Latest news with #WhiteHouse
The Independent
25 minutes ago
- Business
- The Independent
Trump shrugs off claims about Musk's drug use - but the White House is ‘happy to see him go'
President Donald Trump brushed off allegations of Elon Musk 's alleged drug use on the campaign trail, but the White House is 'happy to have him go,' according to reports. As he was contributing millions to Trump's re-election bid, the world's richest person was allegedly using ketamine, ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and Adderall, and traveled with a daily medication box that held about 20 pills, sources told the New York Times. The sources were unable to confirm whether his drug use continued as he led the Department of Government Efficiency. Upon Musk's departure from his role at DOGE, the president downplayed the explosive report on Friday, saying he was 'not troubled by anything with Elon.' Asked if he was aware of Musk's drug habits, Trump told reporters: 'No, I wasn't. I think he's fantastic. I think Elon is a fantastic guy.' The president was then pressed on whether he was troubled by the report. He replied: 'I'm not troubled by anything with Elon. I think he's fantastic. Did a great job. And, you know, DOGE continues. And by the time it's finished, we'll have numbers that'll knock your socks off. It's gonna be uh, he did a fantastic job. And he didn't need it. He didn't need to do it.' Some White House officials, however, are 'happy' to see Musk exit the administration, according to Maggie Haberman, a CNN political analyst and New York Times reporter. The journalist pointed to "consternation" over his massive social media presence and controversial headlines stemming from his efforts at the cost-cutting agency. One such questionable claim was the 'savings' DOGE found in Social Security payments after allegedly discovering that many dead people were still receiving benefits. That claim has now been debunked. Asked whether the White House believed the alleged 'savings' that DOGE touted, Haberman said Musk was 'a source of consternation' for some Trump advisers because he 'would make statements about fraud and waste that he was finding in the Social Security network, that there were examples of tons of people who were dead receiving benefits. But then he would not produce that information.' She continued: 'Those headlines were problematic for Trump, politically, in their minds. They are happy… to have him go because, look, there are things [Musk] did that some of them are happy with. A bunch of them in Trump's world came around to Musk. Many others, however, were not so happy.' Haberman then turned to his large social media presence. For example, Musk, who owns X, got into a public spat with Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro over tariffs last month. 'Mostly, he was a source of tension, and he commanded this social media presence where he could intimidate any of them as well. And so I think, you know, they are happy to see this chapter end,' she said. Trump suggested that Musk, whose 130 days as a special government employee came to an end this week, isn't putting the White House in the rearview mirror entirely. "Elon's really not leaving. He's going to be back and forth, I think, I have a feeling,' the president said Friday. Referring to DOGE, he continued: 'It's his baby, and I think he's going to be doing a lot of things." Vice President JD Vance added: 'Elon will continue to be an important adviser for both me and the president.' Asked about the Times' report on Friday, Musk took aim at the publication: 'Is that the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on the Russiagate?' said Musk, referring to the paper's coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 election. 'That New York Times? Let's move on,' Musk said.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. slammed raw milk shots with podcast host in the White House
It's no secret that U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has some ... eccentric ... views about public health issues. But he might have reached a personal best this week when he did raw milk shooters in the White House with a podcast host who goes by Carnivore MD, according to NYMag's The Cut. Kennedy recorded the interview with the host, the wellness influencer born Paul Saladino, who posted a teaser for the episode. In it, a cameraman presents Kennedy with shots of raw milk mixed with glyphosate-free honey, according to The Cut. 'I strongly believe diet is the biggest lever you can pull to heal and improve your health,' Saladino wrote in the caption for the clip, which shows him RFK Jr. slamming a product that the Centers for Disease Control warns 'can expose people to germs such as Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella, and Salmonella," The Cut reported. Read More: RFK Jr.'s error-filled MAHA report sparks speculation it was written by AI Saladino, an influencer with more than 2 million followers, 'primarily advocates for an animal product-based diet, though occasionally he will use his platform to champion other pet causes, such as why shampoo and soap are overrated and why wiping yourself is bad for your hormonal health," according to The Cut. He was at the White House last week for the rollout of Kennedy's 72-page MAHA Commission report, which has come under scrutiny for errors and omissions. There's also speculation that the document may have been written by artificial intelligence. Pentagon boss Hegseth warns of 'devastating' consequences if China looks to 'conquer' Taiwan Major Trump foe says Republicans keep approaching her with shocking message 'Turning a blind eye to genocide': Mass. Rep. Neal's visit to Ireland protested 'Incredibly ironic': Trump antisemitism effort may force out Harvard's Israeli Jews 'We're not sanctuary cities': WMass mayors push back at feds over DHS target list Read the original article on MassLive.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Impersonator breached Chief of Staff Susie Wiles's phone, Trump says
An apparent impersonator breached the phone of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump said Friday, and pretended to be her in calls and messages received by her high-profile contacts. Trump did not go into detail about the impersonation but told reporters he was not concerned because Wiles is 'an amazing woman' who 'can handle it.'
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Trump refuses to rule out potential pardon for Diddy if the rapper is convicted of sex trafficking
DONALD Trump has refused to rule out a potential pardon for Sean "Diddy" Combs if the rap mogul is convicted of sex trafficking. The mega-producer, who is currently on trial, is facing a potential life sentence after being accused of running a decades-long, sprawling sex trafficking operation. 6 6 6 6 Trump said on Friday that no one has asked him to pardon Diddy Combs, but that he would look at the facts of the hip-hop mogul's case. His comments at a White House news conference came as Diddy attended the 13th day of testimony in the rapper's criminal sex trafficking trial. Diddy was arrested in September 2024 and is battling a massive list of civil lawsuits as he stands trial. The Bad Boy Records founder has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. During a press conference at the White House, a reporter asked Trump whether he would consider pardoning Diddy. The journalist noted that the MAGA prez said during a 2012 episode of his Celebrity Apprentice reality show that he was friends with the rapper. Trump replied: "Nobody's asked. You had to be the one to ask. I think some people have been very close to asking. "First of all, I'd look at what's happening, and I haven't been watching it too closely although it's certainly getting a lot of coverage." Trump said he had not seen or spoken to Diddy in years. He added: "I haven't seen him, I haven't spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics… that relationship busted up, from what I read. Diddy 'EXPLODED with threat to kill assistant over ex Cassie's silence' "He didn't tell me that, but I'd read some little bit nasty statements.' Since taking office on January 20, Trump has made extensive use of his power to pardon or commute the sentences of people accused of or convicted of federal crimes. Diddy is accused of throwing so-called "freak-off" parties where he would illegally fly in sex workers from across the country to provide his high-profile guests with explicit entertainment. He also would allegedly record some of his most recognizeable guests in compromising positions and use his sick videos as blackmail to keep people under his thumb, prosecutors say. In just three weeks of proceedings, a court has already heard about Diddy allegedly bombing fellow rapper Kid Cudi's car and lashing out at his ex-girlfriend in late rock star Prince's mansion. At the center of the trial is the rapper's nearly decade-long relationship with ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who busted his case wide open with a graphic civil suit filed in November 2023. That lawsuit was settled out of court, and Diddy denied all of her allegations. The courtroom has heard gut-wrenching testimony from Combs' former assistants, Ventura, and rapper Scott Mescudi, who is best known by his stage name Kid Cudi, among others. 6 6 Ventura, gave birth to her third child after taking the stand, testified for four days about the horrific sex marathons she was allegedly forced into by Combs. The singer, 38, also told jurors about the physical and psychological abuse she suffered during her relationship with the music executive. She accused Diddy of forcing her to get high and have sex with male escorts for hours on end during the horrific sessions, and claimed the executive controlled every aspect of her life. 'Control was everything from the way I looked, what I was working on that day, who I was speaking to," Cassie, who was just days away from giving birth to her third child with now-husband Alex Fine, said. "You make the wong face and the next thing I knew I was getting hit in the face." A growing list of celebrities has been mentioned in Diddy's sick sex trafficking trial over his perverse "freak off" parties. The list includes Hollywood A-listers like Michael B Jordan, Suge Knight and 50 Cent. Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom - inside the trial of the decade By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs began with jury selection on May 5. Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan - an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried. Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him. When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable. Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial. As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers. All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector. Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip. The courthouse uses a poker chip system to sort the number of electronic devices visitors are in possession of. Electronic devices, such as Bluetooth-powered headphones, voice recorders, laptops, cellphones, and smart watches, are confiscated before you're allowed to enter the courthouse's main hallway. As about a half-dozen reporters and I waited in the gallery for jury selection, we witnessed how Combs entered the courtroom shackle-free. Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors. The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors. As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed "thank you" to a handful of supporters in the gallery. I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan. A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery. At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul. At least half a dozen members of Combs' family arrived at the courthouse as spectators filed in single order to enter the federal building to turn over all their electronic devices. Combs' trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian's courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks. We'll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dems Taunt Stephen Miller Over Wife Leaving with Musk
Democrats have little to be giddy about these days, but they took pleasure in taunting White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as Elon Musk made his White House exit with Miller's wife at his side. The official X account of the Democrats had a spicy post on Friday where they simply tagged Stephen Miller's handle and included an image of an empty chair in a corner of what looked like a hotel room. The post retweeted the Daily Beast's report that Miller's wife, Katie, a DOGE adviser and spokesperson, was also on her way out of the Trump administration to work for the tech billionaire full time. .@StephenM: — Democrats (@TheDemocrats) May 30, 2025 As the world's richest person makes his departure, people across the internet have been all too happy to speculate over Musk and the Millers. The White House did not respond to the Daily Beast's inquiry about Miller's departure. Like Musk, Miller was also a 'Special Government Employee.' Such employees from the private sector are limited in how long they can work with the federal government to 130 days. Miller has been posting on X about Musk and DOGE, but also his private companies. On Friday, she was also spotted inside the Oval Office watching as Musk made some farewell remarks with the president. But Musk also got pushback from Miller's husband as he decided to criticize the president's 'big, beautiful bill' as a disappointment on his way out the door. Musk told CBS News in an interview this week that the massive legislation undermines the work of DOGE and balloons the deficit. Miller fired back in a lengthy X post where he argued the bill could not cut discretionary spending due to Senate rules. He also insisted the Congressional Budget Office was wrong that it increases the deficit, dismissing the analysis as an 'accounting gimmick.' Miller also praised the work of DOGE in a separate post, but the public pushback on Musk highlighted the MAGA rift just as Musk and his wife are headed out of the White House. Before working for the current administration, both Millers also worked in the first Trump administration, during which they met and married. Miller is one of several members of the DOGE team who head out with their leader as he steps away and focuses more time on his businesses. Musk's right-hand man, Steve Davis, is also departing, the White House confirmed.
