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2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A complete guide to the Trump vs. Musk feud
In early June 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk's once-close relationship turned ugly as the two traded barbs on social media. Social media users, in turn, speculated about why the two were fighting. The relationship between Musk and Trump, according to reporting from reputable news outlets, had been complicated for months, despite public amicability. Trump's team had become increasingly frustrated with Musk's erratic behavior and his slash-and-burn mentality as the public face of the Department of Government Efficiency, according to these reports. Things appeared to begin falling apart publicly when Trump pulled the nomination of a Musk ally to lead NASA, citing past donations to Democrats, and Musk started attacking Trump's trade adviser and tariffs architect, Peter Navarro. On June 3, Musk posted on X that he "just can't stand it anymore," and attacked Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, calling it a "disgusting abomination" and criticizing it for increasing the national debt. Trump, in response, said he was "very disappointed" with Musk and alleged the world's richest man was really angry about the bill's electric-vehicle tax-credit cuts, which would hurt Musk's car company, Tesla. It's true that the bill would increase the national debt, and that Trump reversed his position on increasing the debt ceiling — the limit lawmakers set to how much money the government can borrow. It's also true that the bill would cut tax credits benefiting Tesla. Thus, it is likely that even if there is more going on than what is publicly known, the fight does, at least in part, have to do with Trump's budget bill. U.S. President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, a former special government employee and Trump adviser, once presented themselves as the ultimate bromance in U.S. politics — but as their relationship crashed and burned in mid-2025, speculation and questions about what caused their very public breakup circulated online. "Who else still doesn't understand why Elon Musk and Donald Trump are fighting?" wrote one confused X user. The fight between Musk and Trump appeared to center around Musk's criticism of Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, which Musk called a "disgusting abomination." Trump, on the other hand, lamented that he once "had" a great relationship with Musk and claimed Musk's anger was over cuts to electric-vehicle tax credits in the bill — credits that would have benefited Musk's car company, Tesla. "I'll tell you, he's not the first," Trump said (at 1:13). "People leave my administration and they love us, and then at some point they miss it so badly. And some of them embrace it and some of them actually become hostile. I don't know what it is, it's sort of 'Trump derangement syndrome' I guess they call it." Still, news outlets and late-night hosts speculated about the "real reasons" Musk was feuding with Trump. Some X users alleged Musk had simply pretended to support Trump to receive the EV subsidies. Meanwhile, conspiracy theorists argued that the fight was planned as a distraction or so Musk could sell cars to liberals and Trump could stop appearing beholden to the world's richest man. Much of what we know about Trump and Musk's relationship comes from reporting based on anonymous sources inside the White House who fear losing their jobs, making it impossible to definitively determine based on public information if there was a "real" reason for the spat. In response to an inquiry, the White House ignored detailed questions asking for evidence of various claims and allegations made by Trump and Musk, instead providing a boilerplate statement that had been sent to Snopes previously. "This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again," read the statement from Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary. Below, we break down what has been reported, what Trump and Musk have said and what they appear to be fighting about: Musk and Trump's close relationship publicly began when the SpaceX founder endorsed Trump for president on July 13, 2024, in an X post following an assassination attempt on the president in Pennsylvania. Musk poured nearly $300 million into Trump's campaign, and shortly after Trump won, he appointed Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency, a new initiative dedicated to cutting government spending. As Musk used a literal chain saw to promote his cuts to government agencies, outwardly, the two could not have been more agreeable to each other. However, reputable news outlets — citing anonymous sources in the White House — painted a more complicated story. In March, The New York Times reported cabinet officials were growing increasingly frustrated with the billionaire's "unchecked power," culminating in an explosive meeting over Musk's efforts to slash spending via mass layoffs of federal workers. The meeting, the Times reported, "yielded the first significant indication that Mr. Trump is willing to put some limits on Mr. Musk," as Trump reportedly said that from that point on, "the secretaries would be in charge; the Musk team would only advise." In April, the The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump and Musk spent time together almost every weekend, and that Trump admired Musk's humor and wealth — and the interest other world leaders took in Musk. The story also noted Trump's attempts to smooth over Musk's tense relationship with his cabinet officials. But the WSJ reported in May that the president and his staffers had expressed various frustrations over Musk's erratic messaging and his deep investment in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The candidate Musk backed, Brad Schimel, was a conservative backed by the Republican Party, but White House aides believed he would not win the race and it would become a referendum on Musk and Trump. (They were right.) Axios reported in June that Musk wanted the Federal Aviation Administration to use his Starlink satellite system for national air traffic control — but "the administration balked at it because of the appearance of a conflict of interest and for technological reasons." Snopes has not independently verified the reports from Axios, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. On April 5, news outlets reported that Musk posted, then deleted, an X post disparaging Trump's top trade adviser, Peter Navarro. "A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing," Musk said in reference to Navarro's degree, adding that Navarro "hadn't built s***." On April 8, Musk called Navarro a slur for developmentally disabled people, "truly a moron" and "dumber than a sack of bricks" in several X posts. Musk's frustrations with Navarro appeared to be over Trump's tariff policy, which Navarro was largely in charge of. (Musk said in an X post on June 5 that he believed Trump's tariffs would cause a recession in "the second half this year.") Musk then began publicly criticizing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in a May 27 interview with CBS News, saying he was "disappointed" to see that the "massive spending bill" would increase the budget deficit, adding that it "undermines the work DOGE has been doing" (see 6:00). "I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both," he said. The next day, Musk announced that his "scheduled time" as a special government employee was coming to an end. Trump presented Musk with a key to the White House on May 30 and called him an "incredible patriot" (see 11:40). Musk said he'd "expect to remain a friend and an adviser" and that he was "at the president's service" (see 20:13). Axios reported, however, that Musk had discussed trying to stay in that role beyond the 130-day time limit for special government employees but White House officials denied the request. On June 1, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would withdraw a nomination of a Musk ally, Jared Isaacman, to head NASA after a "thorough review of prior associations." Based on other comments, Trump was likely referring to Isaacman's past donations to Democrats — but Axios reported that for Musk, the withdrawal was the "final straw." "I'm not going to play dumb on this — I don't think timing was much of a coincidence. … There were other changes going on the same day," Isaacman said at the 50:04 mark in an "All-In Podcast" episode published June 4, presumably referencing Musk's departure. On June 3, Musk posted that he "just can't stand it anymore." "This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination," he wrote. Over the next few days, Musk's X feed largely consisted of criticizing the budget bill. He repeatedly raised concerns over "debt slavery" — enslavement for unpaid debts — and the bill's potential effect on the national deficit. He began outright lobbying against the bill, calling on his followers to "kill the bill." In a June 5 Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump said he was "very disappointed" to see Musk's tirade (see 4:09). "I've always liked Elon, and so I was very surprised," Trump said. "He hasn't said anything about me that's bad. I'd rather have him criticize me than the bill, because the bill is incredible. It's the biggest cut in the history of this country." Trump claimed Musk "knew the inner workings" of the bill better than many in the administration and "had no problem with it" until they cut the EV subsidies (see 21:07). (Musk said on X that the president's comments were false and the bill "was never shown to me even once.") The president also alleged that Musk was unhappy about the administration's decision to reverse Isaacman's nomination to lead NASA (see 15:03). "He said the most beautiful things about me. And he hasn't said bad about me personally, but I'm sure that'll be next," Trump said (see 21:55). "But I'm very disappointed in Elon. I helped Elon a lot." As Trump predicted, Musk turned to personal attacks: Musk claimed Trump wouldn't have won the election without him, amplified a call for Trump's impeachment and alleged the Trump administration hasn't released files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein because the president is in them. Minutes before Musk posted about the Epstein files, Trump posted on his Truth Social account, "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!" Minutes after Musk posted his allegations that Trump was in unreleased Epstein-related files, Trump appeared to respond, without directly referencing Musk's claim. Trump's post read, "I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It's a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given. If this Bill doesn't pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that. I didn't create this mess, I'm just here to FIX IT. This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump also threatened to take away Musk's government contracts in a Truth Social post the same day: "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!" Musk, in a now-deleted response, threatened to decommission the SpaceX capsule used to take astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station — before backing off from the threat after an X user pleaded with him to cool off. Let's discuss the actual policy the two men appear to be fighting about: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. First, a quick recap: Musk's criticisms of the bill, at least publicly, center on his belief it will increase the federal deficit. Trump says Musk is mad over the administration's decision to remove electric-vehicle tax credits — what the president called an "EV mandate" — from the bill. While Musk initially supported eliminating the EV tax credit in 2023, he appears to have reversed his stance. The budget bill includes the elimination of a tax credit worth roughly as much as $7,500 for some Tesla models and other electric vehicles by Dec. 31, 2025, seven years ahead of schedule — see Section 112002 of the bill, "TERMINATION OF CLEAN VEHICLE CREDIT." JP Morgan estimated Tesla would lose $1.2 billion over the elimination, according to Bloomberg. Thus, it is accurate to say Musk stands to lose money over the removal of the tax credit. But Musk, in response to Trump's comments in the Oval Office, claimed on X that he cared more about what he believed was wasteful spending in the bill. "Whatever," he said. "Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill." Musk's attacks centered on what he believed was Trump's about-face on raising the debt ceiling — a limit Congress sets as to how much money the government can borrow — as well as the fact the budget bill would increase the deficit. Part of Musk's tirade against Trump involved him pulling out old Trump posts about the deficit to paint the president as a hypocrite. It is true that Trump was against raising the federal deficit before he became president — but he raised the ceiling multiple times during his first term. In a June 4 Truth Social post, he said he wanted to abolish the debt limit entirely "to prevent an Economic catastrophe." The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would increase the federal deficit by $2.4 trillion through 2034; that would grow to $3 trillion with interest, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget — and $5 trillion with interest if temporary tax cuts were made permanent. As Trump had touted, the package also cuts spending by about $1.3 trillion, with most of that coming from cuts to Medicaid and food assistance, according to the CBO. The bill would thus necessitate raising the debt ceiling, as the ceiling as of 2025 is $36.1 trillion, which the United States has already breached — the national debt, as of this writing, was $36.2 trillion, forcing the United States to take what's called "extraordinary measures" to temporarily prevent a default on the debt. Defaulting, the Department of the Treasury said, would result in "catastrophic repercussions." Private arguments and issues the Trump team had with Musk may have led to this very public fight, according to reputable news outlets. While the center of the fight appeared to be the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the two were already at odds over Trump pulling the nomination of a Musk ally to lead NASA and Musk's opposition to Trump's tariff policy and the architect behind it, to name a few incidents. In early June, Musk began attacking the budget bill, leading Trump to say he was "very disappointed" in the tech billionaire before posting a few of his own responses on Truth Social. Aside from Musk attacking the bill as being bloated and financially irresponsible, Musk also attacked Trump's character. Trump alleged Musk was actually upset with the bill's electric-vehicle tax-credit cuts and said the easiest way to reduce spending would be to take Musk's government contracts away. In terms of the policy discussion, it is true the bill increases spending and the national debt, as Musk claimed, and it is true ending the EV tax credit would likely harm Tesla. At the end of the day, we can't say exactly what is going on in either man's their head, making it impossible to know whether there's more to the fight — but the evidence suggests the budget bill is at least one major sticking point for the relationship. Al Jazeera. "'I Love the President': Trump, Musk Heap on Praise in Gushy Interview." Al Jazeera, 19 Feb. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. "Alaska on X: "@Elonmusk @SpaceX This Is a Shame This Back and Forth. …." 6 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. All-In Podcast. "Jared Isaacman: What Went Wrong at NASA | the All-in Interview." YouTube, 4 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Arrington, Jodey C. "Text - H.R.1 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): One Big Beautiful Bill Act." Accessed 6 June 2025. Associated Press. "WATCH: Elon Musk Waves Chainsaw on Stage at CPAC." YouTube, 20 Feb. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. "Breaking down the One Big Beautiful Bill | Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget." Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, 21 May 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Caputo, Marc. "Scoop: Four Reasons Musk Attacked Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill.'" Axios, 3 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Clough, Rick, and Kara Carlson. "Elon Musk Escalates Attacks on Trump Tax Bill, Sending Tesla (TSLA) Plunging." Bloomberg, 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. CNN. "Elon Musk Exits Government Role." Accessed 6 June 2025. Congressional Budget Office. "Debt-Service Effects Derived from H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act." Congressional Budget Office, 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Dawsey, Josh, et al. "Inside Elon Musk and Trump's Complicated and Tense Relationship." The Wall Street Journal, 31 May 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Inside Elon Musk's Shock-And-Awe Months in the White House." The Wall Street Journal, 5 Apr. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Deng, Grace. "What to Know about Trump, Musk and the Dismantling of USAID." Snopes, 5 Feb. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. "Donor Lookup." OpenSecrets, Accessed 6 June 2025. Face the Nation. "Trump and Musk Take Questions as Tesla CEO Exits 'Special Government Employee' Post." YouTube, 30 May 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. "Federal Debt and the Debt Limit in 2025." Accessed 6 June 2025. "Interactive: Recent History of the Debt Limit | Bipartisan Policy Center." Accessed 6 June 2025. Izzo, Jack. "Yes, Musk Shared Post Calling for Trump's Impeachment." Snopes, 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Liles, Jordan. "Yes, Musk Alleged Trump Appears in the Epstein Files." Snopes, 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Loe, Megan. "Musk Said 'Trump Would Have Lost the Election' without Him." Snopes, 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Musk, Elon. "Elon Musk on X: "@Mrp @RealPNavarro @JoeSquawk @SquawkCNBC Navarro Is…." 9 Apr. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: "@Mrp @RealPNavarro @JoeSquawk @SquawkCNBC Tesla Has …." 9 Apr. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: '💯' / X." X (formerly Twitter), 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: "a New Spending Bill Should Be Drafted That Doesn't M…." 4 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: 'America Is in the Fast Lane to Debt Slavery' / X." 4 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: "Call Your Senator, Call Your Congressman, Bankruptin…." 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: "False, This Bill Was Never Shown to Me Even Once And…." 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: "in Light of the President's Statement about Cancella…." 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: "Mammoth Spending Bills Are Bankrupting America! ENOU…." 4 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: "the Trump Tariffs Will Cause a Recession in the Seco…." 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: "This Immense Level of Overspending Will Drive Americ…." 4 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: "This Spending Bill Contains the Largest Increase In …." 4 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: "Whatever. Keep the EV/Solar Incentive Cuts in the Bi…." 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: 'Where Is This Guy Today??' / X." 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Musk on X: 'Wise Words' / X." 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Good Advice. Ok, We Won't Decommission Dragon." 6 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "I Fully Endorse President Trump and Hope for His Rapid Recovery." X (Formerly Twitter), 13 July 2024, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "I'm Sorry, but I Just Can't Stand It Anymore. This Massive, Outrageous, Pork-Filled Congressional Spending Bill Is a Disgusting Abomination. Shame on Those Who Voted for It: You Know You Did Wrong. You Know It." X (Formerly Twitter), 3 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. PBS NewsHour. "WATCH: Trump Says He's 'Very Disappointed' in Elon Musk after Criticism of President's Budget Bill." YouTube, 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. "Statement by President-Elect Donald J. Trump Announcing That Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Will Lead the Department of Government Efficiency ('DOGE') | the American Presidency Project." 12 Nov. 2024, Accessed 6 June 2025. Swan, Jonathan, and Maggie Haberman. "Rubio and Trump Officials Clash with Elon Musk in an Explosive Meeting." The New York Times, 7 Mar. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Taija PerryCook. "Every DOGE Rumor We've Fact-Checked so Far." Snopes, 15 Mar. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Talcott, Shelby. "'A Battle Elon Won't Win': Musk Takes on Trump Trade Guru Peter Navarro." 6 Apr. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Thadani, Trisha, et al. "Elon Musk Donated $288 Million in 2024 Election, Final Tally Shows." Washington Post, The Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Trump, Donald J. "Donald J. Trump on X: "No Member of Congress Should Be Eligible for R…." 31 July 2012, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "Elon Was 'Wearing Thin,' I Asked Him to Leave, I Took Away His EV Mandate That Forced Everyone to Buy Electric Cars That Nobody Else Wanted (That He Knew for Months I Was Going to Do!), and He Just Went CRAZY!" Truth Social, 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "I Am Very Pleased to Announce That, after All of These Years, I Agree with Senator Elizabeth Warren on SOMETHING. The Debt Limit Should Be Entirely Scrapped to Prevent an Economic Catastrophe. It Is Too Devastating to Be Put in the Hands of Political People That May Want to Use It despite the Horrendous Effect It Could Have on Our Country And, Indirectly, Even the World. As to Senator Warren's Second Statement on the $4 Trillion Dollars, I like That Also, but It Would Have to Be Done over a Period of Time, as Short as Possible. Let's Get Together, Republican and Democrat, and DO THIS!" Truth Social, 4 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "I Don't Mind Elon Turning against Me, but He Should Have Done so Months Ago. This Is One of the Greatest Bills Ever Presented to Congress. It's a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut Ever Given. If This Bill Doesn't Pass, There Will Be a 68% Tax Increase, and Things Far Worse than That. I Didn't Create This Mess, I'm Just Here to FIX IT. This Puts Our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Truth Social, 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. ---. "The Easiest Way to Save Money in Our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, Is to Terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I Was Always Surprised That Biden Didn't Do It!" Truth Social, 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. "Truth Details | Truth Social." 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. US Treasury. "What Is the National Debt?" Accessed 6 June 2025. Wall, Mike. "Senator Grills Jared Isaacman, Trump's Pick for NASA Chief, about Elon Musk's Involvement in His Job Interview (Video)." Space, 10 Apr. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Wazer, Caroline. "Musk Said He's Leaving the White House. Here's What We Do (and Don't) Know about the Departure." Snopes, 29 May 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. White House. "President Trump Participates in a Bilateral Meeting with the Chancellor of Germany." 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Yellen, Janet. DEPARTMENT of the TREASURY | Letter to Rep. Mike Johnson. 17 Jan. 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Unpacking rumor that Stephen Miller's wife, Katie, left him for Elon Musk
In late May and early June 2025, rumors swirled that the wife of White House adviser Stephen Miller, Katie Miller, had left him for tech magnate Elon Musk, who until then had served as the new U.S. Department of Government Efficiency's public face. Some internet users even suggested that the affair had started with Stephen Miller's consent in an arrangement some described as a "throuple." For example, user @ on Bluesky relayed these claims: (Bluesky user @ The post read: Oh I am not sh**posting, folks. Stephen Miller, his wife, and Elon are widely rumored to be a throuple. Now Miller's wife is leaving the Trump team to be with Musk & LITERALLY PER THE NEW YORK TIMES Stephen is angrily subtweeting Musk. They actually put it in the paper of record that he was mad The post on Bluesky had received 7,600 likes and 3,200 reshares as of this writing. The same rumor appeared several times on Bluesky, but also on X, where the official account of the Democratic National Committee tagged Miller in its post of a single empty chair in a supposed hotel room in reaction to rumors that Miller's wife had left government to work for Musk in the private sector (archived): The empty chair represented a meme known as the "cuck chair," a chair on which someone supposedly sits while they watch their spouse have sex with someone else. This post had amassed 2.1 million views and 32,000 likes as of this writing, further spreading the unsubstantiated claim that Miller had cheated on her husband with Musk. Snopes has reached out to the Miller couple and Musk, seeking details. However, because we were not able to confirm or disprove the story, we have left it unrated. The rumor started as Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of SpaceX, announced his departure from DOGE. Bluesky user Snyder (to whom we have reached out for comment and await a reply) referenced a New York Times story published on May 28, 2025, which indeed referenced Miller criticizing Musk on X without naming him. Miller posted on X (archived) in response to Musk lambasting the "One Big Beautiful" budget bill the U.S. House of Representatives had voted on, which experts, including analysts at the Tax Foundation, said would cause the budget deficit to balloon. The article read: However, Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, shot back at Mr. Musk on social media without naming him. Mr. Miller asserted that the bill would reduce the deficit — despite multiple independent analyses saying otherwise — and noted that the cuts made by Mr. Musk's team were unrelated to the spending bill. Lower down in the thread on Bluesky, Snyder linked to a story published on Feb. 27, 2025, in Wired, which Snyder said "strongly implied throupledom." The story explained that while Stephen Miller had assumed the position of White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, his wife had been appointed as "top communications official at DOGE," directly with Musk. Citing an anonymous Republican source, the story went on to suggest that this had been by design: The Millers are seen inside Trumpworld as glorified babysitters for Musk, tasked with ensuring he stays within bounds, insofar as that's possible. "He gets a lot of grace," the first Republican said of Musk. "Many people aren't nervous, because Stephen Miller is deeply involved. And Katie." This Republican compared Musk to a preteen child. However, the Wired story implied more salacious suspicions about the relationship between the Millers and Musk without making them explicit: Musk's relationship with the Millers has become a subject of great intrigue in Washington as DOGE continues to wreak havoc on the federal government. Little is known about how often they interact outside of work and how the relationship grew over the late stages of the campaign into the transition. "If you can find out anything about Stephen Miller's social life, I don't wanna know the answer," says a longtime Republican operative who knows the couple personally. Given the anonymous sourcing, Snopes was unable to independently verify Wired's reporting. We have reached out to Snyder on Bluesky asking if the user heard the rumor independently. However, on May 28, 2025, a CNN report that Katie Miller had left DOGE to work for Musk full time gave new life to claims that the relationship between Musk and the pair was more complicated than it seemed. Citing three unnamed sources, CNN said Miller was now helping arrange interviews for Musk. Snopes was unable to independently verify CNN's reporting because it was based on anonymous sources. Though several internet users took it to mean that she had left her husband, with whom she shares three children, the reality is that Katie Miller had the status of "special government employee," which precluded her working more than 130 days per year for the U.S. government. As such, she would have had to leave government work regardless of which job she took on after her stint at DOGE. While she did not confirm the story, she had reshared on X one post by Musk regarding his departure from the government, as well as a screen capture of one of his quotes about DOGE, suggesting she may indeed be working as his spokeswoman. Two days later, on May 30, 2025, Musk stood in the White House Oval Office, speaking to the press alongside U.S. President Donald Trump about his return to the private sector. Musk appeared with a bruise around his right eye. While Musk said he owed his black eye to his son, whom he said he had instructed to punch him, the internet once again lit up with speculation (archived): The post had gained 2.7 million views and 41,000 likes as of this writing. Snopes reached out to the Millers as well as Musk asking them to provide further details. We will update this report should they respond. "'Big Beautiful Bill' House GOP Tax Plan: Preliminary Details and Analysis." Tax Foundation, 13 May 2025, Accessed 2 June 2025. "Elon Musk Bids Farewell to White House but Says Doge Will Continue." BBC, 29 May 2025, Accessed 2 June 2025. Hamilton, Phillip. "Cuck Chair." Know Your Meme, 15 Nov. 2022, Accessed 2 June 2025. Klein, Betsy, et al. "May 28, 2025 - Donald Trump Presidency News." CNN, 28 May 2025, Accessed 2 June 2025. Lahut, Jake. "Elon Musk's Takeover Is Being Aided by a Trumpworld Power Couple." WIRED, 27 Feb. 2025, Accessed 2 June 2025. Pager, Tyler, et al. "Elon Musk, Distanced from Trump, Says He's Exiting Washington and DOGE." The New York Times, 29 May 2025, Accessed 2 June 2025. Pogue, David, and Joe Walsh. "Elon Musk Says He's 'Disappointed' by Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' and What It Means for DOGE." CBS News, 28 May 2025, Accessed 2 June 2025. Siddiqui, Faiz, and Frances Vinall. "Musk Explains His Black Eye, Says He Told Son X to Punch Him." The Washington Post, 31 May 2025, Accessed 2 June 2025. "Summary of Government Ethics Rules for Special Government Employees." 27 Aug. 2014, Accessed 2 June 2025.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Trump does not suffer Congress when it comes to his prized tariffs
When it comes to cutting taxes or paying for mass deportations, Donald Trump is happy to work with Congress. But if the issue is his prized and disruptive tariff policy, the president has made clear that he has no time for legislative wrangling. Trump underscored his sentiment towards Congress after a US trade court this week briefly put a stop to his controversial policy of placing levies on a wide range of countries, before a different court reversed that decision while legal proceedings continue. 'The horrific decision stated that I would have to get the approval of Congress for these tariffs. In other words, hundreds of politicians would sit around DC for weeks, and even months, trying to come to a conclusion as to what to charge other Countries that are treating us unfairly. If allowed to stand, this would completely destroy Presidential Power – the Presidency would never be the same!' the president wrote on Truth Social. The statement served to put Congress in its place, even though its Republican leaders have shown Trump great deference since taking office. The Senate has approved just about every official he has nominated, no matter how controversial, while the House of Representatives last week overcame substantial differences within the GOP conference to pass the 'One Big Beautiful' bill containing Trump's tax and spending priorities. Related: China has 'totally violated' its trade agreement with the US, says Trump If there's one place where there is daylight to be found between Trump and his Republican allies, it's his tariff polices. Even avowed supporters of the president have raised their eyebrows at his on-again, off-again imposition of levies on the countries from which US consumers buy their goods and factories source their inputs, and Republican leaders have gone to great lengths to thwart their attempts to do something about them. Which might be why Trump struck out on his own, and hoped the courts would back him up. So far they have not. The US court of international trade, which ruled to block Trump's tariffs on Wednesday, was very clear it believed his policies 'exceed any authority granted to the president'. The matter may ultimately come down to the views of the supreme court, where Trump appointed half of the six-justice conservative supermajority during his first term. Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard Law School professor, said the case is likely to present a test of how the supreme court views the 'major questions doctrine' (MQD), which argues clear congressional authority is needed for agencies to carry out any regulations of national importance, in light of Trump's tariffs moves. The doctrine was used to defang regulators last year when the court overturned the Chevron decision, limiting regulators' powers and arguing they had overstepped their authority. The supreme court may not be minded to accept the major questions doctrine when it comes to the commander in chief, wrote Goldsmith in his newsletter Executive Function. 'It is an open question whether the MQD applies to congressional authorizations to the president. Every Supreme Court decision involving the MQD has involved agency action, and lower courts are split on whether the MQD applies to presidential authorizations,' he said. For Congress's beleaguered Democrats, this week's court intervention, however fleeting, provided grist for the case they've been trying to make to voters ever since Trump took office, which is that he is trying to act like the sort of monarch America was founded on rejecting. 'This is why the framers gave Congress constitutional power over trade and tariffs,' said Suzan DelBene, a Washington state House Democrat who has proposed one of many bills to block Trump's tariffs. 'The court spoke decisively in defense of our democracy and against a president attempting to be king.'
Miami Herald
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Elon Musk, Tesla make a defiant move
While billionaire Elon Musk has been involved with President Donald Trump in the past, never has the relationship between them seemed as chummy as it did this year. During Trump's first presidential term, Musk served on multiple Trump advisory councils, but resigned after Trump announced he intended to pull America out of the Paris Climate Accords. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Despite that clash, it seemed as if Musk had gotten over it by the time January 2025 rolled around. It was then that Musk formally entered service with Trump for his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project, which he claims has saved $175 billion dollars, per the official website. Related: Mark Cuban has a bold offer for Elon Musk Musk paid quite a price for his work with DOGE, however. Spending a few months away from Tesla resulted in both public criticism and plummeting revenue for the famed EV company. During its Q1 earnings call, Tesla reported a whopping 71% drop in profit, causing the stock to plummet in response. Since then, Musk has promised to fully refocus on Tesla, but many watching his moves are not convinced he can save the ailing EV company. On top of all that, there have been signs over the last few days that despite seeming like besties for the first half of 2025, Musk may be souring on the friendship with President Trump. Image source:On May 28 at 11:29 p.m., the Tesla Energy X account sent out a tweet directly addressing President Trump's plans to end the EV energy tax credits as outlined in his "One Big Beautiful" bill currently in the hands of the Senate. "Abruptly ending the energy tax credits would threaten America's energy independence and the reliability of our grid - we urge the Senate to enact legislation with a sensible wind-down of 25D and 48e," the tweet reads. "This will ensure continued speedy deployment of over 60 GW capacity per year to support AI and domestic manufacturing growth." Related: Elon Musk has surprising message on Big Beautiful Bill income tax cuts The message's timing is of interest, as Musk also expressed disagreement with Trump publicly for the first time in clips from a "CBS Sunday Morning" interview, which will be aired in its entirety on June 1. "I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don't know if it could be both," Musk said. "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing." Musk also formally ended his work as a special government employee on May 28, sending a tweet the same day to formally thank Trump and forecast the future of DOGE. "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government," it read. Related: Veteran hedge fund manager sounds alarm on Tesla's stock The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Miami Herald
28-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Social Security income tax deduction faces a growing threat
As the Trump administration pushes its "One Big Beautiful" bill along in its journey from the House to the Senate, it's attracted quite a bit of scrutiny. The legislation covers a wide range of issues: ending taxes on tips and overtime pay, extending and expanding existing tax cuts, increasing the child tax credit, barring Medicaid from funding Planned Parenthood and more. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter While some Republicans agree with some of what's laid out in the bill, others are not so eager, especially since it would increase the deficit by $3.8 trillion by 2034, according to a preliminary analysis from the Congressional Budget Office. Another thing the bill addresses is a promise President Trump made on the campaign trail: eliminating federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors. Related: Dave Ramsey has blunt words on Social Security, 401(k)s While he was not able to deliver on that promise due to legislative constraints, the One Big Beautiful bill does address the issue in another way. Were it to pass the Senate, the bill would change the way married couples 65 years of age and older do tax deductions, raising the standard deduction to $35,200, with an additional $8,000 "senior bonus" deduction. "This expanded deduction is designed to provide financial relief to older taxpayers and would be available to those who take the standard deduction and those who itemize," said TheStreet's Senior Retirement Editor Robert Powell. However, the deduction may have a challenge ahead in passing the Senate. While the House seemed fairly quick to pass Trump's bill, new comments from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., make it clear that passing the Senate is going to be an entirely different story. Johnson said he thinks there are "enough" Republicans to "stop the process" in order to prioritize stronger reductions in spending and the national deficit, per an interview with CNN during "State of the Union." More Social Security: Social Security income tax deduction clears crucial hurdleDave Ramsey has blunt words on social security, 401(k)sShark Tank's Levon O'Leary warns Americans on Social Security problem Johnson also said he believes congressional Republicans should go over the bill with great care, referring to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a example for how it should be reviewed "line by line." The senator has openly criticized the trillion-dollar increase the bill would add to the deficit, calling it "mortgaging our children's future." Johnson is not the only senator to express reservations about the bill. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., also called the current spending cuts in the bill "wimpy and anemic" in an interview on "Fox News Sunday." "I would still support the bill even with wimpy and anemic cuts if they weren't going to explode the debt," Paul said."The problem is the math doesn't add up." Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has also spoken against the bill in its current form, saying the Senate will "basically write its own version of the bill." One thing Hawley said he opposed was the bill's proposed Medicaid cuts, which would rescind health coverage for about 8.6 million people. "I just want to make sure that there are no Medicaid benefit cuts," Hawley said. Related: Tony Robbins sends strong message on Social Security, 401(k)s The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
