Latest news with #Trumpworld
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Elon Musk, Stephen Miller unfollow each other on X amid rumors of tussle over Katie Miller
Elon Musk and Stephen Miller unfollow each other on X amid rumors over Katie Miller. Elon Musk and Stephen Miller do not follow each other on X, the social media platform that Elon Musk owns, after Stephen Miller's wife Katie Miller chose to walk out of the White House with Elon Musk to work for him full time. This happened just before the big blow-up between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump Thursday and also hints that this was brewing for quite some time. Stephen Miller is one of Trump's most trusted and visible aides and the Millers even got married at Trump Tower, Washington -- such is their bond with Trump. The 'divorce' of Elon Musk and Donald Trump started with the disenchantment between the Elon world and the Trumpworld and that started with the Millers as they were part of both. Stephen Miller and Katie Miller were always with Elon Musk as they were Musk's point persons in Washington. A Wall Street Journal report confirmed that the husband and wife spent extensive time with Elon Musk -- even outside the White House. Katie Miller was Elon Musk's spokesperson in the administration, serving as the bridge between the Department of Government Efficiency and the administration. Whenever Elon Musk was in Washington, Katie was there with him. Rumors swirled that they were a throuple until Katie Miller chose to walk out of the White House with Elon Musk. What happened between the Millers and Musk? Neither of them issued any public statement regarding their relationship. Katie Miller posted a screenshot that said DOGE is a lifestyle like Buddhism making it clear that she was going with Elon Musk to work for him. While the personal equation among the three of them remains uncertain, Elon Musk and Stephen Miller unfollowed each other on X, it is confirmed. Stephen Miller has been defending Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' which is the bone of contention between Trump and Musk. But Miller did not name Musk in his angry defense, though used Musk's word 'pork' in his counter to defend the bill. "The only 'new' spending in the bill is to defend the homeland and deport the illegals—paid for by raising visa fees. All the other provisions? Massive spending cuts. There is no 'pork' in the bill. Just campaign promises," Stephen Miller wrote. Katie's departure created friction amid White House officials as Katie was reportedly on Musk's payroll the entire time, though her official role was that of a special government employee.
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
MAGA's mutually assured destruction
To honor the end of Elon Musk's "incredible" government service, President Trump presented his friend, adviser and billionaire benefactor with a golden key to the White House. Six days later, Musk lit the place on fire. Why it matters: The most powerful civilian ever has effectively declared war on the president of the United States, incinerating their relationship — at least for now — in one of history's most extraordinary political meltdowns. The long-predicted rupture built over months, but exploded in hours — unfolding in real time in the Oval Office, on Truth Social, and above all, on X. The consequences were tectonic, shaking the foundations of a MAGA-tech coalition that has mapped out grand ambitions for Trump's second term. Catch up quick: Tensions have simmered all week over Musk's scathing criticism of Trump's budget-busting tax bill, which is projected to add trillions to the national debt. On Thursday, Trump claimed the Tesla CEO was lashing out over the bill's rollback of electric vehicle credits — and suggested he was suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome." Musk responded by committing what can only be described as an unforgivable sin in Trumpworld: Claiming credit for the president's 2024 election victory and arguing that his political power would far outlast Trump's. Trump fired back by threatening to terminate Musk's billions of dollars in government subsidies and contracts, and declaring that his former adviser had gone "crazy." Over the next few hours, Musk would call for Trump's impeachment, claim the president is implicated in unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files, and float the creation of a new political party. He also announced that SpaceX would "begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately" — a move that would disrupt NASA operations and sever a core link between his empire and the federal government. Between the lines: Musk later walked back that threat and opened the door to a thaw with Trump. He responded positively to a plea by financier Bill Ackman that they make peace. Politico reported late Thursday that Trump aides had scheduled a call between the two for Friday. But the episode underscored the extraordinary leverage the billionaire holds over critical government functions — and how easily that power can be politicized. The big picture: The conflict between two of the world's most powerful men seemed like it was quickly barreling toward mutually assured destruction. Musk, who spent nearly $300 million to support Trump and GOP candidates in 2024, views the swelling deficit as an existential threat, and has promised to target any Republican who votes for the bill. GOP lawmakers, many of whom have spent years terrified by the prospect of a Trump-backed primary threat, are now praying the president's endorsement is worth more than Musk's war chest. Between the lines: Some pro-Trump activists seized the opportunity to claim vindication for their skepticism of MAGA's tech alliance, some of which dates back to an early but revealing debate over H1-B visas. MAGA whisperer Steve Bannon called for the South African-born Musk to be investigated and deported — and for SpaceX to be seized by the U.S. government. Some prominent influencers, such as Charlie Kirk, urged reconciliation between two of the American right's most influential power centers. The bottom line: Trump reached for a surprising analogy Thursday when discussing the war between Russia and Ukraine: two kids scrapping in the park who need to fight it out a bit before separating.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Sorrow in Bengaluru
Good morning, We are starting today's edition with an update from Trumpworld, where the President has signed a proclamation to ban travel to the United States from 12 countries, citing national security reasons and protection from 'foreign terrorists'. In a video statement, Trump said the recent attack in Colorado, where an Egyptian-origin man threw a gasoline bomb at pro-Israel protesters, exposed the dangers that the entry of improperly vetted foreign nationals poses to the US. However, Egypt does not appear on the list of banned countries, which includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. People from seven other countries will face restricted entry. On that note, let's dive in. An evening meant for celebrating the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s long-awaited IPL title win turned into one of sorrow when a stampede broke out in Bengaluru, leaving 11 people dead and 47 injured. What went wrong? At the heart of the tragedy lies an apparent lack of planning, an underestimation of the number of fans who would gather, and confusion over the free passes available for entry to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Mixed signals from RCB and the Bengaluru traffic police sowed early confusion — would the parade happen or not? Despite the uncertainty, fans flocked to the Vidhana Soudha, the rally point. By 3 pm, over 50,000 people had packed into a one-kilometre radius, with more still arriving. The tipping point came at around 4 pm when the gates to the stadium partially opened. Those with and without tickets scrambled to get inside, resulting in chaos. People fell, but there was no one to manage the rush. Meanwhile, the celebrations went on inside. From the top: The RCB management stated that, although they were unaware of the situation outside, once informed, they 'immediately amended' their programme. Cricket authorities, meanwhile, have distanced themselves from the incident. The IPL Chairman denied having any prior information about the victory parade. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asserted that its role ends with the final match and has nothing to do with the celebrations afterwards. However, BCCI Secretary Devajit Sakia acknowledged that the incident was an 'eye-opener' and stated that the cricketing body will take a call on how future celebrations are held. The state response: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah admitted that the state and the Karnataka State Cricket Association had not anticipated the large crowd that had gathered. Initial estimates suggest that 2-3 lakh people gathered for the celebrations overall. The state has announced free treatment for those injured and compensation for the victim's kin. He also announced a magisterial inquiry into the incident. Sense in census: The wait is over for India's long-overdue population Census. The government announced that data collection for the Census, along with caste enumeration, would commence early next year and give a snapshot of the country's population as of March 1, 2027. The process will be two-phased. The house listing phase will end by September 2026 and be followed by Census enumeration in February 2027. The Wednesday announcement has reopened the debate on delimitation, the process of redefining constituencies based on the population. This is a contentious subject, particularly for southern states, which argue their comparatively lower population may result in lowered representation in Parliament. Why does a 2027 Census threaten the status quo? I will let my colleagues, Deeptiman Tiwary and Manoj C G, explain. Also, take a look at this comprehensive picture of the 1931 census, the last time caste was enumerated. Shyamlal Yadav explains the process and its findings. For the record: Seven years ago, 45 faculty members took Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to court over its disciplinary action against them for joining a one-day strike. Since then, the proceedings have taken a curious turn. At least seven have discreetly exited the legal fight, offering 'unconditional' apologies. Records reviewed by The Indian Express show that the disciplinary actions against these staffers vanished. Some even got promoted. Meanwhile, those still locked in the courtroom standoff claim they have been told that only an apology and the withdrawal of the case were preconditions for a promotion. JNU, however, denies these allegations. Tragic: A newly married couple, Raja Raghuvanshi (28) and Sonam (24), went on their honeymoon in Meghalaya last month. Just a day into the trip, family members could not reach them; their phones were switched off. Days later, the kin travelled to Meghalaya to look for Raja and Sonam with the help of the local police. Bad weather complicated the efforts. After an eight-day search, Raja's body was found in a deep gorge below the Riat Arliang parking lot. Sonam remains missing. The global outreach: The all-party delegations that fanned out into the world last month to take India's fight against terrorism to global ears have returned from their 'successful' trips. We spoke with members of the delegations to get a complete picture of their foreign visits. JD(U)'s Sanjay Jha revealed they 'felt a tilt towards Pakistan' in Malaysia, while CPI(M)'s John Brittas said they fielded many questions about the ceasefire and loss of equipment in the war. Quid pro quo: As trade negotiations with the US enter their final stage, India could soon open its market and lower tariffs on a range of American products. From defence equipment to oil and cars, here are the sectors that will likely be impacted. In our latest 'fresh take', I write about the debate over the em dash — or the so-called 'ChatGPT hyphen'. The em dash was once the mark of a great writer, the most versatile of all the punctuation marks. It allowed one to interrupt, expand or digress as necessary. Lately, however, it has earned a bad rap. I, for one, welcome its newfound notoriety and hope it forever remains an imprint of human messiness. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
Arabian Post
7 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
Stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of FCX!
Matein Khalid Dr. Copper supposedly boasts a doctorate in economic forecasting because its price predicts inflection points in the global industrial cycle and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) is the largest listed copper miner on earth, with gold and oil drilling businesses as ancillary SBUs. Dr. Copper is not exactly my fav prognosticator of the economic cycle but I do notice a mini price breakout of the red metal on the LME, where 3-month futures now trade at $9600 a metric ton. A month ago, amid trade wars, tariff and recession angst, I had accumulated FCX at 34 as I believed that the electrification/ decarbonization of the world would make copper the ultimate strategic green metal of the 2020s. The ESG mafia has deeply inhibited new mine output growth at a time when the annual copper deficit could rise to as high as half million metric tons due to AI, EV, automation, energy transition and renewables related surges in copper consumption. Copper production is hostage to labour disputes in Chile, geopolitical trauma (DR Congo), sanctions on Russia, King Leopold, Mobutu, Joseph Conrad and Robert Friedland's heart of darkness, sovereign credit woes in Zambia and water supply problems in the Atacama desert. A New York hedge fund manager who made $2 billion trading copper at a Wall Street I-Bank told me that the clearing price of copper would almost have to double to 18,000 in the next 5 years if the energy transition is to succeed. So I am only too happy to accumulate a strategic position in FCX at 35 and itch for the real time breakout I saw in the charts last night at 40 to add a lot more juice to my bottom line on this trade. ADVERTISEMENT Given past correlations between FCX share price and the price of LME copper, I expect this puppy to easily rise to 45-46 this summer before I cry sayonara on this trade. Freeport-McMoRan is all set to be a Trump darling because it alone can help America reduce its 45% import dependency on foreign refined copper, a critical metal for an advanced $28 trillion industrial economy. After all, FCX provides 70% of the copper used for domestic US refined production. Note that Trump's tariff threats on imported refined copper means the domestic red metal now trades at a 13% premium, a DonnyT windfall not reflected in FCX when it traded at 34 on the NYSE. If US copper commands a 13% price premium over foreign imports for the rest of 2025, FCX bottom line windfall could be as high as $800 million. Everything the Trump White House says and does convinces me that the Big Guy has blessed FCX as the All-American champion in global mining and in Trumpworld, Yankee Doodle Dandy must always win the gold medal. Always! Management projects $15 billion in EBITDA if Dr. Copper trades at $5 a pound on the Chicago Merc next year, which I 100% believe it will. FCX trades at a mere 3.84X EBITDA at its current price of 40 as I write. So this is no time to say tata to my nicely fattening little copper bunny. FCX 46? You bet, cowboy. Why? Coz the stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas! Also published on Medium. Notice an issue? Arabian Post strives to deliver the most accurate and reliable information to its readers. If you believe you have identified an error or inconsistency in this article, please don't hesitate to contact our editorial team at editor[at]thearabianpost[dot]com. We are committed to promptly addressing any concerns and ensuring the highest level of journalistic integrity.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump insiders are tired of Laura Loomer's sway - but admit her political influence keeps rising from the dead
Those close to President Donald Trump have reportedly grown irritated with Laura Loomer, the ultra-loyal Trump supporter whose apparent influence has led to the ousting of several administration officials. Loomer, 32, has made a name for herself in Trumpworld as an unofficial, yet devoted, patron to the president – willing to publicly call out any person she believes has any ties to Trump criticisms. In April, Loomer reportedly gave Trump a list of disloyal National Security Council staffers who were subsequently fired. In May, Loomer appeared to take some credit for pushing Trump to axe former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz after the Signal chat blunder. 'Trump likes Laura, and she obviously has some influence, but she runs the risk of overestimating her influence and blowing herself up if she's not more careful,' an unnamed source close to the White House told WIRED. 'I think she jumped the shark by going out and taking credit for stabbing the national security adviser and a number of people, as if it happened in a vacuum, as if there weren't deep considerations and conversations about all of this,' the unnamed administration source said. While her loyalty to the president may be appreciated by Trump himself, Loomer's history of making headline-grabbing, controversial comments and bolstering conspiracy theories, such as those related to 9/11, already made some of Trump's official staff uneasy about her presence. That has led her to move in and out of his orbit over the years. Insiders painted a picture of thinking she is away for good only to have her return again. Those close to the president's campaign reportedly attempted to keep Loomer, a far-right activist, at a distance the election, not giving her an official job. Despite that, Trump brought Loomer along for the ride when he debated former vice president Kamala Harris. Even after winning the election, Loomer's presence in Trump's orbit has not been diminished. She's managed to maintain communications with the president and some White House staffers, according to WIRED. Loomer is not an official member of the administration – though she's asserted she was nearly hired on several occasions. She's reportedly pitched her opposition research firm as a potential contract for the White House and expressed her desire to 'work for President Trump.' While not having an official role, she's still used her social media to highlight Trump's agenda and 'vet' members of the administration she believes are unworthy of their role. 'You have to ask yourself: If Trump wanted her in, do you think his staff had some ability to prevent that, apparently?' an administration source told WIRED. 'Like, what?' Suspicions about Loomer have grown recently as the conservative activist has dabbled more in criticizing some of Trump's recent decisions, according to WIRED. In May, Loomer ran an op-ed on her blog, called 'Loomered,' critiquing Trump's decision to remove oil company Chevron's operations in Venezuela. She also deviated from her typical praise of Trump to criticize his decision to accept a jet from Qatar. 'It's one thing to attack random government employees who Trump doesn't give a s*** about, but when she's attacking him and his policies directly, that could end badly for her,' the unnamed White House source told WIRED. Trump insiders have questioned whether Loomer can remain in the president's good graces while wadding into those waters. Then, just weeks after Walz was ousted and days after criticizing the Qatari jet gift, Loomer took to X to apologize to Trump for making comments that 'made anyone feel betrayed.' 'I am sorry if my comments made anyone feel betrayed or were used by the media as ammunition to sow division during an important trip for the President,' she continued. I want to apologize to President Trump more than anyone because I am a loyal person, I love President Trump, and I know I could have probably just had a private conversation about the plane instead,' Loomer wrote. The Independent has reached out to Loomer for comment.
