Disconnected Dialogue: Trump and Musk - "I Wish Him the Best"
Trump expresses well-wishing sentiments towards Musk: "May the best be upon him"
It looks like a reconciliation between Trump and Musk might not be on the horizon. Trump's kept his cool, avoiding further jabs, but he's not exactly eager to chat. He's too swamped, and frankly, the topic doesn't pique his interest.
The U.S. President's cool shoulder follows his public spat with tech tycoon Elon Musk. Boards Air Force One, Trump maintained he's uninterested in smoothing things over. He's focused on solving problems for the country and the world instead.
Politicking, Musk vs. Trump - Is It All for Show?
When prompted about scrapping government contracts and subsidies for Musk's enterprises like Tesla and SpaceX, Trump remained vague. He hinted at considering what's fair for the nation and Musk, though details remain scarce. Earlier, Trump suggested on his Truth Social platform that such actions could save billions.
The feud between Musk and Trump heated up after a tax and budget law proposed by Trump that Musk disapproves of. Musk is advocating for more severe spending cuts.
Public Insults Square off
On Thursday, Trump released his frustration toward Musk's barrage of criticism, branding Musk "crazy" on his online platform. The world's wealthiest man fired back with harsh remarks about Trump on his X platform. Trump responded in kind, exchanging insults. Musk even suggested forming a new centrist party on X and letting users vote on the idea. He alleges that Trump would never have seized the presidency without his backing.
A confidant close to Musk later stated that Musk's anger had subsided, and he yearned to mend his relationship with Trump. In the past few hours, Musk has refrained from further attacks on Trump, instead continued his criticism of the U.S. President's tax plan. Musk penned a call for a new centrist political party in the U.S., echoing his previous sentiments.
The Red Tesla and the Chief
Musk had supported Trump financially, contributing over $250 million to his campaign, and gained a trusted spot in the Republican party. Until the end of May, he spearheaded Trump's cost-cutting committee, Doge, where he enforced sweeping reductions and layoffs.
Access Granted - The Supreme Court Decision
As the Trump-Musk rift deepens, the U.S. government scored a legal victory over Doge's data access rights. The Supreme Court, with the majority of conservative justices, granted employees of Doge temporary access to sensitive information from the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA information includes Social Security numbers, birth dates, account numbers, addresses, pension payments, and even sensitive health data.
The governmentprevailed in another case before the Supreme Court when plaintiffs demanded transparency from Doge. The conservative justices overruled a lower court decision that would have forced Doge to disclose certain data, including internal emails.
Sources: ntv.de, mau/dpa/rts
Characters: Donald Trump, Elon Musk
In the Balance - Trump's Outlook on Musk's Businesses
Donald Trump's stance on Musk's businesses revolves primarily around the potential revocation of government contracts and subsidies. Trump suggested that terminating these could save billions in the federal budget. This threat followed Musk's criticism of Trump, which bashed his administration and claimed that without Musk's financial support, he would not have won the election.
Critical Points
- Government Contracts and Subsidies: Trump weighed the possibility of revoking government contracts and subsidies for Musk's companies, such as Tesla and SpaceX. Scrapping these could allegedly save billions for the federal budget.
- Public Disputes: The escalating feud between Trump and Musk was triggered by a tax and budget law proposed by Trump that Musk opposed. Musk has since advocated for more severe spending cuts.
- Corporate Fallout: Following Trump's threat to axe government contracts, Tesla's shares plummeted by as much as 18%, signaling the significant impact such a move could have on Musk's businesses.
- Recent Exchanges: Despite recent overtures of goodwill, Trump's comments marked a significant change in their public dynamic, highlighting growing tensions over government support for Musk's ventures.
The ongoing disputes between Musk and Trump, initially sparked by Musk's opposition to a tax and budget law proposed by Trump, have escalated into public insults and political posturing. This feud, playing out in the backdrop of general-news and politics, has also brought to light the potential revocation of government contracts and subsidies for Musk's ventures like Tesla and SpaceX, a move that Trump has suggested could save billions for the federal budget.
