This story appeared in The Logoff, a every day publication that helps you keep knowledgeable in regards to the Trump administration with out letting political information take over your life. Subscribe right here.
Welcome to The Logoff: Is the Trump-Musk partnership over? It’s sophisticated — however after at present, it’s trying extra like sure.
What simply occurred? President Donald Trump has pinned his legislative hopes on one “massive, lovely invoice,” which handed the Home final month. As we speak, Elon Musk took intention on the invoice as “huge, outrageous, pork-filled…a disgusting abomination” that may “massively enhance” the price range deficit.
Does it matter what Musk thinks? Possibly not as a lot because it as soon as did. This can be a transitional second for Musk, who’s on his approach out after the official finish of his time as a authorities worker final week. Trump, in a farewell press convention, downplayed the departure, saying, “Elon’s actually not leaving. He’s going to be backwards and forwards.”
In non-public, Trump has reportedly expressed some skepticism about Musk, asking whether or not efforts by the Division of Authorities Effectivity had been “all bullshit.” Regardless of that, reporting has to date prompt that the Trump-Musk relationship stays typically amicable — however Musk’s new broadside towards Trump’s invoice could also be an indication of issues fraying.
What did Musk truly accomplish? In some methods, comparatively little — as my colleague Andrew Prokop has reported, Musk and DOGE didn’t get wherever near cuts on the promised scale. On the identical time, nevertheless, Musk had completed a horrifying quantity of injury — his decimation of US overseas support alone could have already got precipitated a whole lot of hundreds of deaths, by some estimates, and can proceed to trigger much more.
What is going to Musk do now? Allegedly, return to specializing in his lengthy checklist of firms, Tesla and SpaceX chief amongst them, and spend much less time on politics. Musk additionally mentioned in Could that he would do “quite a bit much less” political spending going ahead. On the very least, his feedback Tuesday counsel he’s not all the best way completed with politics, although it stays to be seen how influential he could be.
And with that, it’s time to sign off…
We’re returning to a Logoff traditional at present, with my colleague Patrick Reis’s favourite livestream from a bald eagle’s nest. The nest, house to bald eagles Jackie and Shadow, is positioned in Massive Bear Valley, California. I hope it’s a peaceable second on your night, and we’ll see you again right here tomorrow.
