Musk Boosts Jab at Trump After Suggesting DOGE 'Take a Hard Look' at SpaceX, Tesla Interests: 'Get Humiliated'
Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to suggest that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) look at whether or not types of activities and production conducted by Musk's companies were necessary.
"Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one," Trump began.
"Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!" he continued.
One X (formerly Twitter) user took to the online platform to mock Trump for his statements, defending Musk by reiterating SpaceX and Tesla's operational methods.
"SpaceX's revenue is more than NASA's budget, and cutting EV subsidies would be actually better for Tesla," they wrote. "Go on, Trump, pull your stunt, get humiliated, and beg Russia to bring your astronauts back."
The post was later boosted by Musk himself, who commented under it with two emojis.
"💯😂," he responded.
Social media users took to the replies of Musk's repost to voice their frustration at the continuing feud between two of the world's most powerful men.
"He's lashing out and trying to hurt Elon by saying these things. He feels betrayed by Elon and he should. If Elon had issues he should have talked to Trump himself instead of posting it all over X like a little b****. Two grown a** men acting like 10-year-olds," one user said.
"You are all committing autophagy among yourselves. Is this a deliberate theater? Because it is very clear that there is a parallel game board in all this!" another added.
"You know his heart, Elon. Please don't take the bait," one user urged.
"I'm disappointed in statements both from the Pres and Elon. But then I wonder is this real or is it another psychological chess move that they are both playing," another wrote.
Originally published on Latin Times
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
an hour ago
- Int'l Business Times
Big Automakers Report US Sales Jump On Pre-tariff Consumer Surge
Several leading automakers including Detroit giants General Motors and Ford reported increased US car sales in the second quarter on Tuesday as consumers fast-forwarded purchases ahead of US tariffs. Sales were particularly brisk early in the quarter as expectations of US President Donald Trump's coming tariffs dominated the news. Besides the US companies, Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda and South Korean brands Kia and Hyundai all reported increased sales compared with the 2024 stretch. "They were able to capitalize on the tariff-induced fear and that drove sales, especially in the early part of the quarter," said Garrett Nelson, equity analyst at CFRA Research. While the auto industry has been near the center of Trump's efforts to reset global trade, consumers have yet to see significant price increases due to tariffs. That is because companies have relied on existing inventories that include vehicles imported before tariffs took effect. Prices are expected to rise more in the second half of 2025, but market demand and supply forces could constrain such hikes, analysts said. GM notched a 7.3 percent rise in vehicle deliveries to 746,588 behind a continued solid performance in pickup trucks and SUVs, as well as good sales of models geared towards customers seeking affordable vehicles. These include the Chevrolet Equinox and Chevrolet Trax, a lower-priced vehicle imported from South Korea. Ford, meanwhile, scored a 14.2 percent jump in sales to 612,095, reflecting the boon from a popular program that offered customers employee pricing on many models. Most of Ford's leading vehicles saw higher sales, including the best-selling pickup F-series, as well as the Ford Explorer SUV. While Ford had lower sales of its all-electric F-150 Lightning Truck and the Mustang Mach-E, it reported a jump in hybrid vehicle sales. Higher sales had been expected for both companies, but the increases were slightly more than projected by analysts at At Toyota, sales jumped 7.2 percent to 666,470 autos, with double digit gains in several vehicles, including the Toyota Camry sedan and the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. Honda, Kia and Hyundai reported quarterly sales increases of between five and 10 percent. But Nissan reported a 6.5 percent drop in quarterly sales to 221,441, while Jeep-owner Stellantis was projected by Edmunds to have a 12.8 percent drop to just over 300,000 vehicles. The United States imposed 25 percent tariffs on imported finished cars in early April. The Trump administration also enacted a 25 percent tariff on imported auto parts in early May, although White House officials allowed a two-year grace period and stipulated that automakers would not face duplicative tariffs due to a 25 percent levy on imported steel and aluminum. While retail car prices have not risen significantly, analysts at Cox Automotive last week pointed to a recent ebbing in dealer incentives as evidence of a somewhat tighter market. Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke has projected an eight percent rise in prices due to tariffs, adding that "we don't think consumers or fleet buyers are able and willing to accept that added cost," he said at a briefing last week. Smoke predicted that uncertainty about the economy and whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates could lead many buyers to defer purchases. Nelson said automakers have to be "very careful" with price hikes. "Things have cooled off from where they were at the beginning of the quarter," he said. "Everything we're seeing suggests that consumers are still very price sensitive."
Int'l Business Times
3 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Trump Declares Biden 'Wanted' to Lock Him Up While Touring 'Alligator Alcatraz,' Unleashes Wave of Jokes: 'We All Did'
While touring the new "Alligator Alcatraz" migrant detention center in Florida, President Donald Trump joked that President Joe Biden wanted him incarcerated in the facility, spurring a barrage of mockery from social media users who agree that Trump should be "locked up". Trump visited the new detention center on Tuesday for its opening. The center, which is located at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, contains up to 5,000 beds "to house, process and deport criminal illegal aliens", according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. While touring the facility, Trump made a joke about how Biden allegedly wanted to incarcerate him in a federal facility. "Hey, Biden wanted me in here, okay. It didn't work out that way but he wanted me in here, that son of a b---h," the 47th President said. Social media users quickly took to online platforms to express agreement with the former President's alleged sentiments, with many stating that they believed Trump should in fact be imprisoned. "WE ALL DID," said one user. "Thanks for reminding us you should've been incarcerated for your crimes," added another. "Biden wanted Trump in a migrant cage? Dementia Don has entered the chat," joked a third. "Bro's got Biden Derangement Syndrome," said a fourth. "The convicted felon and the adjudicated rapist should be in prison," wrote another. Trump toured the new migrant detention center alongside Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has also pushed for more hardline immigration policies and supports the 47th President's mass deportation agenda. "Ron worked beautifully with Kristi (Noem) and all of the people at Homeland Security and got it done in how many days, Ron?" Trump told reporters, turning to DeSantis. "Eight days, a new facility was up and running," the governor said. Originally published on Latin Times
Int'l Business Times
4 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
GOP Senator Admits Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Isn't 'There Yet' Despite Voting Yes: 'Hope the House' Sends It Back
President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" was passed by the Senate Tuesday after Republicans secured the vote of a hesitant Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Speaking to reporters after the vote, Murkowski described the decision as "agonizing," and admitted the bill does not have her full support, despite getting her vote. "We do not have a perfect bill by any stretch of the imagination," she said. "My hope is that the House is going to look at this and recognize that we're not there yet." Murkowski said she supported the bill only after securing key concessions for her state, including added flexibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more funding for rural hospitals and the removal of a tax on solar and wind projects. "Did I get everything I wanted? Absolutely not," she acknowledged. "I had to look on balance, because the people in my state are the ones that I put first." Murkowski also criticized what she called the "artificial" rush by the White House and GOP leadership to pass the bill by July 4, saying she's urged them to instead send the legislation to a conference committee for further negotiation. "I've urged the White House that I think that more process is needed ... because I would like to see a better outcome for people in this country," she said. Murkowski explained her vote as a pragmatic step to keep negotiations alive: "Kill it and it's gone," she said. "There is a tax impact coming forward. That's gonna hurt the people in my state." Murkowski has gained notoriety for her moderate politics and willingness to publicly disagree with certain Trump initiatives, leading Trump to accuse her of "suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome" when she voted with Democrats to repeal tariffs levied against Canada. "We are all afraid," Murkowski said in April. Before she opposed Trump's tariffs, she'd already earned his ire by voting against cabinet picks including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel, and speaking out against Trump's renaming of Mount McKinley from its Indigenous name, Denali. The bill, which advances key Trump priorities including extending the 2017 tax cuts, now heads to the House, where debate is expected to continue. Originally published on Latin Times
