.jpg%3Ftrim%3D0%2C0%2C0%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
Musk will ‘do everything to damage' Trump and is building political influence to rival MAGA, mogul's former friend reveals
'I've had my share of blowouts with Elon over the years,' Philip Low told POLITICO. 'Knowing Elon the way I know him, I do think he's going to do everything to damage the president.'
Low, a neuroscientist who founded the company NeuroVigil, experienced Musk's grudges firsthand when he fired the Tesla CEO from the advisory board of his startup in 2021.
He claimed that Musk joined the advisory board for NeuroVigil, which builds a non-invasive brain monitoring device that can be used to detect neurological conditions. But then attempted to leave NeuroVigil's board after starting his brain-implant company Neuralink.
Low fired Musk from NeuroVigil's advisory board instead of allowing him to resign to prevent the tech billionaire from using his stock options to hurt NeuroVigil.
Low, who has known the tech mogul for 14 years, said he's unconvinced that Musk has forgiven Trump for the verbal battle the two engaged in earlier this month across their respective social media platforms.
Musk had a bitter end to his time as an adviser and de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency after publicly criticizing Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' on X. Trump claimed he pushed Musk out for acting 'crazy' and threatened to revoke his lucrative government contracts.
In return, Musk accused Trump of being named in the government's investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has not been accused of any formal wrongdoing or charged with a crime related to the Epstein investigation.
Though the two had a bitter falling out on social media, they appear to have reconciled somewhat - something Low branded as 'purely cosmetic' and transactional.
'He (Musk) has been humiliated,' he said. 'The whole idea that Elon is going to be on his side and help woo Congress and invest in election campaigns for right-wing judges — Elon might do all of that, but deep down, it's over.'
Indeed, Low is warning that Musk may use his influence to undermine Trump's as a form of revenge.
'It's not a question of if, it's a question of when,' Low said
'Elon has his own pattern of trying to destabilize companies. He wants to take over, and if he can't take them over, then he tries to create a rival entity to compete,' Low said, though Low once noted Neuralink and NeuroVigil are not rivals.
'They were absolutely on a collision course, and I think that Trump tried to gloss over it by making it look as if he wanted Elon to be as aggressive as he was,' Low told POLITICO.
Musk used his finances to help Trump get elected last year and his influence to secure a spot in the White House temporarily. Low believes Musk could use that same influence and connections to threaten Trump politically.
'He doesn't realize the battle that he has on his hands, and one way to cut the support away from Elon is to actually adopt some of the things he is for,' Low said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
24 minutes ago
- Sky News
Trump warns Hamas - and claims Israel has agreed to 60-day ceasefire in Gaza
Donald Trump has said Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, and is urging Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US president announced the development ahead of hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House next week. He has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to work out a ceasefire and hostage agreement to end the war. "My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War," Mr Trump wrote on social media - adding that Qatari and Egyptian officials would deliver the final proposal. "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better - IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE." Analysis: Many unanswered questions remain In the long Gaza war, this is a significant moment. For the people of Gaza, for the hostages and their families - this could be the moment it ends. But we have been here before, so many times. The key question - will Hamas accept what Israel has agreed to: a 60-day ceasefire? At the weekend, a source at the heart of the negotiations told me: "Both Hamas and Israel are refusing to budge from their position - Hamas wants the ceasefire to last until a permanent agreement is reached. Israel is opposed to this. At this point only President Trump can break this deadlock." The source added: "Unless Trump pushes, we are in a stalemate." The problem is that the announcement made now by Donald Trump - which is his social-media-summarised version of whatever Israel has actually agreed to - may just amount to Israel's already-established position. We don't know the details and conditions attached to Israel's proposals. Would Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza? Totally? Or partially? How many Palestinian prisoners would they agree to release from Israel's jails? And why only 60 days? Why not a total ceasefire? What are they asking of Hamas in return? We just don't know the answers to any of these questions, except one. We do know why Israel wants a 60-day ceasefire, not a permanent one. It's all about domestic politics. If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to agree now to a permanent ceasefire, the extreme right-wingers in his coalition would collapse his government. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have both been clear about their desire for the war to continue. They hold the balance of power in Mr Netanyahu's coalition. If Mr Netanyahu instead agrees to just 60 days - which domestically he can sell as just a pause - then that may placate the extreme right-wingers for a few weeks until the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, is adjourned for the summer. It is also no coincidence that the US president has called for Mr Netanyahu's corruption trial to be scrapped. Without the prospect of jail, Mr Netanyahu might be more willing to quit the war safe in the knowledge that focus will not shift immediately to his own political and legal vulnerability.
NBC News
30 minutes ago
- NBC News
'You'll always be my friend': Trump and Ron DeSantis put aside rivalry at 'Alligator Alcatraz'
There was no evidence of the onetime rivalry between President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis Tuesday as they came together in a common cause: opening an immigrant detention center in the swampy heart of Florida. Trump and his top deputies visited the Everglades, where Florida officials delivered a win for his anti-immigration agenda and positioned the state on the forefront of his crackdown. The facility, which Republican leaders dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' is set to house 3,000 detainees and took just eight days to construct. 'It might be as good as the real Alcatraz,' Trump told reporters Tuesday. 'It's a little controversial, but I couldn't care less.' The push behind 'Alligator Alcatraz' is not only to keep Florida aligned with Trump on immigration but also to reposition some of the state's biggest Republican players politically. DeSantis, for instance, fought vocally with Trump during the 2024 presidential primary; during the visit on Tuesday, however, he and Trump praised each other. "You are my friend, and you'll always be my friend, and we may have some skirmishes, even in the future. I doubt it, but I will always come back, because we have blood that seems to match pretty well," Trump said. 'I think it is a 10,' Trump added of his relationship with the governor. 'Maybe a 9.9… We get along great.' DeSantis, unprompted, quickly chimed in with a reminder that he endorsed Trump as soon as he exited the presidential race in early 2024. 'The thing about it is, I endorsed him,' DeSantis said. 'Raised one of his PACs millions and millions of dollars.' The comments came as Trump and DeSantis, along with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, toured the facility in a made-for-TV presentation of the opening of what is one of the largest immigrant detention facilities in the country. A number of the media outlets on the tour were Trump-friendly organizations, who asked questions that praised the president or allowed him to hype his agenda. One reporter asked him to weigh in on the 'disastrous handling of the border' by President Joe Biden's administration, while another had him comment on how his 'beloved New York City may well be led by a communist soon.' 'What's your message to Gov. Gavin Newsom?' right-wing YouTube personality Benny Johson asked. Trump responded that the 'first thing' the California governor, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, should do, 'is come here and learn something.' The political undertones of the event were hard to ignore. Among those invited by Trump to attend was Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican running for governor in 2026. At the same time, DeSantis' wife, Casey DeSantis, continues to eye a competing run for governor. During a roundtable discussion Tuesday, Donalds — sitting just a couple of feet from DeSantis — said he 'commended' him for his work to combat illegal immigration. The moment represented political foes setting aside their feud, at least for the day. The idea for Alligator Alcatraz was hatched last month by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, a close DeSantis ally, but it received national traction when DeSantis did a live tour of the facility Friday on 'Fox and Friends,' which caught the Trump administration off guard. Noem and top adviser Corey Lewandowski supported the facility but wanted the Tuesday opening to be the formal public rollout, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. 'DeSantis upset Noem and Lewandowski with his Fox News tour of the detention site,' a Republican operative familiar with the process said. 'Noem wanted an event for Tuesday and didn't want anyone having eyes on the site and needed to push until Tuesday because she was traveling.' The Republican operative said that Noem's staff asked DeSantis not to do the Fox tour. 'The DHS team asked DeSantis not to do his Friday event,' the person added. 'DeSantis did what was best for DeSantis and got out in front of the stronger, angering both Noem and Lewandowski.' Another source familiar with the matter told NBC News the ire did not stem directly from the White House, but from Lewandowski. 'He lost his s---,' the person said. Lewandowski and DeSantis' political team did not return requests seeking comment. The White House called the assertion 'fake news.' 'Leave it to the Fake News NBC to write about baseless gossip following a hugely successful event with President Trump, Secretary Noem and Governor DeSantis at Alligator Alcatraz,' White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. 'Here's the real story that the state-of-the-art facility will play an important role in fulfilling the President's promise to keep Americans safe and deport criminal illegal aliens.' 'The President is grateful to work with both Secretary Noem and Governor DeSantis on this project,' she added. Still, the event signaled that DeSantis was publicly rekindling his relationship with Trump, and to some degree was seen as a boon for his attempt to again regain national political footing for a potential presidential campaign in 2028, even as Vice President JD Vance is widely seen as the current frontrunner. 'No one thought Trump would so closely embrace DeSantis today,' a longtime Florida operative who was at the event said. 'We didn't think he would try to undercut him or insult him, but Trump was over the top in his praise today. I don't know what that means, but it was a good day for Ron DeSantis.' The Everglades facility has given DeSantis and the state's Republican leaders, including Uthmeier, a boost to their fundraising efforts, even as Democrats have decried the effort as cruel to those accused of being in the country illegally. ''Alligator Alcatraz' is a callous political stunt,' said David Jolly, a former Republican member of Congress now running in 2026 as a Democrat for governor. 'Florida's most pressing challenge is the housing affordability crisis created by Republican leaders, not immigrants working to support our state's economy.' Since the announcement of the facility, there have also been protests — including one on Tuesday for the opening — and a lawsuit filed by environmental groups concerned over the impact it could have on the Everglades. The facility was made possible by DeSantis using emergency powers he first enacted in 2023. The state built what amounts to a tent city, hiring a dozen vendors and seizing land from Miami-Dade County over local leaders' objections. The facility is housed on a little-used airstrip that includes a runway that DeSantis said can be used to quickly fly undocumented immigrants to third countries if deportation is deemed appropriate.
Reuters
40 minutes ago
- Reuters
Del Monte Foods seeks buyer as it initiates US bankruptcy proceedings
July 1 (Reuters) - Del Monte Foods kicked off efforts to pursue a sale as it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the United States on Tuesday under an agreement with certain key lenders, the company said in a statement. The company has secured $912.5 million in financing to support itself through the proceedings, it said, adding that it intends to remain open and continue operations throughout the bankruptcy. The 135-year old company hosts names like canned fruits and vegetables brand Del Monte, College Inn, under which it sells broth and stocks, and tea brands like Joyba. It listed estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion to $10 billion, according to a filing with the New Jersey bankruptcy court, while the number of creditors is estimated between 10,000 and 25,000. "This is a strategic step forward for Del Monte Foods. After a thorough evaluation of all available options, we determined a court-supervised sale process is the most effective way to accelerate our turnaround and create a stronger and enduring Del Monte Foods," CEO Greg Longstreet said. Certain of its non-U.S. subsidiaries are not included in the Chapter 11 proceedings and continue to operate as usual, Del Monte Foods said.
