Latest news with #ex-DOGE
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘If a guy like this becomes mayor...': Vivek Ramaswamy's hot take on Zohran Mamdani
Republican leader and ex-DOGE head Vivek Ramaswamy has stepped up his criticism of New York City mayoral contender Zohran Mamdani , warning that the city's identity could be lost under the 'radical left' if Mamdani is elected. Ramaswamy, who is running for governor of Ohio in 2026, claimed that cities like New York are driving away the American spirit — and Ohio could be its next home. "I moved to NYC after I graduated college in 2007 because it was a place that still celebrated success, but that spirit receded in New York & soon could be gone altogether due to Mamdani,' Ramaswamy posted on X. 'We're reviving that American Dream in a new place: Ohio. The revival starts next November.' The 38-year-old former biotech executive, who recently resigned from the Department of Government Efficiency to contest Ohio's gubernatorial race, has leaned into cultural and ideological differences between blue cities and red states as a core campaign message. Earlier this week, Ramaswamy's super PAC, Victors Not Victims, funded a giant billboard in Times Square with the message: 'Worried About Zohran? Ohio Is Waiting For You!' It contrasted Mamdani, labelled a "radical socialist", with Ramaswamy, 'protecting freedom'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo Critics have focused on Mamdani's Ugandan-Indian background, however, Ramaswamy issued a public note urging restraint. 'The real problem with Mamdani isn't his race or religion. It's his anti-capitalist worldview and his policies that risk destroying our nation's largest city,' he wrote in a New York Post op-ed. In the same article, he revealed how he too had been the subject of ethnic slurs online. 'Each time I post a photo, I'm asked to 'GO HOME'. He warned that if Mamdani were to lead New York, more residents would flee for cities that offer 'a better model of American excellence'. Vivek dismissed criminal activity and urged Americans to unite under what he called an ambitious and American spirit. "But that's not who we are. The rule of law unites us as Americans. We don't commit crimes — that's what unites us." 'The beauty of the United States, is that even if people leave, they can still head to my home state Ohio and celebrate an American spirit, " he said in a Fox news interview. Ramaswamy's campaign is widely seen as one of the most well-funded early bids for a 2026 governor's race, with his PAC already having raised $17 million.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Black Swan' author Nassim Taleb tells BI he agrees with Elon Musk on debt, saying a 'crisis' is looming
"The Black Swan" author Nassim Taleb spoke to BI about tariffs, Elon Musk, dollar woes, and crypto. Taleb raised the prospect of a "debt crisis" fueled by America's runaway deficit spending. He rang the alarm on the national debt and was dismissive of bitcoin even as it hit record highs. Elon Musk is right to worry about America's debt problem — and bitcoin is no more valuable than a flower, author Nassim Nicholas Taleb said in a wide-ranging interview with Business Insider. Taleb popularized the term "Black Swan" to refer to rare, extreme, unexpected events that are seen as less surprising in hindsight. He's a distinguished scientific advisor to Universa Investments, a "Black Swan" hedge fund that manages over $20 billion in client assets and specializes in hedging against "tail risks" — rare and extreme market events. Taleb spoke about Donald Trump's tariff fights, Musk's deficit angst, declining trust in the US dollar, and why he remains deeply skeptical of bitcoin even as it rises to new highs. Debt spiral Taleb told BI there's "plenty of risk" but it's "not necessarily linked to things you read in the paper every day." He singled out the US federal debt, which has more than tripled to around $37 trillion within the past 25 years, and is set to rise further with Trump's "big, beautiful bill" forecast to add another $3 trillion at least over the next decade. The US government paid $881 billion of interest on its debt in fiscal 2024 — more than the $865 billion it spent on Medicare or its $850 billion outlay on defense, per the Congressional Budget Office. "We have enormously burdenous debt," Taleb said. "Elon's quite justified to be upset with the two-party system," he added, nodding to the Tesla CEO and ex-DOGE boss who formed an "America Party" after falling out with Trump over his bill. Concerns about America's debt, and other factors, including Trump's tariffs, have fueled a roughly 10% decline in the dollar against a basket of global currencies this year. Taleb said the dollar "ceased to be the reserve currency" when the US said it would freeze assets with ties to the Russian government following the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Many people were "uncomfortable" at what they perceived to be an overreach, Taleb said, adding this prompted several central banks to swap dollars for gold, contributing to a broader de-dollarization trend. Taleb added that Trump was "antagonizing" US trade partners with import taxes. He told BI that he has "nothing against tariffs in principle," but the president's use of them to strike deals is "not very coherent and spooks the rest of the world." Deteriorating trust in the dollar and America is "bad because we have to borrow and we don't want a debt crisis," Taleb said, pointing to soaring interest costs that make the debt a "source of fragility." Crypto critique Taleb has been a vocal critic of bitcoin for years, calling it a "cult," a "tumor," and a "magnet for imbeciles." Speaking as it continued to hit record highs of more than $120,000, Taleb told BI that bitcoin was an "electronic tulip" — a reference to the Dutch Tulip Bubble in the 17th century that saw a speculative frenzy lift the price of tulips to eye-watering levels. Taleb again said that bitcoin "cannot be a currency," highlighting its volatility and crypto fans' desire for it to keep rising, when stability is core to being a reliable medium of exchange. He also questioned how the coin could be widely adopted when many governments would be loath to undermine their currencies by supporting it. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
'Black Swan' author Nassim Taleb tells BI he agrees with Elon Musk on debt, saying a 'crisis' is looming
America has a massive debt problem — and bitcoin is no more valuable than a flower, author Nassim Nicholas Taleb said in a wide-ranging interview with Business Insider. Taleb popularized the term " Black Swan" to refer to rare, extreme, unexpected events that are seen as less surprising in hindsight. He's a distinguished scientific advisor to Universa Investments, a "Black Swan" hedge fund that manages over $20 billion in client assets and specializes in hedging against "tail risks" — rare and extreme market events. Taleb spoke about Donald Trump's tariff fights, Elon Musk's deficit angst, declining trust in the US dollar, and why he remains deeply skeptical of bitcoin even as it rises to new highs. Debt spiral Taleb told BI there's "plenty of risk" but it's "not necessarily linked to things you read in the paper every day." He singled out the US federal debt, which has more than tripled to around $37 trillion within the past 25 years, and is set to rise further with Trump's " big, beautiful bill" forecast to add another $3 trillion at least over the next decade. The US government paid $881 billion of interest on its debt in fiscal 2024 — more than the $865 billion it spent on Medicare or its $850 billion outlay on defense, per the Congressional Budget Office. "We have enormously burdenous debt," Taleb said. "Elon's quite justified to be upset with the two-party system," he added, nodding to the Tesla CEO and ex-DOGE boss who formed an "America Party" after falling out with Trump over his bill. Concerns about America's debt, and other factors, including Trump's tariffs, have fueled a roughly 10% decline in the dollar against a basket of global currencies this year. Taleb said the dollar "ceased to be the reserve currency" when the US said it would freeze assets with ties to the Russian government following the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Many people were "uncomfortable" at what they perceived to be an overreach, Taleb said, adding this prompted several central banks to swap dollars for gold, contributing to a broader de-dollarization trend. Taleb added that Trump was "antagonizing" US trade partners with import taxes. He told BI that he has "nothing against tariffs in principle," but the president's use of them to strike deals is "not very coherent and spooks the rest of the world." Deteriorating trust in the dollar and America is "bad because we have to borrow and we don't want a debt crisis," Taleb said, pointing to soaring interest costs that make the debt a "source of fragility." Crypto critique Taleb has been a vocal critic of bitcoin for years, calling it a "cult," a "tumor," and a "magnet for imbeciles." Speaking as it continued to hit record highs of more than $120,000, Taleb told BI that bitcoin was an "electronic tulip" — a reference to the Dutch Tulip Bubble in the 17th century that saw a speculative frenzy lift the price of tulips to eye-watering levels. Taleb again said that bitcoin "cannot be a currency," highlighting its volatility and crypto fans' desire for it to keep rising, when stability is core to being a reliable medium of exchange. He also questioned how the coin could be widely adopted when many governments would be loath to undermine their currencies by supporting it.
Irish Daily Star
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Daily Star
Elon Musk's ominous five-word reply to Trump's threat to deport him
Tech Billionaire Elon Musk has officially responded to Donald Trump's comments about deporting him back to South Africa. In the tweet, Musk said that he was "tempered to escalate" the confrontation but "will refrain." "So tempting to escalate this," wrote Musk in response to a video of Trump's comments about their fight. "So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now." The comment from Musk comes minutes after Trump slammed the X CEO for continually bashing Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill that is currently facing a vote in the U.S Senate. Trump, who is on his way to Florida for the opening of his Alligator Alcatraz, reportedly had a few choice words for his former "first buddy." Read More Related Articles Four urgent signs Donald Trump has a specific type of dementia expert warns Read More Related Articles Four chilling theories why Air India plane crashed in tragedy that sparked probe into disaster The comment from Musk comes minutes after Trump slammed the X CEO for continually bashing Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill that is currently facing a vote in the U.S Senate. (Image: Getty Images) Musk's renewed war with his former boss comes after a reporter asked Trump about the ex-DOGE head. "I don't know, I'll have to take a look," Trump, 79, told the reporter. "We might have to put DOGE on Elon," he added. "You know what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that might have to eat Elon. Wouldn't that be terrible?" Musk's renewed war with his former boss comes after a reporter asked Trump about the ex-DOGE head (Image: AFP via Getty Images) According to Trump, "He gets a lot of subsidies, but Elon is very upset that the EV mandate is gonna be terminated." He added, "You know what, when you look at it, who wants an electric car? Not everybody wants an electric car. I don't want an electric, I wanna have maybe gasoline, maybe electric, maybe hybrid. Maybe someday, hydrogen. But there is one problem: it blows up. I'm gonna give that one to Peter. Let Peter test it out." Another reporter asked Trump what happened with Musk. "Nothing, no, he's upset that he's losing his EV mandate and he's very upset about that, but he could lose a lot more I can tell you that." According to Trump, "He gets a lot of subsidies, but Elon is very upset that the EV mandate is gonna be terminated." (Image: Getty Images) "Elon can lose a lot more than that," Trump reiterated while smirking. Trump's gaggle was the second time that he pushed the narrative again that Musk's gripe with him is over his move to revoke or reverse electric vehicle (EV) mandates as he wrote on Truth Social. "Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate," wrote Trump. "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, who is on his way to Florida for the opening of his Alligator Alcatraz, reportedly had a few choice words for his former "first buddy." (Image: Getty Images) The president continued his rant, accusing the Tesla CEO of benefiting disproportionately from government subsidies that, if taken away, would force him to return to his home country. He then threatened to get the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk was the face of during his time in the Trump administration, to look into its former leader. "Elon may get more subsidies 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," he continued. "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!!!"
Politico
10-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
Playbook PM: Why Republicans' megabill deadline could slip
Presented by THE CATCH-UP FORLORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY: Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) dumped some cold water on Republicans' self-imposed July 4 deadline to deliver their sprawling megabill to President Donald Trump's desk. 'I think a lot of us would be surprised if it passed by July 4,' Curtis said at the POLITICO Energy Summit, per POLITICO's Kelsey Brugger. 'I think that's a false deadline. I don't think that we need to put a specific deadline on it. Let's get it right.' A message for Musk: Curtis also downplayed any perceived influence that Elon Musk has over negotiations among Senate Republicans amid the billionaire tech mogul's ardent campaign against the megabill. 'If he would stop and slow down and realize the way Washington works, because what he does with a business is very different in the culture and everything is so different than what we do in Washington, D.C.,' Curtis said, adding that there's 'a lot we could learn from him and vice versa.' Curtis also shrugged as to why exactly Musk has recently targeted the bill. 'I'm a U.S. senator voting on this bill, and I don't know why he hates it. You can see how he's missed an opportunity,' Curtis said. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), chair of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, had similar words for Musk this morning, saying that the ex-DOGE head didn't voice any concerns over the bill when he had the chance. Guthrie and Musk met over breakfast just hours after the House passed the bill, and 'he never mentioned the bill that morning,' Guthrie said at the summit, per POLITICO's Kelsey Tamborrino. Instead, he said, Musk talked about competition with China to dominate AI. Guthrie also addressed Musk's generic threats to primary Republicans who back the bill, once again downplaying the influence of the world's richest man against that of the GOP flagbearer. 'I assume that if [Musk] chooses somebody to primary, President Trump would probably take the opposite side, and in my district ... if I had that problem, I think President Trump would be a good person to come campaign in my district,' Guthrie said. More highlights: HAPPENING TODAY: New Jersey voters are heading to the polls for the state's gubernatorial primaries. For the GOP, Jack Ciattarelli is the leading candidate. But the Democratic primary is the race to keep an eye on: Despite Rep. Mikie Sherrill's frontrunner status, five other candidates all have a legitimate path to the nomination. POLITICO's Madison Fernandez and Daniel Han have more on what to watch tonight Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at gross@ 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. THE LATEST ON LA: Trump's decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles in response to a string of protests over the administration's immigration actions will likely cost $134 million, the Pentagon's budget chief told lawmakers this morning, POLITICO's Connor O'Brien and Joe Gould report. 'Acting Pentagon comptroller Bryn MacDonnell, testifying at a House budget hearing on Tuesday alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, said the estimate covers costs such as travel, housing and food. … Hegseth sparred with Democrats during the hearing in defense of the deployment, arguing Newsom and Bass, both Democrats, mishandled the situation.' Survey says: A new YouGov poll finds that Trump's deployment of Marines to Los Angeles is deeply unpopular, with a 47 percent disapproval mark, compared with 34 percent who approve. Dispatching the National Guard isn't much better: 45 percent disapprove and 38 percent approve. See the full results Disinformation digest: 'Fake Images and Conspiracy Theories Swirl Around L.A. Protests,' by NYT's Steven Lee Myers 2. ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: The World Bank said this morning that U.S. economic growth 'may halve this year as a result of President Trump's tariff policies, while the global economy is set to suffer a more modest, but still significant, slowdown,' per WSJ's Paul Hannon. The projection says the U.S. will 'grow by just 1.4% in 2025, a sharp deceleration from the 2.8% expansion recorded in 2024' and global 'output to grow by 2.3% this year and 2.4% the next, having previously projected an expansion of 2.7% in each year.' Caution sign: 'The World Bank warned that the slowdown in both the U.S. and global economies could be more severe if tariffs were increased further from the levels that prevailed in late May.' What Trump will like: But the World Bank also 'effectively endorsed President Donald Trump's complaint about the high tariffs that other nations impose on American products, calling for U.S. trading partners to sharply reduce their import taxes to more closely match the lower levies typically imposed by Washington,' WaPo's David Lynch writes. 3. WHERE THE WHITE HOUSE IS SAVING AID: The White House is racing to assuage concerns from key House Republicans who are wary of plans to slash global AIDS funding ahead of a Thursday vote on a $9.4 billion spending cuts package, POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill reports. 'In recent days, White House officials have conveyed to GOP leaders that they will not only maintain life-saving treatments under PEPFAR but will also — in response to concerns from more than a dozen House Republicans — preserve some prevention programs as well.' 4. GUANTANAMO UPDATE: The Trump administration is 'planning to dramatically ramp up sending undocumented migrants to Guantanamo Bay starting this week, with at least 9,000 people being vetted for transfer,' POLITICO's Nahal Toosi and Myah Ward scoop. 'That would be an exponential increase from the roughly 500 migrants who have been held for short periods at the base since February and a major step toward realizing a plan President Donald Trump announced in January to use the facility to hold as many as 30,000 migrants. The transfers to Guantanamo could start as soon as Wednesday, the documents state.' 5. MUSK READ: DOJ and DHS in 2022 and 2023 'tracked foreign nationals coming and going to Elon Musk's properties,' WSJ's Dana Mattioli and colleagues scoop. The investigation 'focused on people visiting the tech billionaire, from countries in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, who might have been trying to influence him.' Though WSJ notes that several agencies, including the FBI, were briefed on the probe, it never progressed to any charges and its current status is unclear. But even last year, as he worked to help reelect Trump, Musk's frequent travel with foreigners concerned staffers for his super PAC over 'who was joining him at meetings and events.' Officials 'had to institute extensive vetting to keep foreigners out of their efforts.' 6. BOSS HOGG: DNC Vice Chair David Hogg is getting involved in yet another Democratic primary, defying party leadership amid a broader struggle over the DNC's direction under Chair Ken Martin, who recently told party leaders in a private conversation that he's unsure about his ability to lead the party because of infighting created by Hogg. 'Hogg's political group, Leaders We Deserve, is backing 37-year-old state Del. Irene Shin, who is part of a crowded Democratic field vying later this month to fill [late Rep. Gerry] Connolly's seat in Northern Virginia after his death last month,' WaPo's Patrick Svitek reports. 7. VAX POPULI: HHS is 'circulating a document on Capitol Hill to explain its decision to remove the Covid-19 vaccine recommendation for pregnant women — citing studies that largely found the shot is safe,' POLITICO's Sophie Gardner and Lauren Gardner report. 'The document, which HHS sent to lawmakers days before Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his plan to fire the panel that advises the CDC on immunizations, says that studies have shown that women who got the vaccine during pregnancy had higher rates of various complications.' But the author of one study cited tells POLITICO that 'the results of our manuscript were misinterpreted.' 8. THE YOUTH MOVEMENT: Iowa Democrats are pushing hard for a younger generation to take up the mantle and make the party competitive in a red state once again. But the crop of candidates — both in Iowa and beyond — who came up online are proving a bit difficult to harvest. 'This weekend, as Zach Wahls, a 33-year-old state senator, planned to launch his Senate campaign, some Democratic operatives in Iowa circulated an old message board in which Mr. Wahls, at age 19, had opined about his pornography preferences and volunteered that his parents had given him a subscription to Playboy magazine when he was 16,' NYT's Reid Epstein writes. 'Other campaigns have confronted similar turbulence.' 9. FOR YOUR RADAR: North Korea 'appears to be building a new uranium-enrichment plant in its main nuclear complex, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog warned this week, the strongest sign yet that the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, plans to grow its nuclear weapons supply,' NYT's Choe Sang-Hun reports from Seoul. TALK OF THE TOWN Tulsi Gabbard, in a dramatic video on X, warned of a 'nuclear holocaust' and chastised 'warmongers' for bringing the world 'closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before.' Michael Stipe, Jason Isbell and Brandi Carlile are among the artists appearing on an album to benefit Democracy Forward. SPOTTED: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Lina Khan running through the Capitol together on the way to votes this morning. MEDIAWATCH — Mark Guiducci is taking over as top editor of Vanity Fair, per NYT's Katie Robertson. The 36-year-old Guiducci 'takes over a job that is very different from the one held by previous editors of Vanity Fair. He will be the first 'global editorial director' at Vanity Fair — gone is the editor in chief title — and will oversee Vanity Fair in the United States as well as editions across the world.' TRANSITIONS — Cally Barry is now senior adviser and comms director for Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). She most recently was comms director for Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas). … Marybeth Nassif is joining Jones Walker as a director in the government relations practice group. She previously was a professional staff member for the House Appropriations Committee. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
