President Trump and Elon Musk Exchange Spars Over Social Media
It has been another week of headline-grabbing news out of Washington, D.C. with the growing feud between President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk taking center stage. Here is a closer look at what has been happening over the last few days in the nation's capital.
Trump and Musk Online Bickering Reaches Fever Pitch
The big news out of Washington, D.C. on Thursday was the escalating conflict between Trump and Musk. The once powerful political allies took their feud public, using their respective social media platforms to air their grievances. The bickering began earlier in the day when Trump told media at the White House that he and Musk once a "great relationship" but that he is currently "very disappointed" in the tech billionaire in light of Musk's recent criticism of Trump's so-called Big, Beautiful Bill.
Musk retaliated by posting on X that the president would not have won the 2024 election without the money that he poured into the campaign. Trump responded by threatening to pull Musk's government subsidies and contracts, a move that could have detrimental consequences for many of his business ventures. Musk fired back by announcing that Trump is part of the Epstein files.
The infighting got its start earlier in the week when Musk criticized the domestic spending bill, calling it a "disgusting abomination." Musk also blamed Congress for bankrupting America. The comments came as Trump works his connections within the Senate to convince the Republicans to pass the massive piece of legislation.
Trump Conducts 90-Minute Call with Chinese President
Although the online bickering between Trump and Musk highlighted Thursday's news from the capital, there was also news coming out of the trade war. Trump confirmed through a post on Truth Social that he conducted a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said that the 90-minute conversation focused on trade, also noting that he and Xi exchanged invites to visit each other's countries in the near future.
The call came after a notably long silence between the two global leaders. A readout of the discussion from Chinese officials indicated that Xi asked Trump to scale back on the tariffs against his country.
Trump Bans Travel to the U.S. From 12 Countries
Citing security concerns, President Donald Trump has banned travel to the U.S. from 12 nations. The president signed the proclamation on Wednesday evening as part of a flurry of activity from the Oval Office, restricting the entry of nationals into the U.S. from a dozen countries. The countries on the list are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. In addition to these bans, partial restrictions were announced for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The new bans go into effect at 12:01 am on June 9. According to White House officials, the decision to sign the proclamation banning this travel came after Sunday's antisemitic terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Trump also announced that he will add more countries to the list if he believes they pose a threat to national security. Exemptions to the travel ban include lawful permanent residents, individuals with current visas, and those whose presence in the U.S. serves national interests.
Trump Orders Attorney General to Review Actions Instituted by Biden
As part of Wednesday's slew of new proclamations, President Trump also instructed U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bodi to review the executive actions triggered by former President Joe Biden. Trump ordered Bondi to work in partnership with the White House counsel to review Biden's use of the autopen, his Executive Orders, clemency grants, and more.
The president also wants the Justice Department and his team of lawyers to investigate where those close to Biden conspired to hide his deteriorating mental state from the public during the last few years of his time in the Oval Office. Biden's allies deny that there was any coordinated effort to conceal the former president's mental acuity as he finished his term and launched his campaign for re-election.
USNS Harvey Milk Slated to be Renamed
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is mandating that the military ship USNS Harvey Milk be renamed later this month. Launched in 2021, the ship is named after the late gay rights activist who also served in the U.S. Navy. Milk was forced to resign from his post because of his sexual orientation. The Department of Defense has not announced the new name of the ship.
The USNS Harvey Milk belongs to the John Lewis group of ships, named after leaders in the civil rights movement. Additional military oiler ships that are part of this class are the USNS Lucy Stone and the USNS Robert F. Kennedy. Hegseth is being criticized by the left for making the announcement of the new name during Pride Month.
Trump Rescinds Nomination of NASA Leader
In what was largely a surprise move, President Trump withdrew his previous nomination for Jared Isaacman to head up the nation's space agency. Trump said that he is withdrawing the nomination of Isaacman to lead NASA after what he called a “thorough review of prior associations.” Trump also said that he will find a candidate committed to putting America first in space.
The announcement happened a few days before the Senate was set to vote on Isaacman's nomination. The billionaire is connected to Elon Musk, including traveling to space twice himself on missions through SpaceX. Isaacman recently appeared in front of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, saying that he has been apolitical.
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