At Glastonbury, left-wing politics are shocking again
This idea was always disingenuous; when they gain authority, American conservatives almost inevitably use the force of the state to censor ideas they don't like. But it took hold because it contained a grain of truth.
Left-wing culture, especially online, could be censorious, leaving many who interacted with it afraid of saying the wrong thing and resentful of its smothering pieties. The right, by contrast, offered the license to spout off without inhibition. That is almost certainly part of what drew so many alienated men into Trump's orbit. In 2018, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West said that wearing a MAGA hat symbolised 'overcoming fear and doing what you felt, no matter what anyone said'. This year, his id fully liberated, he put out a track titled Heil Hitler.
Increasingly, however, it's the left that is rediscovering the cultural power of shock, largely because of horror over the massacres in the Gaza Strip and the minefield of taboos around discussing them. Consider the international uproar over the performance of the punk rap duo Bob Vylan at Britain's Glastonbury music festival this past weekend. The act's singer led a teeming crowd — some waving Palestinian flags — in chants of 'Death, death to the IDF,' the Israel Defence Forces. Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, criticised Bob Vylan for 'appalling hate speech,' and demanded answers from the BBC for why it aired the set. The police are reviewing footage of the show to see whether any criminal laws were broken. (Bob Vylan was set to tour the United States this year, but the State Department has revoked its members' visas.)
The band was not the only one at Glastonbury to cause a scandal. Even before the festival started, Starmer criticised it for featuring the Irish rap group Kneecap on the lineup. In April, Kneecap led crowds at Coachella in chants of 'Free, free Palestine' and displayed messages accusing Israel of genocide, prompting the sponsor of their US visas to drop them. Footage later emerged of one member of the band, Mo Chara, displaying a Hezbollah flag, leading to a terrorism charge. (He has said the flag was thrown onstage and he didn't know what it represented.) The police are also investigating Kneecap's appearance at Glastonbury for possible public order offences.
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Both these bands intended to be inflammatory, and they succeeded. 'What happened at Glastonbury over the weekend is part of a coordinated, ideological insurgency against the Jewish people,' Ayaan Hirsi Ali wrote in The Free Press. 'The level of depravity displayed at #Glastonbury2025 was astonishing, one that should prompt serious self-reflection and soul-searching among British society,' wrote Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League. It's hard to remember the last time musicians managed to cause such outrage.
I understand why supporters of Israel are frightened and disgusted by the spectacle at Glastonbury. Many see no reason other than antisemitism for growing progressive hostility to Zionism. They've witnessed Jews being attacked, demonised and ostracised in the name of justice for the Palestinians. They find it especially bitter to see violence against Israel cheered at a music festival less than two years after a music festival in Israel was attacked by Hamas.
But while antisemitism surely drives some animus toward Israel, it's not nearly enough to explain why so many idealistic young people have become so deeply invested in the cause of Palestine and so sickened by the pulverisation of Gaza. To understand why, you need to grasp what Israel's war in Gaza looks like to them.
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The Advertiser
16 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Diddy found not guilty of most serious sex charges
A US judge has denied Sean "Diddy" Combs' request for release from jail ahead of sentencing, after the music mogul was cleared of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life but found guilty of lesser prostitution-related offences. At a hearing in Manhattan federal court hours after the verdict was read, US District Judge Arun Subramanian said Combs must remain in federal lockup in Brooklyn for now given the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts Combs had committed. "It is impossible for the defendant to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he poses no danger," Subramanian said. The verdict on Wednesday was overall a win for Combs, a former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture. The 12-member jury unanimously convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. It acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking two of his former romantic partners: the rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane. Prosecutors acknowledged in a court filing that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a maximum sentence of five-and-a-quarter years. Combs' lawyers argued that two years would be the outer limit. After the verdict, Combs knelt before his chair and appeared to pray. Combs then rose and faced the courtroom gallery. "I'm gonna be home soon," he said, smiling and clasping his hands. "I love you. Thank you, I love you." Combs' family and supporters erupted into applause and cheers. Once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, Combs had pleaded not guilty to all five counts. He faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. Combs' lawyers had urged Subramanian to release Combs on $1 million bond, arguing in a court filing the prostitution offences were "far less serious" than the sex trafficking and racketeering charges he faced at the time he was ordered detained pending trial. Prosecutors argued Combs should remain in jail because he remained a danger to the community, pointing to Jane's testimony at trial that he assaulted her and coerced her into sex with a male prostitute in June 2024 while he was aware he was under federal investigation. The seven-week trial focused on prosecutors' allegations that Combs for two decades used his business empire to force Ventura and Jane to take part in drug-fuelled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as "Freak Offs" with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. Prosecutors unsuccessfully argued that Combs' conduct toward both women amounted to sex trafficking because he compelled Ventura and Jane to take part in the performances using physical violence and threats to withhold financial support or leak sexually explicit images of them. After the verdict, Combs' family left the courthouse to chants of "love, love, love" from Combs' supporters. During his career, Combs' stage monikers included Love, Puff Daddy and P. Diddy. In a statement after the verdict, Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel said sex crimes were "all too present" across society and that Americans wanted it to stop. Combs still faces dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Ventura sued him in November 2023 for sex trafficking, and they settled a day later for $US20 million ($A30 million). Combs, once feted for turning artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, has denied all wrongdoing. After the verdict, Ventura's lawyer Douglas Wigdor said in a statement that she had "paved the way" for Combs' conviction. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 A US judge has denied Sean "Diddy" Combs' request for release from jail ahead of sentencing, after the music mogul was cleared of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life but found guilty of lesser prostitution-related offences. At a hearing in Manhattan federal court hours after the verdict was read, US District Judge Arun Subramanian said Combs must remain in federal lockup in Brooklyn for now given the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts Combs had committed. "It is impossible for the defendant to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he poses no danger," Subramanian said. The verdict on Wednesday was overall a win for Combs, a former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture. The 12-member jury unanimously convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. It acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking two of his former romantic partners: the rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane. Prosecutors acknowledged in a court filing that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a maximum sentence of five-and-a-quarter years. Combs' lawyers argued that two years would be the outer limit. After the verdict, Combs knelt before his chair and appeared to pray. Combs then rose and faced the courtroom gallery. "I'm gonna be home soon," he said, smiling and clasping his hands. "I love you. Thank you, I love you." Combs' family and supporters erupted into applause and cheers. Once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, Combs had pleaded not guilty to all five counts. He faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. Combs' lawyers had urged Subramanian to release Combs on $1 million bond, arguing in a court filing the prostitution offences were "far less serious" than the sex trafficking and racketeering charges he faced at the time he was ordered detained pending trial. Prosecutors argued Combs should remain in jail because he remained a danger to the community, pointing to Jane's testimony at trial that he assaulted her and coerced her into sex with a male prostitute in June 2024 while he was aware he was under federal investigation. The seven-week trial focused on prosecutors' allegations that Combs for two decades used his business empire to force Ventura and Jane to take part in drug-fuelled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as "Freak Offs" with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. Prosecutors unsuccessfully argued that Combs' conduct toward both women amounted to sex trafficking because he compelled Ventura and Jane to take part in the performances using physical violence and threats to withhold financial support or leak sexually explicit images of them. After the verdict, Combs' family left the courthouse to chants of "love, love, love" from Combs' supporters. During his career, Combs' stage monikers included Love, Puff Daddy and P. Diddy. In a statement after the verdict, Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel said sex crimes were "all too present" across society and that Americans wanted it to stop. Combs still faces dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Ventura sued him in November 2023 for sex trafficking, and they settled a day later for $US20 million ($A30 million). Combs, once feted for turning artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, has denied all wrongdoing. After the verdict, Ventura's lawyer Douglas Wigdor said in a statement that she had "paved the way" for Combs' conviction. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 A US judge has denied Sean "Diddy" Combs' request for release from jail ahead of sentencing, after the music mogul was cleared of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life but found guilty of lesser prostitution-related offences. At a hearing in Manhattan federal court hours after the verdict was read, US District Judge Arun Subramanian said Combs must remain in federal lockup in Brooklyn for now given the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts Combs had committed. "It is impossible for the defendant to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he poses no danger," Subramanian said. The verdict on Wednesday was overall a win for Combs, a former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture. The 12-member jury unanimously convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. It acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking two of his former romantic partners: the rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane. Prosecutors acknowledged in a court filing that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a maximum sentence of five-and-a-quarter years. Combs' lawyers argued that two years would be the outer limit. After the verdict, Combs knelt before his chair and appeared to pray. Combs then rose and faced the courtroom gallery. "I'm gonna be home soon," he said, smiling and clasping his hands. "I love you. Thank you, I love you." Combs' family and supporters erupted into applause and cheers. Once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, Combs had pleaded not guilty to all five counts. He faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. Combs' lawyers had urged Subramanian to release Combs on $1 million bond, arguing in a court filing the prostitution offences were "far less serious" than the sex trafficking and racketeering charges he faced at the time he was ordered detained pending trial. Prosecutors argued Combs should remain in jail because he remained a danger to the community, pointing to Jane's testimony at trial that he assaulted her and coerced her into sex with a male prostitute in June 2024 while he was aware he was under federal investigation. The seven-week trial focused on prosecutors' allegations that Combs for two decades used his business empire to force Ventura and Jane to take part in drug-fuelled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as "Freak Offs" with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. Prosecutors unsuccessfully argued that Combs' conduct toward both women amounted to sex trafficking because he compelled Ventura and Jane to take part in the performances using physical violence and threats to withhold financial support or leak sexually explicit images of them. After the verdict, Combs' family left the courthouse to chants of "love, love, love" from Combs' supporters. During his career, Combs' stage monikers included Love, Puff Daddy and P. Diddy. In a statement after the verdict, Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel said sex crimes were "all too present" across society and that Americans wanted it to stop. Combs still faces dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Ventura sued him in November 2023 for sex trafficking, and they settled a day later for $US20 million ($A30 million). Combs, once feted for turning artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, has denied all wrongdoing. After the verdict, Ventura's lawyer Douglas Wigdor said in a statement that she had "paved the way" for Combs' conviction. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 A US judge has denied Sean "Diddy" Combs' request for release from jail ahead of sentencing, after the music mogul was cleared of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life but found guilty of lesser prostitution-related offences. At a hearing in Manhattan federal court hours after the verdict was read, US District Judge Arun Subramanian said Combs must remain in federal lockup in Brooklyn for now given the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts Combs had committed. "It is impossible for the defendant to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he poses no danger," Subramanian said. The verdict on Wednesday was overall a win for Combs, a former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture. The 12-member jury unanimously convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. It acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking two of his former romantic partners: the rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane. Prosecutors acknowledged in a court filing that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a maximum sentence of five-and-a-quarter years. Combs' lawyers argued that two years would be the outer limit. After the verdict, Combs knelt before his chair and appeared to pray. Combs then rose and faced the courtroom gallery. "I'm gonna be home soon," he said, smiling and clasping his hands. "I love you. Thank you, I love you." Combs' family and supporters erupted into applause and cheers. Once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, Combs had pleaded not guilty to all five counts. He faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. Combs' lawyers had urged Subramanian to release Combs on $1 million bond, arguing in a court filing the prostitution offences were "far less serious" than the sex trafficking and racketeering charges he faced at the time he was ordered detained pending trial. Prosecutors argued Combs should remain in jail because he remained a danger to the community, pointing to Jane's testimony at trial that he assaulted her and coerced her into sex with a male prostitute in June 2024 while he was aware he was under federal investigation. The seven-week trial focused on prosecutors' allegations that Combs for two decades used his business empire to force Ventura and Jane to take part in drug-fuelled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as "Freak Offs" with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. Prosecutors unsuccessfully argued that Combs' conduct toward both women amounted to sex trafficking because he compelled Ventura and Jane to take part in the performances using physical violence and threats to withhold financial support or leak sexually explicit images of them. After the verdict, Combs' family left the courthouse to chants of "love, love, love" from Combs' supporters. During his career, Combs' stage monikers included Love, Puff Daddy and P. Diddy. In a statement after the verdict, Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel said sex crimes were "all too present" across society and that Americans wanted it to stop. Combs still faces dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Ventura sued him in November 2023 for sex trafficking, and they settled a day later for $US20 million ($A30 million). Combs, once feted for turning artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, has denied all wrongdoing. After the verdict, Ventura's lawyer Douglas Wigdor said in a statement that she had "paved the way" for Combs' conviction. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Sky News AU
17 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
How Sean ‘Diddy' Combs dodged sex trafficking, racketeering charges after feds built ‘weak' case - that likely cost $15 million: experts
Prosecutors in the nation's most prestigious US attorney's office overshot Sean 'Diddy' Combs' case by relying on 'sensationalism' rather than solid legal arguments — leading to his stunning acquittal Wednesday on the most serious charges, legal experts told The Post. Jurors found Combs, 55, not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering charges, while convicting him on lesser prostitution counts — ultimately making his closely watched case one of the most expensive prostitution trials in American history. 'Diddy likely spent eight figures or more than $10 million ($15 million AUD) on defense fees in this trial,' former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said, adding that his 'top-tier' attorneys Mark Agnifilo and Brian Steel typically charge retainers of $1 million or more in cases like Diddy's. 'The irony of it all is that if Diddy wasn't so cheap and he had paid the additional $10 million to Cassie to settle her case before she filed her lawsuit, we probably wouldn't be here.' The case was doomed from the start, according to veteran defense attorney David S. Seltzer, managing partner at Seltzer Mayberg, LLC. 'They tried to put a square peg in a round hole, using mobster-like charges, when all they had were glorified State Court charges,' he said, referring to the racketeering counts. He said the feds proved that Combs abused women and enjoyed voyeuristic sex, but failed to prove that the mogul's sins and kinks were part of a Mafia-like criminal enterprise. The mixed verdict is a blow to the powerful Southern District of New York – a formidable institution that earned the nickname the 'Sovereign District' because of its reputation for independence and success in winning complex convictions. The storied US Attorney's office successfully prosecuted shaggy crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, gold bar bribe bearer former Sen. Robert Menendez and a host of New York mafia figures in the 1980s. But SDNY recently saw its corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams collapse as President Trump's Department of Justice told prosecutors to dismiss charges – a request that prompted an exodus from the office. Southern District prosecutors, then led by former US Attorney Damien Williams, pursued an ambitious Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — or RICO — case against the Bad Boy Records mogul, alleging he used his business empire to conceal sordid crimes, including forcing his girlfriends into degrading, drug-fueled sex romps he dubbed 'freak-offs.' The case's outcome hinged on whether prosecutors could prove Combs ran a criminal enterprise, said Rahmani, a defense attorney. 'Like I've said all along, this case will come down to racketeering,' Rahmani predicted ahead of the verdict. 'If the government doesn't get a RICO conviction, this will be a huge loss and the most expensive prostitution trial in American history.' And it's a huge loss financially for taxpayers, as well. 'The federal investigation into Diddy involving countless raids, surveillance, and cooperation across agencies like Homeland Security and the FBI, likely resulted in taxpayers' seven- or eight-figure dollar bill, taking in staff wages, travel, legal fees, and administrative costs,' said New York trial attorney Nicole Brenecki. 'Despite this questionable investment, no guilty verdict has been secured raising serious concerns about prosecutorial discretion and the use of taxpayers' funds. This case simply appears to be a costly misfire. Potentially $10 million.' During the sensational two-month trial, Combs' former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and a woman only identified as 'Jane' emotionally testified they were coerced into disturbing, baby oil-soaked 'freak-offs' with escorts. The women's testimony was often harrowing, such as when Ventura – who was pregnant on the witness stand – alternately detailed Combs' abuse and the humiliating sex acts he desired she carry out for his sick pleasure. 'Jane' also recounted how Combs choked, kicked and punched her during an hours-long abusive at her Los Angeles home in 2024 — before forcing her into a 'freak-off' that same night. But Brenecki said the evidence still indicated that Combs' ex-girlfriends appear to have 'willingly taken part in 'freak-offs.'' 'Voluntary participation, no matter how controversial, doesn't equal organized crime,' Brenecki said. The prosecution's case fell apart because it was 'built more on sensationalism than a solid legal basis,' Brenecki opined. Originally published as How Sean 'Diddy' Combs dodged sex trafficking, racketeering charges after feds built 'weak' case - that likely cost $15 million: experts
News.com.au
26 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Donald Trump demands the resignation of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell
US President Donald Trump has demanded that Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell 'resign immediately'. Mr Trump appointed Mr Powell, who leads America's equivalent of our Reserve Bank, during his first term, but has since soured on him. He's repeatedly expressed frustration at the Federal Reserve for not cutting interest rates. In remarks at a conference in Portugal this week, Mr Powell suggested Mr Trump's own policies had influenced the Fed's decisions. 'I think that's right,' he said when asked whether the President's tariffs were to blame. 'In effect, we went on hold when we saw the size of the tariffs, and essentially all inflation forecasts for the United States went up materially as a consequence of the tariffs.' Mr Trump continues to insist the tariffs are not inflationary. Having stated yesterday that 'anybody would be better' as Fed Chairman than Mr Powell, now the President has escalated the (mostly one-way) feud further. Posting on social media, Mr Trump shared an article from Bloomberg, which reported on an accusation that Mr Powell lied to Congress during a Senate committee hearing last week. Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finanace Agency, called Mr Powell's testimony about expensive renovations to the Fed's headquarters in Washington D.C. 'deceptive'. 'This is nothing short of malfeasance,' said Mr Pulte, adding that Mr Powell should be fired. 'Too Late, should resign immediately!!!' Mr Trump commented while sharing the story. Earlier in the week, during one of her media briefings, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read out a note the President had written to Mr Powell. The message was written on a list of the lowest central bank rates around the world. 'Jerome. You are, as usual, Too Late'. You have cost the US a fortune – and continue to do so – you should lower the rate – by a lot!' Mr Trump had scrawled using his usual Sharpie. 'Hundreds of billions of dollars being lost! No inflation.' At the aforementioned conference in Portugal, an annual forum hosted by the European Central Bank, Mr Powell said a US rate cut in July was neither 'on or off the table'. 'July will depend on the data. We will go meeting by meeting,' he stressed, adding that the Fed makes its decisions 'in a completely non-political way'. 'We are carefully watching the labour market ... I have a little more than ten months in office. All I want to deliver is an economy with price stability, maximum employment and financial stability. That is what keeps me awake at night. I want to hand over, to my successor, an economy in good shape. Mr Powell's term ends next year. Clearly, however, Mr Trump wants him gone sooner. Congress ponders Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Meanwhile, tensions are simmering within MrTrump's Republican Party as he lobbies members of Congress to pass his much-hyped, and contentious, 'Big Beautiful Bill'. The massive piece of budget legislation includes multiple elements of Mr Trump's domestic political agenda, including the extension of tax cuts, funding for immigration enforcement, and cuts to Medicaid, the government program that provides health insurance to lower-income Americans. It has already passed through the Senate, and is now being considered by the House of Representatives. Mr Trump's party controls both chambers. Yet the legislation's passage is no sure thing. Multiple Republicans have expressed opposition to it, citing forecasts that it will swell America's already considerable national debt by trillions more dollars. The President, supported by Vice President J.D. Vance, spent a chunk of his day today personally lobbying members of Congress to vote for it. 'He's been working the phones pretty consistently,' an administration official told Politico. 'He is going to get it over the finish line.' The stakes are high, and so are the tensions, as evidenced by some rather bad-tempered remarks from multiple members of Congress. Exhibit A: Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden, who represents a district in Wisconsin. He took umbrage at the suggestion, from a reporter, that House Republicans were being 'led by the nose' by Mr Trump. 'The President of the United States didn't give us an assignment,' Mr Van Orden said. 'We're not a bunch of little b**ches around here, OK? I'm a member of Congress. I represent almost 800,000 Wisconsinites.' That said, Mr Van Orden's office later issued a statement stressing that 'President Trump is the leader of the GOP', and the Congressman 'looks forward to passing' the bill. Exhibit B: Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a MAGA favourite, who described the efforts to pass the 'Big Beautiful Bill' as a 's***show' and predicted there was 'no way' it would get enough votes. 'It is really a dire situation,' Ms Greene told the podcast War Room, hosted by Mr Trump's former senior White House adviser Steve Bannon. 'We're on a time clock that's been really set on us, so we have a lot of pressure. 'And then also, given the fact that there's 435 members of Congress and it's hard for us to get to an agreement on anything. So this whole thing is – I don't know what to call it. It's a s***show. And I'm sorry for saying that. I know we're not supposed to say that on the air, but that's truly what it is.' Mr Trump wants the bill to be passed before the symbolic date of America's Independence Day, which falls on Friday. He will need almost universal support from the Republican caucus, given the Democratic Party's seemingly unshiftable stance. 'This bill is a deal with the devil,' one of the opposition party's loudest voices, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said on the floor of the House. 'It explodes our national debt. It militarises our entire economy. And it strips away health care and basic dignity of the American people. For what? To give Elon Musk a tax break. 'We cannot stand for it, and we will not support it. You should be ashamed.'
