 20% and 22%, respectively. Read On The Fox News App Fox News has averaged 1.8 million viewers and 224,000 in the 25-54 demo across total day, and 2.7 million viewers and 335,000 in the 25-54 demo during primetime since Election Day, according to a release. Fox News, which capped the highest-rated first 100 days in cable news history with a dominant April, posted 1.6 million viewers and 180,000 in the 25-54 demo the week of April 28 to May 4. In primetime, Fox averaged 2.5 million viewers and 256,000 in the demo. In weekday primetime, Fox (2.9 million viewers) outpaced even NBC (2.5 million viewers), while CNN posted its worst week of the year with total day viewers (365,000 viewers) and with primetime ages 25-54 (81,000 viewers). Abc, Nbc And Cbs Slap Trump With 92% Negative Coverage As 100Th Day Of Second Term Approaches, Study Finds "The Five" led cable news last week with 3.7 million total viewers. CBS, which is currently grappling with a $20 billion lawsuit from Trump over a "60 Minutes" segment last year, saw its nightly news program "CBS Evening News" hit its lowest-rated week ever with just 3.6 million viewers and 482,000 in the 25-54 demo. Fox's "The Five" (3.7 million total, 366,000 in the demo) led cable news, while "Jesse Watters Primetime" delivered 3.3 million viewers and 364,000 in the demo, and "Special Report" drew 2.8 million viewers and 311,000 in the demo. "The Ingraham Angle" earned 2.7 million viewers and 323,000 in the demo. "Hannity" (2.6 million, 280,000) and "Fox News @ Night" (1.5 million, 180,000) also dominated their competition. Fox's late-night show "Gutfeld!" secured 2.8 million and 298,000 in the demo, defeating broadcast competitors "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on CBS (1.8 million total, 272,000 in demo), "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on ABC (1.4 million total, 231,000 in demo), and "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" on NBC (1.1 million total, 267,000 in demo). Montel Williams Gets Candid About Ms, Chronic Pain And Opioid Abuse After Blunt Warning From Doctor "Gutfeld!" outdrew CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," "ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and NBC's "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" again last week. During daytime, Fox News programs "The Will Cain Show" (2 million viewers), "Outnumbered (nearly 2 million), "America's Newsroom" (1.9 million), "The Faulkner Focus" (1.8 million), "The Story with Martha MacCallum" (1.8 million) and "America Reports" (1.75 million) all led NBC's "Today Third Hour" (1,633,000 viewers) and ABC's "GMA3" (1,261,000 viewers). On Saturday, "My View With Lara Trump" was the most-watched show of the day at 1.6 million viewers, featuring an interview with Elon Musk. "FOX & Friends Weekend" followed with 1.5 million viewers, along with "Life, Liberty & Levin (1.4 million) and "FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla" (1.3 million). On Sunday, Maria Bartiromo's "Sunday Morning Futures" was the day's top show at 1.6 million viewers, and "Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy" topped primetime with 1.5 million. "The Big Weekend Show" took 1.3 million viewers and 119,000 in the 25-54 demo, while "One Nation with Brian Kilmeade" posted 1.4 million viewers. "FOX & Friends Weekend" was number one in the 25-54 demo with 148,000 viewers. Original article source: Fox News Channel accounts for all top 1,000 cable news telecasts since Election Day
