logo
Musk says some of his posts about Trump 'went too far'

Musk says some of his posts about Trump 'went too far'

Zawya11-06-2025
Billionaire businessman Elon Musk said on Wednesday he regretted some of the posts he made last week about U.S. President Donald Trump as they had gone "too far".
Trump said on Saturday his relationship with Musk was over after they exchanged insults on social media, with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO describing the president's sweeping tax and spending bill as a "disgusting abomination."
Musk has since deleted some posts critical of Trump, including one signaling support for impeaching the president, and sources close to the world's richest man say his anger has started to subside and he may want to repair the relationship.
"I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far," Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X on Wednesday, without saying which specific posts he was talking about.
Tesla shares rose 2.3% in pre-market trading after Musk's post, with some market analysts seeing signs that the relationship between Musk and Trump can improve again.
Shawn Campbell, adviser and investor at Camelthorn Investments, said Trump's administration included people who had in the past said "some pretty nasty things" about him.
"So clearly this relationship can be restored, just likely not to where it once was," said Campbell, who personally holds Tesla shares.
"The stakes between the richest man in the world and leader of the most powerful nation in the world are just so big, with billions of dollars of government contracts at stake, not to mention the power to investigate and regulate and tax."
BIG DONOR
Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, spending nearly $300 million in last year's U.S. elections and taking credit for Republicans retaining a majority of seats in the House and retaking a majority in the Senate.
Trump then named him to head an effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending.
Musk left the role late last month after criticizing Trump's marquee tax bill, calling it too expensive and a measure that would undermine his work at the Department of Government Efficiency.
Declaring their relationship over on Saturday, Trump said there would be "serious consequences" if Musk decided to fund U.S. Democrats running against Republicans who vote for the tax and spending bill. Trump also said he had no intention of repairing ties with Musk.
On Monday, Trump said he would not have a problem if Musk called and that he had no plans to discontinue the Starlink satellite internet provided to the White House by Musk's SpaceX but might move his Tesla off-site.
"We had a good relationship, and I just wish him well," Trump said. Musk responded with a heart emoji to a video on X showing Trump's remarks.
Tesla shares have recouped all the losses they suffered during the public feuding between Trump and Musk last Thursday, when more than $150 billion was wiped off the company's market value.
(Reporting Arpan Daniel Varghese, Akash Sriram, Sruthi Shankar and Gursimran Kaur; Writing by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru and Timothy Heritage, Editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Obama ‘treason' claims video won't distract Americans from Epstein files
Obama ‘treason' claims video won't distract Americans from Epstein files

The National

timean hour ago

  • The National

Obama ‘treason' claims video won't distract Americans from Epstein files

Following the uproar over the US administration's refusal to release the Department of Justice files related to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the crisis between US President Donald Trump and his base has proved to be uncontainable. Information continues to be made public that verifies a friendship between Epstein and Mr Trump and has fuelled speculation that this refusal is based on an effort to suppress information. Strongly buttressing those concerns, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department informed the President it discovered his name is mentioned throughout the Epstein files. Mr Trump sued the Journal and its owners including Rupert Murdoch for at least $10 billion on Friday. The paper is noted for meticulous reporting and successfully standing by its stories. Apparently as a means of distraction, Mr Trump made an allegation on his bespoke Truth Social media platform. He posted an AI-generated video depicting former president Barack Obama being arrested and imprisoned by FBI agents. It contained no disclaimers that it was fictional or generated by AI. The fictitious arrest video is prompted by new claims by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that, led by Mr Obama, the Democratic Party attempted to 'steal' the 2016 election that Mr Trump won. The DNI report is unconvincing, based on well-known information, tangential facts, random claims and unverified assertions. But it seems to be the latest effort by the Trump inner circle to push back against the long-standing and well-verified fact that the Russian government intervened in the 2016 election, a finding that he was eventually forced, however briefly, to officially accept. The extensive report compiled by special counsel Robert S Mueller III issued in April 2019 demonstrated conclusively that Russia had engaged in 'sweeping and systematic' intervention efforts to try to ensure the defeat of Hillary Clinton and the victory of Mr Trump. Moreover, it found that one-time Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort constituted 'a grave counterintelligence threat' and had shared intelligence including private Trump campaign polling and other data with Russian intelligence agents. Mr Manafort was convicted of multiple crimes and sentenced to 73 months in prison, but was pardoned by Mr Trump in 2020. Mr Mueller was unable to establish any definitive collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, and said that Justice Department rules prevented him from recommending any criminal charges against the President. The scandal has haunted Mr Trump ever since. The attempt by Ms Gabbard to flip the script on Mr Obama and the Democrats through her new report and Mr Trump's effort to use this to try to change the subject from Epstein indicate desperation. So does the new initiative by Speaker Mike Johnson to suddenly adjourn the House of Representatives to avoid any vote – which would probably pass with a few Republicans joining Democrats in demanding release of the files – under current circumstances. Among the most embarrassing new revelations was another report in the Wall Street Journal about a 50th birthday book of tributes to Epstein from his close friends that includes, allegedly, a risque drawing and intriguing note from Mr Trump. The two men were reportedly close until a 2004 real estate dispute. But this apparent effort to shift the topic may fail, both because few believe that the FBI has arrested Mr Obama, and only the most gullible will prefer the new Gabbard report over the existing Mueller one. Moreover, by linking, once again, the Russia intervention scandal, which was all-too real, to speculation about the Epstein files, the administration may end up fuelling the idea that it has something to be concerned about. The Justice Department says it is planning to meet Epstein's main accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a lengthy sentence for sex trafficking. There is a potential win-win scenario in the offing. If Mr Trump were to pardon Maxwell, and she were then to confirm that he had little or nothing to do with Epstein, problem – presumably – solved. It's far-fetched at this stage, but not much more than a President posting a video of his predecessor being thrown in a dungeon. As for the idea of Mr Obama being arrested, it's admittedly a provocation. Until it isn't. There is no reason to think that the FBI is contemplating arresting the former president, and there are certainly no grounds to do that. But there are also grounds to be alarmed that Mr Trump is trying to acculturate the American public to the idea that his political enemies might be rounded up and tossed in prison. There were many possible distractions available to the President. Depicting him organising the arrest and imprisonment of his rival and predecessor is a disturbing choice indeed.

Strong dollar sounds good but a weak one is better for US economy, Trump says
Strong dollar sounds good but a weak one is better for US economy, Trump says

The National

timean hour ago

  • The National

Strong dollar sounds good but a weak one is better for US economy, Trump says

President Donald Trump on Friday said a strong US dollar "sounds good", but touted reasons why a weaker greenback is better for the American economy. The dollar index, which measures the greenback's strength against six major currencies, steadied on Friday after hitting two-week lows earlier in the week. It is still down roughly 10 per cent over the six months Mr Trump has been in office. 'So when we have a strong dollar, one thing happens: It sounds good. But you don't do any tourism. You can't sell tractors, you can't sell trucks, you can't sell anything,' Mr Trump said at the White House before leaving on a trip to Scotland. 'You make a hell of a lot more money' with a weaker dollar. Mr Trump has often complained that dollar strength blunts US export competitiveness and hurts US manufacturing and jobs. Mr Trump said manufacturers would be the first to benefit from a falling dollar, citing construction and mining equipment maker Caterpillar, whose shares have risen 16 per cent over the last month. Japan and China fought for weaker currencies for decades and were able to dominate markets over the years, Mr Trump said.

Netanyahu slammed for joking about fast food on Nelk Boys podcast as Gaza starves
Netanyahu slammed for joking about fast food on Nelk Boys podcast as Gaza starves

Middle East Eye

time2 hours ago

  • Middle East Eye

Netanyahu slammed for joking about fast food on Nelk Boys podcast as Gaza starves

The Full Send Podcast is facing intense backlash on social media and has lost over 10,000 subscribers in less than a day after publishing an hour-long interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 21 July. The podcast, hosted by Kyle Forgeard and Aaron Steinberg of the Nelk Boys - a Canadian-American influencer collective known for its conservative-leaning content - is particularly popular among young men. The interview, which starts with Netanyahu praising US President Donald Trump and their "decades-long" friendship, quickly shifts to Netanyahu expressing alarm over shifting attitudes among young Americans towards Israel. "I'm concerned that the young people in America are getting the wrong picture of Israel," he says. He goes on to justify his podcast appearance as part of a broader image campaign: "The only way you can fight lies is with the truth. And you have to tell it as often and as intensely as the lies that are leveled against you... I'm doing this podcast among other things to reach young people." New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters As reports from humanitarian groups were confirming that children are dying of starvation in Gaza, Netanyahu appeared on the podcast to crack jokes about his longtime love of fast food: "I was a junk food junkie for many years," he said with a chuckle. 'Out of touch' He then went on to reminisce about an occasional visit to the US with his wife Sarah, saying: "You know what the first thing we did was? McDonald's. And to be honest, Burger King. I like Burger King more." The casual tone and detachment from the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza drew swift condemnation online. "As Gaza starves, Netanyahu jokes about McDonald's with 'manosphere' podcasters Nelk Boys. What a genocidal disgusting piece of shit," one user wrote on X. Children in Gaza show signs of malnutrition and abuse after detention in Israel Read More » "Imaging being the Nelk Boys [right now] total idiots. full access to Netanyahu, and the hardest hitting question they ask is 'do you prefer Burger King or McDonalds?' while Netanyahu starves an entire population," another user posted. In a tweet on X, One Path Network accused the Nelk Boys of helping to polish Netanyahu's image. "The Nelk Boys had an opportunity to challenge power, to ask about the siege, the bombings, the starvation. Instead, they offered him fries. In doing so, they helped launder the image of a man overseeing one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our time." Others said the interview was "the most out-of-touch interview", as Netanyahu shared how he enjoys eating burgers with Trump. "When President Trump comes to Israel. And then we have dinner, we bring this chef, he's like a very good chef. And he gives a seven-course dinner. Telling you, seven-course, it's the longest dinner I've ever had. And you know in this fancy plate he brings up this dressed up hamburger and I look at Trump and he looks at me. Finally we had what we wanted. We got the hamburger, you know," Netanyahu said. "the normalization of Netanyahu, the constant whitewashing of Israel's alleged war crimes... is why a man who has blood dripping from his be invited on to the Nelk Boys' highly influential podcast to jokes about whether he prefers McDonald's or Burger King." — Mobeen Hussain (@amhuss27) July 25, 2025 Scripted The interview also drew sharp backlash for a series of inflammatory remarks made by Netanyahu. Many were outraged by his description of women in Gaza, which he called as "property" during the podcast. "You know what the women in Gaza are? They're property. They're nothing. They have no rights. They're completely subjugated, and God forbid they're executed anytime they commit a so-called offense," he added. Some called the comments "disgusting" while another pointed out the irony. "Claiming to care about the rights of women in Gaza while bombing their homes, starving their children, and denying them access to healthcare and safety. There is no feminism in occupation. You can't liberate women by killing them." The final wave of backlash turned directly towards the Nelk Boys themselves, after a video clip went viral in which they admitted that the interview script had been written and provided by the White House - with no room for edits or input. Nelk boy admits he was given a "script" with questions to ask Netanyahu. This is idiot just confirmed they were doing straight propaganda for Israel — YeetTheRich_ (@_Yeet_The_Rich_) July 23, 2025 The revelation only intensified criticism that the entire episode is "sickening propoganda" that was orchestrated rather than a genuine conversation. "Why the actual FUCK is it not a bigger story that the White House Communications Team setup an interview with Benjamin Netanyahu and the fucking Nelk Boys? What in the name of propaganda is going on here?" asked a user. The Nelk Boys have confirmed that their softball interview with Benjamin Netanyahu was largely scripted as the PM's team had handed them "a paper with questions to ask" in advance. They also revealed the interview was set up by the White House. — Furkan Gözükara (@GozukaraFurkan) July 23, 2025 One person pointed out that the episode was a confirmation of what many had already suspected: "Now it's 100% proof that Netanyahu did this interview only to push propaganda and to try to humanize himself while he commits a genocide." Some called the Nelk Boys "puppets", while many also highlighted the fact that the Nelk Boys were unable to push back with Netanyahu throughout the hour-long interview. "The nelk boys were misinformed and unable to pushback to anything netanyahu said, making it easy for him to spew pure bs propaganda to a largely misinformed younger [audience]," one user wrote. "You guys didn't question him once, this is crazy," another added in the comments on YouTube. The Nelk Boys' YouTube channel lost over 10,000 subscribers within 24 hours of the episode's release on 21 July. The interview also received more dislikes than likes before the group disabled the visibility of the dislike count on the video.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store