Former adviser taunts president over links to Epstein while Trump threatens to cancel contracts for Musk companies

Elon Musk called for Donald Trump to be impeached after mocking his connections to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the president threatened to cancel federal contracts and tax subsidies for Musk’s companies in an extraordinary social media feud on Thursday.

The deterioration of their once close relationship into bitter acrimony came over the course of several remarkable hours during which the president and the world’s richest man hurled deeply personal insults over matters significant and insignificant.

In the most churlish moment of the astonishing saga, Musk said on X the reason the Trump administration had not released the files into Epstein was because they implicated the president. He later quote-tweeted a post calling for Trump to be removed and said Trump’s tariffs would cause a recession.

  • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    I hate to be a Debby Downer, but the headline is a bit sensationalist. This is how Elon “called for Donald Trump to be impeached”:

    That’s it. He wrote “Yes”.

    • Zagorath@aussie.zone
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      1 month ago

      I don’t think that’s sensationalist at all. It’s a pretty direct and clear call for impeachment.

      But I’d rather talk about that original Tweet. Obviously, Trump being impeached (and convicted by the Senate) would result in Vance replacing him; that’s how it works. But the choice to specifically highlight the Vance part of it implies not just a desire for Trump to be gone, but for Vance specifically to be in. Which is wild. I can’t imagine any human on earth actually being pro-Vance. There’s the sane people, who oppose the entire administration, and there’s the Magats who are rabidly pro-Trump. Who exactly supports Trump’s diet lacky?

        • Ton@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Vance was placed there with the objective to replace Trump eventually. These guys don’t need Trump any more, but like the industrials underestimated Hitler when they put him into power, Thiel and co are probably underestimating Trump’s shrewdness. He will burn everything down before he’ll be put out of power.

  • Rooty@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    At this point Trump running interference and cockblocking Thiel and his billionare creeper squad from re-enacting the Business plot would be the best ( and funniest ) result.

    • EchoSnail@lemmy.zip
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      1 month ago

      Man… Ilit seems crazy to think that this isn’t something there’s a task force for. Or like, a 3rds party mutually assured destruction situation for this.

  • VeryVito@lemmy.ml
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    1 month ago

    Elon could easily buy enough of the Senate to have Individual 1 removed at long last.

  • VeryVito@lemmy.ml
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    1 month ago

    Musk wants his money back! I’d vote to let him return his purchase in this case.

  • Charlxmagne@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    They were nothing more than business partners, in other words tools. They used each other. Musk was the richest man on the planet and somehow Americans thought that was a coincidence. Musk wanted to usher in an era of austerity to line his own pockets, which he got in return for funding and pushing for trumps election. Election’s over, Trump taxes musk he fucks off.

  • Regrettable_incident@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Wow they are arguably the most powerful people in the world and they are having a public squawky slappy fight like stroppy toddlers.

    Meanwhile humanity is circling the drain. We are so fucked.

    • Dozzi92@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Fortunately, America has an affinity for reality TV, and so they’re distracted from whatever else this is a distraction for. I just have a part of me that can’t believe what’s happening.

        • Dozzi92@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          I try to focus more locally whenever I get bent out of shape over the more broad scope of life. I can reach out and touch problems in my area, and it feels good to get involved in trying to fix things. Will it solve Gaza? Will it solve Trump? Nah, but maybe I help plant some trees, clean up the brook in town, just get involved. Who knows, maybe it trickles up (ha).

          • Regrettable_incident@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            Yeah, same here. Back when I was younger I was really into direct action. Big demos - there’s no buzz like a riot, fighting up against the police lines - and smaller, quieter actions. These days, I feel like I’m a bit too old for all that - and looking back I’m not sure all those actions changed a single thing. Except maybe made me feel like I was doing something useful. Also, it was fun. And I still think it’s important to counterprotest when nazis take to the street. But yeah, I’m more at the local level too. I kinda feel like getting engaged locally is maybe more useful than the big, flashy stuff. You can get stuff done, even if it’s not big changes. Lots of small changes add up. Plus, you’re meeting like-minded people, growing local community resiliency. If shit goes proper bad, these local community groups will become vital.