Latest news with #ex-Trump
Euronews
5 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Trump faces MAGA backlash over Epstein files and arms for Ukraine
First the Epstein files, now arms for Ukraine: US President Donald Trump is facing growing backlash from his MAGA base — including conspiracy theorists online and a key ally in Congress — over some of his administration's most high-profile recent decisions. Far-right influencers voiced outrage last week when the US Justice Department suddenly walked back the notion that the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a "client list" of elites who participated in the late financier's trafficking of underage girls. Trump quickly defended US Attorney General Pam Bondi — who suggested in February that such a document was on her desk, only to later clarify that she was referring to the overall case file — and criticised a reporter for daring to ask about the documents. Some MAGA supporters online called the US president "out of touch" and demanded transparency over the government's files on Epstein, a call backed by conservative influencers and even Republican congresswoman and key Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene. "America deserves the truth about Jeffrey Epstein and the rich powerful elites in his circle," the isolationist congresswoman from Georgia wrote on X on Monday. Separately on Monday, Greene also criticised Trump's decision to provide arms for Ukraine. Earlier on Monday, Trump had threatened Russia with steep tariffs and announced a pipeline for US weapons to reach Ukraine, hardening his stance toward the Kremlin after months of frustration about unsuccessful negotiations for ending Moscow's full-scale invasion. The US president said that billions of dollars' worth of US weapons would go to Ukraine — including Patriot air defence systems — and emphasised that NATO allies in Europe would foot the bill. In an interview with the New York Times, Greene said the move was a betrayal of the America First agenda that Trump campaigned on. "It's not just Ukraine, it's all foreign wars in general and a lot of foreign aid," she told the newspaper. Greene also questioned Trump's assertion that the decision to arm Ukraine would not come at any cost to Washington, citing indirect expenses such as using US troops to train Ukrainian forces on the weapons being sent. "Without a shadow of a doubt, our tax dollars are being used," Greene added. A problem of Trump's own making? Other members of MAGA, such as ex-Trump strategist Steve Bannon, have also condemned the decision to send weapons to Ukraine. "We're about to arm people we have literally no control over," Bannon said of Ukraine on his podcast. "This is old-fashioned, grinding war in the bloodlands of Europe — and we're being dragged into it." Bannon, like Greene, has also voiced his frustration over the handling of the Epstein files. At Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit over the weekend, Bannon said that the Trump administration could "lose 10% of the MAGA movement" due to the base's anger over the saga. That could cost the Republicans 40 House seats next year, he warned. Conservative talk show host and another Trump ally Tucker Carlson also spoke at the summit and criticised the US government over the Epstein files. "The fact that the US government, the one that I voted for, refused to take my question seriously and instead said: 'Case closed, shut up conspiracy theorist,' was too much for me," the former Fox News Host told the event. "And I don't think the rest of us should be satisfied with that." The unusual challenge for Trump is that this appears to be a problem of his own making. Trump has spent years stoking dark conspiracy theories and embracing QAnon-tinged narratives proposing him as the only saviour who can stop the so-called "deep state" — an alleged secret network of power that uses the government to promote their own sinister agenda. The value of such an approach is that it helps individuals gain political power, according to Russell Muirhead, who teaches political science at Dartmouth College. He said Trump has exploited that "more ably than anybody probably in American history". However, the conspiratorial community that Trump helped build is now coming back to haunt him — by demanding answers that he either cannot or does not want to provide, said Matt Dallek, a political scientist at George Washington University. "The faulty assumption Trump and others make is they can peddle conspiracy theories without any blowback," he said. "The Epstein case is a neat encapsulation that it is hard to put the genie back in the bottle." Far-right commentator Jack Posobiec said at the Student Action Summit on Saturday that he would not rest "until we go full 6 Jan committee on the Jeffrey Epstein files", referring to the panel that investigated the 2021 Capitol insurrection. Trump's struggle to stop blowback Trump on Saturday used his Truth Social platform to again attempt to call his supporters off the Epstein trail amid reports of infighting between Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino over the issue. The US president suggested the turmoil was undermining his administration — "all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein". His first-term national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleaded with Trump to reconsider. "Please understand the Epstein affair is not going away," Flynn wrote on Saturday in a post on X directed at Trump, adding that failing to address unanswered Epstein questions would make facing other national challenges "much harder". Other Trump allies continue to push for answers, among them far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has called for Bondi to resign and said that a special counsel should be appointed to investigate the handling of the files on Epstein. However, experts who study conspiracy theories warn that greater transparency does not necessarily make far-fetched narratives disappear. "For some portion of this set of conspiracy theory believers, no amount of contradictory evidence will ever be enough," said Josephine Lukito, who studies conspiracy theorists at the University of Texas at Austin.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alex Jones Breaks Down in Tears Over Trump's Final Epstein Report
Even Donald Trump's most sycophantic followers are turning on him over his administration's handling of the Epstein files. Against the expertise of individuals who had worked on the case for decades, Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested in January that the pedophilic sex trafficker had maintained a 'client list,' supercharging ideas and theories about which high-powered individuals could have been involved in Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. But the administration's language changed abruptly on Monday, when the Department of Justice posted a memo confirming that no such 'incriminating client list' existed, undercutting Bondi's language. Far-right influencers who had absorbed themselves into the details of the case refused to believe that Bondi had misstepped—instead, they interpreted the sudden reversal as an administration cover-up. 'So I'm going to go throw up, actually,' said Alex Jones, the Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist. 'Because I have integrity, and I just really need the Trump administration to succeed and to save this country, and they were doing so much good, and then for them to do something like this, it tears my guts out.' But Jones wasn't the only ex-Trump ally to lose his marbles over the update. Laura Loomer, who was not one of the lucky far-right influencers to receive an Epstein files 'binder' from the White House earlier this year, called on Trump to throw his attorney general out of the government. 'President Trump should fire Blondi for lying to his base and creating a liability for his administration,' Loomer wrote on X, referring to Bondi as an 'embarrassment.' 'I hope Trump realizes what an Fing LIAR Pam Blondi is,' Loomer continued in another post. 'She's useless. Covering for pedophiles and never arresting criminals.' And Trump's biggest 2024 campaign donor was similarly appalled by the DOJ memo. 'What's the time? Oh look, it's no-one-has-been-arrested-o'clock again,' Elon Musk posted. The whole situation has thrown Trump's position with his conspiracy-minded supporters into a bit of a pickle. The 79-year-old billionaire has achieved messiah-like status within the QAnon conspiracy circle for years thanks to the group's principal belief that, despite his being named and photographed as an associate of Epstein's and being a reputed fraudster, and despite being found liable by a jury for sexually abusing Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll, Trump will rid the world of Satan-worshipping, liberal-minded pedophiles who run the government and media.
Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Tesla shares drop 7% after Musk unveils new U.S. political party
July 7 (UPI) -- Stock shares in Elon Musk's car company Tesla fell about 7% Monday after the billionaire ex-Trump administration official announced plans to form his new "America Party." Tesla shares sold at $293 per share in morning trading but was on track to see its worst day of trading since June 5 when it tumbled 14% as the feud between Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump erupted into public view. On Saturday, the world's richest man said the so-called America Party may focus on "just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts," going so far to suggest it could be "enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people." Tesla saw a Wall Street rebound in May after Musk left his Department of Government Efficiency role amid a decline in company sales. However, Musk could lose federal subsidies that support SpaceX and his Starlink global satellite Internet services provider, Trump recently warned, as Tesla stock saw a drop on July 1. In April, Tesla shares saw a 5% jump at one point during daily trading as Musk teased about exiting the White House, which later called the reports "garbage." But Musk's heavy involvement in U.S. political affairs has made investors nervous. "Very simply, Musk diving deeper into politics and now trying to take on the Beltway establishment is exactly the opposite direction that Tesla investors/shareholders want him to take during this crucial period for the Tesla story," Dan Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, said Sunday in a note. Musk and Trump have clashed over the Republican's recently-passed tax spending bill for which no Democrat voted for approval. "While the core Musk supporters will back Musk at every turn no matter what, there is broader sense of exhaustion from many Tesla investors that Musk keeps heading down the political track," Ives added. On Sunday, the president called the creation of Musk's new America Party "ridiculous" and stated the Tesla chief had gone "completely off the rails" as Musk sided with Democrats saying Trump's new tax bill will add trillions to the U.S. national debt. Sales of Tesla's EVs fell over 13% from April to June versus the same time last year. In addition, European sales dropped by nearly 50% in April. Meanwhile, Tesla reported a staggering 14% year-on-year-decline in its second-quarter car deliveries, missing its own expectations as nationwide "Tesla Takedown" protests gripped the EV maker and Tesla dealerships dealt with acts of arson fueled in anger over Musk's meddling in U.S. government policies and operations. Also, Tesla faces rising competition in the Chinese market as other global companies, such as Apple, seek to end reliance on China's hefty manufacturing capabilities. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- UPI
Tesla shares drop 7% after Musk unveils new U.S. political party
1 of 2 | Tesla shares sold at $293 per share in morning trading but was on track to see its worst day of trading since June 5 when it tumbled 14% as the feud between Tesla CEO Elon Musk (pictured May 30 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.) and U.S. President Donald Trump erupted into public view. File Photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License Photo July 7 (UPI) -- Stock shares in Elon Musk's car company Tesla fell about 7% Monday after the billionaire ex-Trump administration official announced plans to form his new "America Party." Tesla shares sold at $293 per share in morning trading but was on track to see its worst day of trading since June 5 when it tumbled 14% as the feud between Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump erupted into public view. On Saturday, the world's richest man said the so-called America Party may focus on "just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts," going so far to suggest it could be "enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people." Tesla saw a Wall Street rebound in May after Musk left his Department of Government Efficiency role amid a decline in company sales. However, Musk could lose federal subsidies that support SpaceX and his Starlink global satellite Internet services provider, Trump recently warned, as Tesla stock saw a drop on July 1. In April, Tesla shares saw a 5% jump at one point during daily trading as Musk teased about exiting the White House, which later called the reports "garbage." But Musk's heavy involvement in U.S. political affairs has made investors nervous. "Very simply, Musk diving deeper into politics and now trying to take on the Beltway establishment is exactly the opposite direction that Tesla investors/shareholders want him to take during this crucial period for the Tesla story," Dan Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, said Sunday in a note. Musk and Trump have clashed over the Republican's recently-passed tax spending bill for which no Democrat voted for approval. "While the core Musk supporters will back Musk at every turn no matter what, there is broader sense of exhaustion from many Tesla investors that Musk keeps heading down the political track," Ives added. On Sunday, the president called the creation of Musk's new America Party "ridiculous" and stated the Tesla chief had gone "completely off the rails" as Musk sided with Democrats saying Trump's new tax bill will add trillions to the U.S. national debt. Sales of Tesla's EVs fell over 13% from April to June versus the same time last year. In addition, European sales dropped by nearly 50% in April. Meanwhile, Tesla reported a staggering 14% year-on-year-decline in its second-quarter car deliveries, missing its own expectations as nationwide "Tesla Takedown" protests gripped the EV maker and Tesla dealerships dealt with acts of arson fueled in anger over Musk's meddling in U.S. government policies and operations. Also, Tesla faces rising competition in the Chinese market as other global companies, such as Apple, seek to end reliance on China's hefty manufacturing capabilities.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US security officials continue to watch for potential Iran-related threats, despite ceasefire
The shaky ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump between Israel and Iran has not stopped federal officials from continuing to closely monitor any threats stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, federal officials told CNN. Security and intelligence officials are not currently tracking any credible threat to the US but have issued several warnings over the potential for lone wolf and cyber-attacks stemming from the conflict. At the FBI, senior leaders are in the process of pulling agents away from assisting the Trump administration's nationwide immigration enforcement mission so they can return to their focus on guarding against counter terrorism threats. A ceasefire 'doesn't mean we take our foot off the gas,' said one federal law enforcement source. 'History has shown (the Iranians) are not the most credible regime. Our work continues.' The FBI began temporarily scaling back its support for Trump's immigration ambitions, a move to ensure agents are focusing on any potential threats to the homeland stemming from US strikes on Iran, CNN reported Monday. While the final number of agents to be reassigned has not been determined, sources said some field offices could see a drastic reduction in personnel working on immigration efforts. In a statement to CNN, the FBI would not comment directly on the changes but said they are continuously assessing and realigning 'our resources to respond to the most pressing threats to our national security and to ensure the safety of the American people.' FBI veterans say the new potential for retaliatory attacks by Iranian affiliates will require a concerted focus by bureau investigators. 'One of the things that the FBI has to be doing right now is going backwards and looking at every subject of every investigation, closed or open, who had any sort of connections to the government of Iran,' said Andrew McCabe, a former FBI deputy director and CNN senior law enforcement analyst. 'All of those cases have to be scrubbed. All of the informants that were feeding those cases have to be regenerated. They've got to start collecting current intelligence on what any of those people might be doing now.' In a similar vein, US cybersecurity officials are currently reviewing the long history of Iranian hacking activity targeting American businesses and government agencies for reminders on how Tehran might respond now, a US official familiar with the matter told CNN. One reason the FBI attention is needed on the potential threats from Iran, sources said, is the hybrid nature of the way Iran has targeted the US homeland in the past. The Department of Homeland Security has issued several warnings that Iran could target US officials – which officials say the country has been doing since the US killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in 2020. Iran's intelligence services sometimes use hacking to supplement their surveillance of dissidents or former US officials on US soil. A former confidant of ex-Trump national security adviser John Bolton, for example, was hacked in 2022 in a possible effort to track Bolton as part of an assassination plot. Hours before Trump announced the ceasefire on Monday evening, FBI Director Kash Patel told an audience of local law enforcement officials that the agency's current focus was 'on protecting the homeland.' 'Right now, the focus – given the nature especially of what just happened – has to be on protecting the homeland and protecting our communities,' Patel told the National Sheriff's Association. On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters – speaking on potential threats – that 'we have not seen any currently.' Noem noted the department recognizes that 'as tensions escalate that that means there could be more potential for threats here at home, that's why we're at an elevated threat.'
