Latest news with #TrumpBudgetBill
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Elon Musk's plot to undermine Trump ignites fury
The rollercoaster of a relationship between the world's richest man, Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump has captivated the attention of many political observers over the last year — but Musk's latest move could be his boldest yet. Musk officially filed a Statement of Organization Sunday with the Federal Election Commission for his 'America Party' after weeks of threatening the GOP. On July 4th, Musk asked his 221.7 million followers on X if it was time to make good on his threats to create a new political party and oust the Republicans who supported Trump's signature budget bill. The bill narrowly passed through Congress after weeks of debate and different GOP factions plotting to tank the legislation at various points in the process. Republicans currently hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate, with just a handful of seats giving them the edge over Democrats. Out of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, 53 are held by Republicans. In the House, 220 seats are held by Republicans, 212 by Democrats, and three are presently vacant due to member deaths. Trump's budget bill passed with narrow margins in both chambers last week, with some members of the President's party voting against it. Musk and Trump got into a social media war during debate on the legislation, leading to Musk threatening to use his billions to start a third party and Trump threatening to deport the naturalized American citizen. Last Monday, before the bill even passed, Musk escalated his attacks, saying lawmakers who campaigned on cutting spending but supported the bill 'should hang their heads in shame.' He added, 'And they will lose their primary next year if it's the last thing I do on this Earth.' Musk, now worth over $400 billion, founded the AmericaPAC super PAC in 2024. AmericaPAC raised more than $260 million last year, much of it to back Republicans in swing districts. Over $88 million went to supporting Trump directly. Despite the unpopularity of national third-party or independent presidential campaigns, state-level races tell a different story. Two current U.S. Senators are Independents who caucus with Democrats, and dozens of independents have served in the Senate throughout history. Musk was notably quiet immediately after the budget bill passed but weighed in on July 4th with a cryptic post: 'Great day for some … fireworks,' with two fire emojis. He praised Senators Rand Paul and Rep. Thomas Massie, both of Kentucky, for voting against the bill, posting a '100' emoji in support. He previously threatened to primary any GOP lawmaker who voted in favor. Some, like Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), brushed off the threat, calling Musk a 'true patriot' and praising his past government service under Trump. Still, Musk has called out Freedom Caucus members who supported the bill. 'How can you call yourself the Freedom Caucus if you vote for a Debt Slavery bill with the biggest debt ceiling increase in history?' he wrote, tagging two GOP lawmakers. Meanwhile, other Republicans downplayed Musk's political ambitions, while some Trump allies struck back. Investor James Fishback, whose ETF avoids DEI-focused firms, pulled his Tesla-themed fund in response to Musk's party launch. It remains to be seen whether Musk's opposition to Trump-aligned Republicans is a one-off—or a sign he's serious about reshaping the GOP from the outside.
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Jimmy Kimmel on Republicans' proposed mega-bill: ‘Takes from the poor and gives to the rich, brazenly'
Late-night hosts dig into Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful' mega-bill and US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem not knowing the meaning of habeas corpus. Republicans are 'hard at work in Washington right now', said Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday evening, 'working late, struggling to pass Trump's big, beautiful budget bill.' 'He's even having a hard time getting the Republicans on board with this one,' Kimmel noted, as according to the congressional budget office, the bill would add trillions of dollars to the national debt. 'But Trump has a plan for that too,' said Kimmel. 'He's going to fire all the people who keep track of the national debt.' 'Democrats think the bill is terrible, and many Republicans don't think it's terrible enough.' But Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House, was confident. 'Nothing in Congress is ever easy,' he said, but House Republicans were 'going to land this plane'. 'Yes, and they're going to land it in Newark,' Kimmel quipped. The bill 'literally takes from the poor and gives to the rich, brazenly', he added. 'Republicans like the Robbin' part, just not the Hood.' 'And Trump, the Tariff of Nottingham, he probably doesn't even know what is in this bill,' which includes slashing cancer research by 31%. 'The guy who puts McNibbles in his body and shellacks his own skin while he's out playing 48 holes of golf every weekend, is the last person who should be cutting cancer research,' Kimmel joked. The host listed more of the bill's demerits: it would cut Medicaid, slash tax credits for climate-friendly energy sources, raise taxes on universities, eliminate a tax on gun silencers, open public lands to drilling and logging and make deep cuts to food stamps. 'And then these people go to church on Sunday and they say 'Amen'. It's really amazing,' Kimmel marveled. The good news – 'if there is any good news', Kimmel continued – is that Elon Musk appears to be 'crawling back into his hole'. Appearing at the economic forum in Qatar, the South African billionaire said he would be doing 'a lot less' political spending in the future. Asked why, he answered: 'I think I've done enough.' 'Some might even say you've done too much,' Kimmel retorted. 'That means a lot coming from a guy who doesn't think 14 kids is enough. I wonder if Qatar would take him as a gift?' 'You know the old saying 'mo money mo problems?' Well, if that's true, America is about to have a lot fewer problems,' said Stephen Colbert on Wednesday's Late Show, 'because Trump's economy is headed down the golden toilet to join all those nuggets'. According to a new study, over half of US companies will have to raise prices due to Trump's draconian tariffs. 'No, not companies! That's where I get things!' bemoaned Colbert. 'What am I supposed to do now – make things?' In other news, on Wednesday, the US formally accepted Qatar's gift of a luxury jet to use as Air Force One, despite widespread criticism. 'I know, I know, there's no stopping it now,' said Colbert to loud boos from the audience. 'Unless, it's landing at Newark.' Trump's love of free jets seems to have inspired his secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem, who has been crisscrossing the country for photo-ops at immigration raids. Last minute changes to the Coast Guard's proposed budget include a request for a new $50m luxury jet for Noem's personal use. 'What the hell is going on – first Trump, now Noem?' Colbert wondered. 'Come on guys, what's wrong with Greyhound? You know their motto: Greyhound – the bathroom door is meant to swing open like that.' That's not the only Noem news ruffling feathers – at a Senate hearing this week, Noem did not seem to know about habeas corpus, the foundational right dating back to English common law that says a person cannot be detained by the government without trial. 'Without habeas corpus, your government could just pop a bag over your head and drop you in a hole and nobody gets to say nothing,' Colbert explained. 'But evidently, Secretary Noem did not know that.' Asked directly what habeas corpus is, Noem answered: 'a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country'. 'No, that is extra-large wrong,' Colbert responded. 'Well, the first amendment means Donald Trump is always first in line,' he added, imitating Noem. 'The second amendment means he always gets seconds, and no one gets Miranda rights because he's more of a Charlotte.'
