Latest news with #PorkyPigParty
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump and Musk are at it again — and this time, it's personal
President Trump and his billionaire financier Elon Musk are at war, again — this time over Trump's debt-packed budget bill. Trump and Musk's bitter public quarrels have become an all-too-common (and all-too-embarrassing) part of our political culture, but this week's war of words seemed to throw the relationship into a deep freeze. Once Trump's closest ally and confidant, Musk on Monday called for the creation of a new political party to challenge Trump's 'Porky Pig Party.' Musk further threatened to bankroll primary challenges against Republicans who support Trump's budget while financing others like Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a vocal critic of the bill. 'Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!' Musk posted on X, the social media platform he owns. 'And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.' Musk's sudden shift is a dizzying about-face for a man who just last year donated over $280 million to elect Republicans nationwide. Faced with a possible midterm civil war against the richest man in the world, a growing number of Republican lawmakers are already busy making retirement plans. The rest will need to pick a side: Musk or Trump? Conventional wisdom tells us that Trump's MAGA movement defies political gravity. Only a fool would bet against the guy who staged the most unlikely political comeback in American history, right? On the surface it seems clear that Republican voters would rally behind Trump instead of the socially awkward Musk. But Musk doesn't need to assemble his own voter army in order to beat Trump next year — he just needs to prevent Republicans from mobilizing their own voters. Unfortunately for Trump, the Republican National Committee spent all of last year setting Musk up to do exactly that without even realizing it. It's ironic that Trump's biggest threat emerged because of his fixation on dominating the social media conversation. Last year, Republicans willingly routed all of their social media content through X after Musk's team altered the site's algorithms to provide huge boosts to Republican-leaning accounts and content. This put Republican messaging in front of millions more voters than they otherwise would have reached, providing a critical boost for Republican candidates in close races. If Musk decides to turn off MAGA's big visibility boost, Republicans will struggle mightily to come anywhere near the record-breaking level of digital reach and engagement they achieved in 2024. Worse still, they'll likely be fighting algorithms Musk has reprogrammed to punish lawmakers he's trying to primary. Musk's proposed America Party would thrive in our current age of hucksterism. He'll find plenty of eager aspiring candidates in his X replies, where a veritable circus of washed-up right-wing influencers are already volunteering to run for Congress on Musk's dime. It would only take a few screwball primary victories to starve Republicans of critical media oxygen, throwing their slim House majority into jeopardy. Republicans' unfolding Musk drama will sound awfully familiar to California Rep. Ro Khanna, who predicted nearly this exact chain of events last month. At the time, Khanna faced criticism for suggesting Democrats could gradually pull Musk away from the Republican Party's sphere of influence. As Democratic leaders debate how to process Musk's threat to primary vulnerable House Republicans, they should make sure Khanna has a seat at the table now that events have proven him soundly right. The calculus is much tougher for Republicans, who now face the miserable choice of outraging either Trump or Musk. But Musk does offer something unique among Trump critics — the prospect of real protection from Trump's political retribution. If Musk makes clear that he'll open his wallet to protect Republicans who speak out against the budget bill, Trump may find a surprising number of lawmakers willing to take Musk up on his deal. Musk's mountainous supply of cash and his control of the right-wing conversation flow on X makes him one of the only people in America who can actually challenge Trump's control of the Republican Party. By offering safe haven to Trump-critical lawmakers — and bumping off a few MAGA loyalists next year — Musk could quickly establish himself as a rival power center with actual clout. That kind of play would reshape the political map in ways Trump never imagined. Is Musk angry enough to do it? Max Burns is a veteran Democratic strategist and founder of Third Degree Strategies. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Trump and Musk are at it again — and this time, it's personal
President Trump and his billionaire financier Elon Musk are at war, again — this time over Trump's debt-packed budget bill. Trump and Musk's bitter public quarrels have become an all-too-common (and all-too-embarrassing) part of our political culture, but this week's war of words seemed to throw the relationship into a deep freeze. Once Trump's closest ally and confidant, Musk on Monday called for the creation of a new political party to challenge Trump's 'Porky Pig Party.' Musk further threatened to bankroll primary challenges against Republicans who support Trump's budget while financing others like Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a vocal critic of the bill. 'Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!' Musk posted on X, the social media platform he owns. 'And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.' Musk's sudden shift is a dizzying about-face for a man who just last year donated over $280 million to elect Republicans nationwide. Faced with a possible midterm civil war against the richest man in the world, a growing number of Republican lawmakers are already busy making retirement plans. The rest will need to pick a side: Musk or Trump? Conventional wisdom tells us that Trump's MAGA movement defies political gravity. Only a fool would bet against the guy who staged the most unlikely political comeback in American history, right? On the surface it seems clear that Republican voters would rally behind Trump instead of the socially awkward Musk. But Musk doesn't need to assemble his own voter army in order to beat Trump next year — he just needs to prevent Republicans from mobilizing their own voters. Unfortunately for Trump, the Republican National Committee spent all of last year setting Musk up to do exactly that without even realizing it. It's ironic that Trump's biggest threat emerged because of his fixation on dominating the social media conversation. Last year, Republicans willingly routed all of their social media content through X after Musk's team altered the site's algorithms to provide huge boosts to Republican-leaning accounts and content. This put Republican messaging in front of millions more voters than they otherwise would have reached, providing a critical boost for Republican candidates in close races. If Musk decides to turn off MAGA's big visibility boost, Republicans will struggle mightily to come anywhere near the record-breaking level of digital reach and engagement they achieved in 2024. Worse still, they'll likely be fighting algorithms Musk has reprogrammed to punish lawmakers he's trying to primary. Musk's proposed America Party would thrive in our current age of hucksterism. He'll find plenty of eager aspiring candidates in his X replies, where a veritable circus of washed-up right-wing influencers are already volunteering to run for Congress on Musk's dime. It would only take a few screwball primary victories to starve Republicans of critical media oxygen, throwing their slim House majority into jeopardy. Republicans' unfolding Musk drama will sound awfully familiar to California Rep. Ro Khanna, who predicted nearly this exact chain of events last month. At the time, Khanna faced criticism for suggesting Democrats could gradually pull Musk away from the Republican Party's sphere of influence. As Democratic leaders debate how to process Musk's threat to primary vulnerable House Republicans, they should make sure Khanna has a seat at the table now that events have proven him soundly right. The calculus is much tougher for Republicans, who now face the miserable choice of outraging either Trump or Musk. But Musk does offer something unique among Trump critics — the prospect of real protection from Trump's political retribution. If Musk makes clear that he'll open his wallet to protect Republicans who speak out against the budget bill, Trump may find a surprising number of lawmakers willing to take Musk up on his deal. Musk's mountainous supply of cash and his control of the right-wing conversation flow on X makes him one of the only people in America who can actually challenge Trump's control of the Republican Party. By offering safe haven to Trump-critical lawmakers — and bumping off a few MAGA loyalists next year — Musk could quickly establish himself as a rival power center with actual clout. That kind of play would reshape the political map in ways Trump never imagined. Is Musk angry enough to do it? Max Burns is a veteran Democratic strategist and founder of Third Degree Strategies.
Miami Herald
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Tesla stock falls amid Trump deportation threats directed at Elon Musk
July 1 (UPI) -- The share prices for Tesla stock tumbled on Tuesday after President Donald Trump suggested the federal government might end its electric vehicle subsidies and deport owner Elon Musk. Trump suggested Tesla and other Musk-owned enterprises would end without federal subsidies. "Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "Elon may get more subsidy [sic] 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," Trump continued. "No more rocket launches, satellites or electric car production, and our country would save a fortune," the president said. Trump's threat against Tesla subsidies might have triggered a drop in Tesla stock prices during Tuesday's trading. Tesla's share prices on NASDAQ closed at $317.66 on Monday after opening at $319.90 and reaching a high of $325.58 amid trades totaling 76.7 million shares. The number of shares sold on Tuesday was much higher at 143.2 million, with an opening price of $298.42, a high of $305.88 and closing at $300.71. Musk throughout the weekend and into Tuesday railed against the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget bill on social media. "It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record [$5 trillion] that we live in a one-party country -- the Porky Pig Party!" Musk said Monday in a post on X, ABC News reported. He also said the bill would cost workers to lose millions of jobs and threatened to fund primary challenges for every Republican senator who voted in favor of House Resolution 1, CBS News reported. The Senate approved the budget bill on a 51-50 vote after Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote early Tuesday afternoon. Trump told reporters on Tuesday he would "have to take a look" at possibly deporting Musk, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen. The president also suggested having the Department of Government Efficiency investigate Musk, which Musk led for 130 days until the end of May. The public exchanges between Musk and Trump roiled Tesla's share price, and Trump told media the Tesla founder should not "be playing that game with me," CNBC reported. He said Musk is upset about losing the federal government's EV mandate if the budget bill becomes law. Musk also could lose federal subsidies that support SpaceX and the Starlink global satellite Internet services provider, Trump warned. Musk on social media dared the president to "cut it all" and said he might work to create a third political party "that actually cares about the people." Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- UPI
Tesla stock falls amid Trump deportation threats directed at Elon Musk
Tesla share prices fell on Tuesday after President Donald Trump threatened to end all subsidies for businesses that are owned by Elon Musk. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 1 (UPI) -- The share prices for Tesla stock tumbled on Tuesday after President Donald Trump suggested the federal government might end its electric vehicle subsidies and deport owner Elon Musk. Trump suggested Tesla and other Musk-owned enterprises would end without federal subsidies. "Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "Elon may get more subsidy [sic] 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," Trump continued. "No more rocket launches, satellites or electric car production, and our country would save a fortune," the president said. Trump's threat against Tesla subsidies might have triggered a drop in Tesla stock prices during Tuesday's trading. Tesla's share prices on NASDAQ closed at $317.66 on Monday after opening at $319.90 and reaching a high of $325.58 amid trades totaling 76.7 million shares. The number of shares sold on Tuesday was much higher at 143.2 million, with an opening price of $298.42, a high of $305.88 and closing at $300.71. Musk throughout the weekend and into Tuesday railed against the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget bill on social media. "It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record [$5 trillion] that we live in a one-party country -- the Porky Pig Party!" Musk said Monday in a post on X, ABC News reported. He also said the bill would cost workers to lose millions of jobs and threatened to fund primary challenges for every Republican senator who voted in favor of House Resolution 1, CBS News reported. The Senate approved the budget bill on a 51-50 vote after Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote early Tuesday afternoon. Trump told reporters on Tuesday he would "have to take a look" at possibly deporting Musk, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen. The president also suggested having the Department of Government Efficiency investigate Musk, which Musk led for 130 days until the end of May. The public exchanges between Musk and Trump roiled Tesla's share price, and Trump told media the Tesla founder should not "be playing that game with me," CNBC reported. He said Musk is upset about losing the federal government's EV mandate if the budget bill becomes law. Musk also could lose federal subsidies that support SpaceX and the Starlink global satellite Internet services provider, Trump warned. Musk on social media dared the president to "cut it all" and said he might work to create a third political party "that actually cares about the people."
Int'l Business Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Musk Called Out After Threatening Politicians Who Vote for Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill': 'You Helped Bankroll the Chaos'
Elon Musk is facing a torrent of backlash on X after threatening to bankroll primary challenges against Republican lawmakers who support President Donald Trump 's " Big, Beautiful Bill "—a sprawling $5 trillion tax-and-spending package critics say he helped make possible. Musk took to his platform Monday night, warning that any Republican who votes for the legislation should "hang their head in shame" and promising to unseat them if it's "the last thing I do on this Earth." He also floated launching a new political party, the "America Party," to counter what he called the "Porky Pig Party" of Washington. But many users weren't buying the pivot. Musk, who spent over $275 million supporting Trump and other Republicans in 2024 and held a brief advisory role in the Trump administration, was swiftly called out for what some see as a late-stage attempt to distance himself from the consequences of policies he once championed. "You're absolutely right, Elon," one post read, "except you left out the part where you helped bankroll the chaos." Another user responded: "You were in the Oval Office. You could have spoken to him. It's your fault, @elonmusk. Stop trying to pass the blame." "You bankrolled this," another user said. While the White House insists the bill will stimulate economic growth and reduce long-term deficits, Musk has called it "debt slavery" and a gift to "industries of the past," according to CNN. Still, critics argue his objections ring hollow given his companies' dependence on public subsidies and his financial support for the Trump campaign. Trump fired back on Truth Social, accusing Musk of hypocrisy and suggesting that federal subsidies propping up Tesla and SpaceX should be investigated by the Department of Government Efficiency, or "DOGE." "Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate," Trump wrote. Meanwhile, Musk, for his part, insists his concern is fiscal responsibility, not corporate handouts. Originally published on Latin Times
