Elon Musk renews criticism of Trumps big bill as it faces key Senate vote
Washington, Elon Musk on Saturday doubled down on his distaste for US President Donald Trump's sprawling tax and spending cuts bill, arguing the legislation that Republican senators are scrambling to pass would kill jobs and bog down burgeoning industries.
'The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country,' Musk wrote on X on Saturday as the Senate was scheduled to call a vote to open debate on the nearly 1,000-page bill.
'It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.'
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, whose birthday is also Saturday, later posted that the bill would be 'political suicide for the Republican Party".
The criticisms reopen a recent fiery conflict between the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency and the administration he recently left.
They also represent yet another headache for Republican Senate leaders who have spent the weekend working overtime to get the legislation through their chamber so it can pass by Trump's Fourth of July deadline.
Musk previously made his opinions about Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' clear.
Days after he left the federal government last month with a laudatory celebration in the Oval Office, he blasted the bill as 'pork-filled' and a 'disgusting abomination".
'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,' he wrote on X earlier this month.
In another post, the wealthy GOP donor who recently forecasted that he'd step back from political donations threatened to fire lawmakers who 'betrayed the American people".
When Trump clapped back to say he was disappointed with Musk, back-and-forth fighting erupted and quickly escalated. Musk suggested without evidence that Trump, who spent the first part of the year as one of his closest allies, was mentioned in files related to sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein.
Musk ultimately tried to make nice with the administration, saying he regretted some of his posts that 'went too far".
Trump responded in kind in an interview with The New York Post, saying, 'Things like that happen. I don't blame him for anything.'
It's unclear how Musk's latest broadsides will influence the fragile peace he and the president had enjoyed in recent weeks. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Musk has spent recent weeks focused on his businesses, and his political influence has waned since he left the administration.
Still, the wealthy businessman poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Trump's campaign in 2024, demonstrating the impact his money can have if he's passionate enough about an issue or candidate to restart his political spending. ARI
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
5 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Iran moves women prisoners to hellhole farm jail after airstrike hits notorious Evin prison
Following an Israeli airstrike on Iran's Evin prison, female inmates were transferred to Qarchak, a facility notorious for its inhumane conditions. Qarchak, a former livestock farm, is plagued by overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and infestations. Inmates describe it as a living hell, lacking basic necessities like clean water and adequate medical care, raising concerns about the well-being of those transferred. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Iran Shifts Women Prisoners to Qarchak After Evin Airstrike Women Sent to Former Livestock Facility Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Prisoner Speaks Out From Inside Qarchak No Windows, No Clean Water, No Dignity Medical Care is Almost Nonexistent FAQs After an Israeli airstrike damaged Iran's infamous Evin prison, authorities moved dozens of female inmates to Qarchak, a detention center described by prisoners and rights groups as one of the worst places to be locked up in the country, as per a missiles struck Evin on Monday morning, just one day before Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, ending their 12-day conflict, as reported by The Telegraph. The prison, long associated with political repression, houses activists, dissidents, and others jailed for challenging the regime, according to the judiciary claimed that the transfers were conducted to 'respect prisoners' rights' and 'provide better services," as quoted in The Telegraph READ: No holding, no swiping: California's tough no touch phone law for drivers, simplified Following the strike, Iranian guards began transferring prisoners from the damaged facility, as per the report. Women were handcuffed and sent to Qarchak, a former livestock facility located 40 miles south of Tehran, according to The Telegraph report. The prison is already under US sanctions for its record of human rights violations, including torture and extrajudicial killings, as reported by The READ: Trump claims he spared Khamenei from an ugly death — now wants a thank you from Iran One of the women who was moved, Sayeh Seydal, is serving a three-year sentence for social media posts, which were considered unacceptable to the Iranian regime, and had been imprisoned at Evin since October 2024, managed to record a message, smuggled out of the country, describing the terrifying and dire conditions of Qarchak, according to the said, 'The American and Israeli bombing didn't kill us, but the Islamic Republic has brought us to a place where it's practically killing us,' adding, 'They've brought us to a place where humans don't live. It's a gradual death,' as quoted by The said that she and other women were crammed into a quarantine ward with no privacy or sanitation, calling it "a real hellhole,' according to the report. She shared that, 'The toilets are like outdoor latrines. The showers? Like outdoor showers. The stench of filth has taken over everywhere. Even the water – the water you splash on your face – is salty. The food? It absolutely cannot be eaten. A terrible situation," as quoted in the report. Seydal pointed out that 'The Islamic Republic has brought us to a place where it seems they want to get revenge for Israel and America and just kill us off easily,' quoted The rights groups have also highlighted the horrible condition of Qarchak, as it does not follow the prison standards, like there is no proper sewage system or access to clean water, as per the report. There are also no windows, and when the iron gates to outdoor areas close at 5pm, inmates stare at walls with only two small holes, 'the size of lentils,' for glimpses of the sky, as reported by The have also revealed that the detention centre is infested with cockroaches, rats, salamanders, lizards, water bugs and venomous tarantulas, according to the report. Qarchak's medical care is also very limited, as just five prisoners per ward are allowed daily medical visits, and while prison authorities claim budget constraints prevent the provision of essential medications, they freely distribute sleeping pills and tranquillisers to keep prisoners sedated, as reported by the an Israeli airstrike hit Evin, authorities transferred prisoners for safety reasons, but women were sent to Qarchak, a far worse used to be a livestock farm. Now, it's overcrowded, unsanitary, and infested with insects and rodents. Many say it's unfit for humans, as per the report.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
14 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Trump urges Gaza ceasefire deal amid signs of possible breakthrough
US President Donald Trump on Sunday pleaded for progress in ceasefire talks in the war in Gaza, calling for a deal that would halt the fighting in the 20-monthlong conflict as the sides appeared to be inching closer to an agreement. An Israeli official said plans were being made for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to travel to Washington, D.C., in the coming weeks, a sign there may be movement on a new deal. The official declined to discuss the focus of the visit and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not yet been finalized. MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!! Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social early Sunday between posts about a Senate vote on his tax and spending cuts bill. Trump raised expectations Friday for a deal, saying there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of. Trump has repeatedly called for Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza. Despite an eight-week ceasefire reached just as Trump was taking office earlier this year, attempts since then to bring the sides toward a new agreement have failed. A top adviser to Netanyahu, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, was set to travel to Washington this week for talks on a ceasefire. Trump post slams Netanyahu corruption trial The Gaza message wasn't the only Middle East-related post by Trump. On Saturday evening, he doubled down on his criticism of the legal proceedings against Netanyahu, who is on trial for alleged corruption, calling it a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT, very similar to the Witch Hunt that I was forced to endure. In the post on Truth Social, he said the trial interfered with talks on a Gaza ceasefire. (Netanyahu) is right now in the process of negotiating a Deal with Hamas, which will include getting the Hostages back. How is it possible that the Prime Minister of Israel can be forced to sit in a Courtroom all day long, over NOTHING, Trump wrote. The post echoed similar remarks Trump made last week when he called for the trial to be cancelled. It was a dramatic interference by an international ally in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state. And it unnerved many in Israel, despite Trump's popularity in the country. Israeli military orders new evacuations in northern Gaza The Israeli military on Sunday ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians in large swaths of northern Gaza, an early target of the war that has been severely damaged by multiple rounds of fighting. Col Avichay Adraee, a military spokesperson, posted the order on social media. It includes multiple neighbourhoods in eastern and northern Gaza City, as well as Jabaliya refugee camp. The military will expand its escalating attacks to the city's northern section, calling for people to move southward to the Muwasi area in southern Gaza, Adraee said. After being all but emptied earlier in the war, hundreds of thousands of people are in northern Gaza following their return during a ceasefire earlier this year. An Israeli military offensive currently underway aims to move Palestinians to southern Gaza so forces can more freely operate to combat militants. Rights groups say their movement would amount to forcible transfer. A sticking point over how the war ends The war in Gaza began with Oct 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas in which militants killed 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostage, about 50 of whom remain captive with less than half believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory response has killed more than 56,000 people, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between militants and civilians in their count but say more than half of the dead are women and children. The war has set off a humanitarian catastrophe, displaced most of Gaza's population, often multiple times, and obliterated much of the territory's urban landscape. Talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over one major sticking point, whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire agreement. Hamas says it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war. Israel rejects that offer, saying it will agree to end the war if Hamas disarms and goes into exile, something the group refuses.
The Hindu
20 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Lyon relegated from Ligue 1: Club owner John Textor to step back from management
American businessman John Textor plans to step back from the day-to-day management of Olympique Lyonnais following the club's relegation to Ligue 2, which was confirmed after a meeting with French football's financial watchdog (DNCG) this week. Textor, who owns the French club through his Eagle Football Group, revealed his decision in an interview with Brazil's TV Globo on Saturday, shortly before his Brazilian side Botafogo lost 1-0 to Palmeiras in the Club World Cup, saying he could have dealt better with French football politics. Lyon's demotion was provisionally announced by the DNCG in November due to financial irregularities and was confirmed on Tuesday. Textor said the club would appeal against the decision and that Lyon's financial position remained strong despite the ruling. 'I will tell you that we're very well capitalised in France,' Textor told TV Globo. 'It's clear that I've been much better on the pitch than managing France. I have not been so good at the politics of France. I think that's well known. So the process is, for me, as an American capitalist, adjusting to that system.' Textor said his focus would shift towards broader responsibilities within Eagle Football Group which also includes Botafogo and formerly included a 43% stake in English club Crystal Palace, sold earlier this week. 'I am going to spend a lot more time focusing on Eagle Global, coming back frankly a bit more to Botafogo,' he said. 'I've got very good partners in the Eagle Football Group shareholders who are going to take a lead on dealing with some of the issues that I have frankly not been very good at dealing with.' ALSO READ | Seven-time Ligue 1 champion Lyon demoted to Ligue 2, files appeal Despite Lyon's relegation, Textor highlighted the club's recent achievements, including back-to-back qualifications for the Europa League, and reassured fans about their financial stability. 'We've never been more liquid in cash. But there are things in the process I did that disappointed the governing bodies there that we need to fix,' Textor said. 'We did pass through the financial sustainability review with UEFA, which is quite a comprehensive process. So the fact that we didn't pass through France has more to do with some of the specific elements that I brought to the table that I should have improved.' Textor hinted at a potential acquisition in the United Kingdom to replace the Crystal Palace stake. 'We have our U.K. strategy where we need to look at who our new club is. What are we going to buy there? What's the partnership? Because it's that collaboration between the clubs that's been so successful for us,' he said. Related Topics Lyon / Ligue 1
