Harvard challenges Trump’s efforts to block US entry for foreign students
Harvard University has broadened its existing lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump to fight a new action that attempts to stop its international students from entering the United States. On Thursday, the prestigious Ivy League school filed an amended complaint that alleges Trump’s latest executive order violates the rights of the school and its students. Just one day earlier, Trump published an executive order claiming that “it is necessary to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally” to attend Harvard. He called Harvard’s international students a “class of aliens” whose arrival “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States”. As a result, he said that he had the right under the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny them entry into the country. But in Thursday’s court filing, Harvard dismissed that argument as the latest salvo in Trump’s months-long campaign to harm the school. “The President’s actions thus are not undertaken to protect the ‘interests of the United States,’ but instead to pursue a government vendetta against Harvard,” the amended complaint says. Advertisement It further alleged that, by issuing a new executive order to restrict students’ entry, the Trump administration was attempting to circumvent an existing court order that blocked it from preventing Harvard’s registration of foreign students. The complaint called upon US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Massachusetts to extend her temporary restraining order to include Trump’s latest attack on Harvard’s foreign students. “Harvard’s more than 7,000 F-1 and J-1 visa holders — and their dependents — have become pawns in the government’s escalating campaign of retaliation,” Harvard wrote. Trump began his campaign against Harvard and other prominent schools earlier this year, after taking office for a second term as president. He blamed the universities for failing to take sterner action against the Palestinian solidarity protests that cropped up on their campuses in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza. The president called the demonstrations anti-Semitic and pledged to remove foreign students from the US who participated. Protest organisers, meanwhile, have argued that their aims were non-violent and that the actions of a few have been used to tar the movement overall. Critics have also accused Trump of using the protests as leverage to exert greater control over the country’s universities, including private schools like Harvard and its fellow Ivy League school, Columbia University. In early March, Columbia — whose protest encampments were emulated at campuses across the country — saw $400m in federal funding stripped from its budget. Advertisement The school later agreed to a list of demands issued by the Trump administration, including changes to its disciplinary policies and a review of its Middle East studies programme. Harvard University was also given a list of demands to comply with. But unlike Columbia, it refused, citing concerns that the restrictions would limit its academic freedom. The Trump administration’s demands included ending Harvard’s diversity programmes and allowing the federal government to audit its hiring and admissions processes to “establish viewpoint diversity”. When those demands were not met, it proceeded to strip Harvard of its federal funding, to the tune of billions of dollars. Trump also threatened to revoke the school’s tax-exempt status and barred it from receiving future federal research grants. But the attack on Harvard’s international students has threatened to drive away tuition revenue as well. Nearly a quarter of Harvard’s overall student body is from overseas. In May, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would revoke Harvard’s access to a system, the Student Exchange Visitor Program, where it is required to log information about its foreign students. That would have forced currently enrolled Harvard students to transfer to another school, if they were in the country on a student visa. It would have also prevented Harvard from accepting any further international students. But Harvard sued the Trump administration, calling its actions “retaliatory” and “unlawful”. On May 23, Judge Burroughs granted Harvard’s emergency petition for a restraining order to stop the restriction from taking effect. But since then, the Trump administration has continued to exert pressure on Harvard and other schools. Advertisement Earlier this week, for example, the Trump administration wrote a letter to Columbia University’s accreditor, accusing the New York City school of falling short of federal civil rights laws. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump-Musk feud escalates: What happened? And what comes next?
Washington, DC – The ties between United States President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have seen highs and lows throughout the years. But it all came crashing down on Thursday after months of what appeared to be an unshakable alliance in the White House. A disagreement over Trump’s massive tax bill has escalated over the past few days, with Musk going so far as to suggest that the US president should be impeached. In a series of social media posts, Musk launched personal attacks against Trump, culminating in a claim, made without evidence, that Trump is in the “Epstein files”. Those documents relate to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and include travel logs and guest lists related to him and his associates. Part of the Epstein files remain secret, sparking curiosity and conspiracy theories about who might be mentioned. Trump, meanwhile, responded with a social media fusillade of his own. He claimed he asked Musk to leave his White House role and suggested cutting the government subsidies and contracts awarded to the billionaire’s companies. Advertisement So how did the partnership between Musk and Trump collapse? And what may come next for the two men often described as the world’s richest and the world’s most powerful, respectively? The honeymoon phase A few months before the war of words between Musk and Trump erupted, the two seemed like an inseparable political force. Musk had spent nearly $200m to elect Trump to a second term in 2024. Days after his successful election, Trump responded by appointing Musk to lead a newly created government cutting agency, called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Even the name of the department reflected the leeway that the billionaire investor had in Trump’s administration. The word “doge” refers to an internet meme of a dog, favoured by Musk, that became popular in 2010. In the early weeks of Trump’s second term, Musk became one of the most prominent figures in the administration – and a lightning rod for public criticism. Under his leadership, DOGE sacked thousands of federal employees and gutted various agencies, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Musk appeared so powerful that some Democrats started to refer to him as “President Elon” to get under Trump’s skin. But Trump and Musk presented a united front. During a Fox News interview in February, the US president and his then-adviser appeared side by side and heaped praise on one another. “He gets it done. He’s a leader,” Trump said of Musk. “I love the president. I just want to be clear about that,” Musk said of Trump. Advertisement Musk, who is originally from South Africa, started espousing right-wing views over the past few years and grew vocally critical of Democrats and progressives. Those views became more prominent after he bought the social media platform Twitter, now X, in 2022. As he started to tilt rightward, he used the platform to bash irregular migration and efforts he believed aimed to police free speech, particularly with regards to identity politics and the COVID-19 pandemic. Even during Musk’s political realignment, however, he and Trump exchanged stern criticism. For example, in July 2022, Musk posted that Trump was getting to be “too old to be chief executive of anything”, much less the presidency. He also initially backed Trump’s Republican rival in the 2024 presidential race, Ron DeSantis, even hosting the Florida governor’s campaign launch on X. But the failed assassination attempt against Trump would cement Musk’s shift in allegiance. After a bullet grazed Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, Musk announced he would “fully endorse” the Republican leader. He even joined Trump for a return to Butler in September of last year. The unravelling The cliche in politics is that there are no permanent enemies or permanent allies, only permanent interests. That appears to be the case for Trump, who has a history of firing advisers and disavowing former friends. Musk is only the latest high-profile rupture – and one that might not come as a surprise to political observers. Advertisement The unravelling of Trump’s “bromance” with Musk comes at the tail end of a rocky few months, as rumours swirled about closed-door clashes between the billionaire and the president’s inner circle. In April, Musk announced that he would be spending less time at DOGE. By that time, his role appeared to be diminishing, with the billionaire no longer dominating headlines or regularly appearing in the Oval Office. Late in May, Musk criticised the White House-backed tax and budget proposal, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. “I was, like, disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk told the TV programme CBS Sunday Morning. The bill cuts electric vehicle (EV) subsidies that boost Musk’s Tesla car company. But Musk has maintained his opposition to the bill lies in its increases to the national debt and its byzantine provisions: The bill clocks in at more than 1,000 pages. The notoriously confrontational Trump, who had pinned his vision for the economy on the bill, kept his cool amid Musk’s early criticisms. He even acknowledged to reporters, “I’m not happy about certain aspects of [the bill].” The two men made a public appearance together afterwards in the Oval Office, where Trump celebrated the end of Musk’s role as a special government employee. Even then, Trump insisted that Musk was “not really leaving” his team. Once out of the government, though, Musk not only voiced discontent with the budget bill; he appeared to be lobbying against it. The bill had narrowly passed in the House of Representatives, only to face similarly steep odds in the Senate. Advertisement “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk wrote on X on Monday. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,198
These are the key events on day 1,198 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Here’s where things stand on Friday, June 6 : Fighting Russian drones attacked Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, where authorities said drone fragments had fallen in at least three districts of the city. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration, said the strikes triggered fires in residential buildings in different parts of the city. There were no immediate reports on casualties. Air defence units were in action repelling Russian drones, according to military authorities in Kyiv, as news outlets reported a series of explosions in the city. International monitors at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine have reported hearing repeated rounds of gunfire that appeared to be aimed at drones apparently attacking the site’s training centre, the UN’s nuclear watchdog said. The nuclear plant’s Russian management had earlier said that Ukrainian drones landed on the roof of the training centre in “yet another attack” on the facility. The management said there had been no casualties or damage. The nuclear facility’s reactors are in shutdown mode amid the war. Russian investigators announced that they have opened a criminal case into an “act of terrorism” after a stretch of railway track in Russia’s Voronezh region was damaged in an explosion. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, at his daily briefing with reporters, described the latest rail attack as “nothing other than terrorism at the state level”. Russia has not yet provided evidence that Ukraine ordered the rail attacks, and Kyiv has not acknowledged responsibility. Advertisement Politics and diplomacy Russia will respond to Ukraine’s latest attacks – which have included an audacious drone attack on heavy bomber warplanes in Siberia – as and when its military sees fit, the Kremlin said, accusing Kyiv of state terrorism as US President Donald Trump downplayed prospects for an immediate peace between the countries. Speaking to reporters before his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump said he believed that “at some point” there would be peace between Russia and Ukraine. When asked if he would impose further sanctions on Russia, Trump responded, “When I see the moment where it’s not going to stop … we’ll be very, very, very tough. And it could be on both countries, to be honest. You know, it takes two to tango.” Trump also said that he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to not retaliate after Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russia’s airbases. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has promised to “unconditionally support” Russia in its war in Ukraine and said he expects Moscow to emerge victorious, the country’s state media reported. Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said it had put Artyom Timofeyev, a Russian citizen who was born in Ukraine, on a national wanted list on suspicion of taking part in the attacks on Russian military airfields, state news agency TASS reported. Russian media reported earlier that Timofeyev, who reportedly owns a freight forwarding company, had left Russia for Kazakhstan. Russian warplanes targeted in the June 1 drone attack were damaged but not destroyed, and they will be restored, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. The US has assessed that up to 20 warplanes were hit and around half were destroyed during the attack. Germany needs up to 60,000 additional troops under new NATO targets for weapons and personnel, the country’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in advance of the meeting between Trump and Merz on Thursday. NATO is focused on building up its forces to respond to what it sees as an increased threat from Russia. The Trump administration has announced the nomination of US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich as the next top US general in Europe, and said he would also assume the traditional role of Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. Russia’s Federal Security Service has accused British intelligence of using the British Council, which promotes international education and cultural relations, as a cover to undermine Russia. The security service said it had identified teachers at leading universities who cooperated with the London-based charity. The United Kingdom is now considered “enemy number one” by Russian officials, amid the intensifying conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Slovakia’s parliament, in a thinly attended session, approved a resolution calling on the government not to vote in favour of new sanctions on Russia, raising questions over the country’s future stance on European sanction packages. Advertisement Economy Ukraine’s export losses are set to reach $800m for the period June to December this year, following the expected end of free access to the European Union market, the country’s central bank deputy governor, Serhiy Nikolaichuk, said. Adblock test (Why?)
After Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Elon Musk’s father visits Iskon Temple, says THIS on Tesla’s investment in India
Errol Musk, father of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, paid obeisance and offered prayers at the ISKCON Temple in East of Kailash, Delhi, on Thursday. Errol Musk was seen participating in rituals inside the temple as chants of “Hare Krishna Hare Ram” echoed in the background.
Eid al-Adha 2025: Are schools, banks, stock market closed on Bakrid? Check what’s open, closed
Official announcements will be made only after the moon is sighted.
Fetterman disses Dems for suddenly embracing Musk amid Trump fallout
Maverick Democratic Sen. John Fetterman dissed members of his own party Thursday for suddenly backing Elon Musk during his feud with President Donald Trump. Democrats have found an unlikely ally in Musk this week, given his public rejection of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and a subsequent call for Trump’s impeachment. The president has championed the legislation as fulfilling his key campaign promises, including border security, American energy production and tax cuts. The megabill is under consideration by both a Republican-led White House and Congress. But it has faced hiccups in the Senate this week as Republicans, including some who helped pass the bill through the House, have indicated they do not support the bill in its current form. Every House Democrat voted against the bill. ELON MUSK WARPATH AGAINST TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ RATTLES HOUSE GOP The national debt is at $36,214,501,400,213.64 as of June 5, according to the latest numbers published by the Treasury Department. GOP SENATORS EXPRESS ‘CONCERNS,’ ‘SKEPTICISM’ OVER TRUMP’S SPENDING BILL AFTER MUSK RANT Amid the setbacks, Musk has thrown a wrench into the Republican’s reconciliation process through a series of fiery posts on X, the platform he bought in 2022. And Democrats were quick to coalesce behind Musk‘s rejection of the bill, seizing on the GOP’s intraparty conflict despite their outright rejection of Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) this year. In the first of several posts targeting the bill, and then Trump directly, Musk said, “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.” Fetterman, who has built a reputation for bucking his own party on issues like immigration and support for Israel, was quick to call out the inconsistency of his fellow Democrats Thursday. “The Dems, we’ve been dumping all over Musk and vandalizing Teslas or whatever, and now, suddenly, we might be more back into him,” Fetterman said. Democrats began staging protests at Tesla dealerships early into Trump’s second term. Tesla vehicles and dealerships have also been targeted this year in a string of violent attacks against the company, another business owned by Musk. Trump’s Justice Department labeled the attacks “domestic terrorism.” And while the Pennsylvania Democrat said Musk is right for rejecting Trump’s megabill, Fetterman said Thursday Democrats have to decide what they think of Musk and stick with it. “It wasn’t that long ago that Tesla was like the virtue-signaling kind of accessory for Dems,” Fetterman said. “I would never want to vandalize Teslas, and the ‘big, beautiful bill’ is wrong for America. So, from my perspective, I’ve just tried to be consistent through that.” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., was one Democrat who acknowledged this week that Democrats should work with Musk on their shared objective to stop Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” And GOP Rep. Tim Burchett piled on the criticism of Democrats’ inconsistencies, telling Fox News Digital, “It’s kind of ironic to me that, a week ago, the Democrats hated Elon Musk’s guts … and now they’re basing everything they have on him.” Fox News Channel’s Chad Pergram and Fox News Media’s Dan Scully contributed to this report.
‘Gone too far’: GOP lawmakers rally around Trump after Musk raises Epstein allegations
House GOP lawmakers are accusing Elon Musk of going “too far” after he suggested President Donald Trump was “in the Epstein files.” “Hopefully we never have to answer questions about tweets like that from Elon again,” said Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, calling Musk’s comments “not helpful.” “Elon crossed the line today,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital, Musk referenced late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein in relation to Trump Thursday as part of a larger tirade against the president and Republican leaders over their budget reconciliation bill. HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE AMID DELANEY HALL FALLOUT The tech billionaire accused Republicans of adding to the national debt — currently nearing $37 trillion — with legislation they’ve called Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” “Time to drop the really big bomb. [Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!” Musk wrote on X. “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.” Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said Musk had “gone too far.” NATIONAL DEBT TRACKER: AMERICAN TAXPAYERS (YOU) ARE NOW ON THE HOOK FOR $36,214,501,400,213.64 AS OF 6/5/25 “There’s just no need for this,” Nehls said. “Those conversations should be taking place behind closed doors.” Some Republicans argued that any damning information about Trump and Epstein would have already been revealed if it existed. “What I would say is, if Joe Biden had Donald Trump in the Epstein logs, there’s no question it would have come out during the campaign,” Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. “So, I don’t know what’s prompting it. I think it’s all unfortunate.” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., questioned why Musk would let his young son, nicknamed “X,” around Trump if he believed he was closely associated with a pedophile. “The Biden administration would have put it out. There’s nobody that Democrats hate more than Donald J. Trump, and he’s handing them their lunch every day. So, I don’t put much faith into it,” Burchett said. “Why would he let his kid hang out with the president if that was true? That just doesn’t make any sense. And now he’s calling for his impeachment. I mean, it’s just going off to the deep end.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who is leading a task force on declassifying federal investigations, including Epstein’s, told reporters she did not think Musk’s suggestion held water. “Speaking to Jeffrey Epstein, I will be very specific that I do believe that if President Trump was in the Epstein files, they would have released it during the primary, and they didn’t,” Luna said. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE “So, the fact is, is that I do not believe that President Trump is in the Epstein files, the way that it’s being implied, but either which way, this is why we continue to push for transparency.” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., however, stood apart in his answer in calling for more transparency into the Epstein files. “Facts will bear out whatever they will,” Norman said. “The Epstein files are bound to come out, and let it come out. We ought to see it. America has a right to know, just like they do with the John F. Kennedy files, the Bobby Kennedy files.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed Musk’s tirade to Trump’s bill, which is focused on working- and middle-class tax relief and not benefiting Musk and his companies enough. “This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again,” Leavitt said. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital, “I could not tell you what Elon Musk’s motivations are, but I can tell you what we’re going to do, which is avoid a $4 trillion tax increase on the American people. And while it’s well-known the two men were acquainted, a source familiar with the matter pointed out that Trump had kicked Epstein out of his Palm Beach Golf Club. Trump had permanently banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago for hitting on a teenage daughter of a club member, according to a book, “The Grifter’s Club.” “The administration itself released Epstein files with the President’s name included. This is not a new surprise Elon is uncovering. Everyone already knew this,” the source said. “If Elon truly thought the President was more deeply involved with Epstein, why did he hang out with him for six months and say he ‘loves him as much as a straight man can love a straight man?’” Fox News Digital has also reached out to Musk for comment via his office at Tesla.
Chinese chemical bust by border officials underscores multifront effort by CCP to undermine US
Mexican drug cartels are getting help from the Chinese to build their drug empire that feeds off American consumers. Border patrol officials intercepted 50,000 kilos of precursor chemicals this week used in the process of manufacturing methamphetamines, sent from China and intended for members of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. In addition to providing the cartels with the chemicals needed to make illicit drugs, Chinese entities are also one of the foremost actors in helping them launder their proceeds, according to the Treasury Department. “For far too long, the Mexican drug cartels have raked in billions of dollars at the expense of our local communities leaving nothing but addiction, death and despair in their wake,” said Chad Plantz, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge in Houston. “This initiative provides HSI with a game-changing method to stay one step ahead of the cartels by disrupting the flow of chemicals that they depend on to produce illicit narcotics.” ‘COMING FOR US’: EXPERT SOUNDS ALARM ON CCP’S MISSION TO ‘KILL AMERICANS’ AFTER FBI MAKES SHOCKING ARRESTS The seizure was part of an ongoing initiative launched in 2019 to identify suspicious shipments of precursor chemicals from China, India and other countries that are destined for Mexican drug cartels. Since the initiative was established, officials have interdicted more than 1,700,000 kilograms of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamines and fentanyl, including a seizure this past March of 44,000 kilograms of precursor chemicals at the Port of Houston, destined for the Sinaloa Cartel. Immigration officials’ bust comes amid news of a spate of other incidents involving Chinese nationals or individuals working for China who have engaged in espionage efforts, ranging from agroterroism and selling military secrets, to infiltrating U.S. universities and utilizing American-based products to sow political divisions online. In the latest incident, two Chinese nationals were charged with allegedly smuggling a “dangerous biological pathogen” into the U.S. to study at a University of Michigan laboratory. This happened amid controversy over the Trump administration’s effort to intensify visa scrutiny for Chinese nationals trying to enter the United States. CHINESE OFFICIAL REPORTEDLY SEEKING TALKS WITH TRUMP ON FENTANYL INGREDIENTS AMID TRADE WAR Last month, an expansive investigation by a group of Stanford students detailed how there is a culture of students and faculty at their school doing work for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The report highlighted how some students want to work with the Chinese government, such as through sharing intellectual property or aligning their research priorities with Chinese interests, while others are sometimes coerced into doing work for the CCP, particularly if they have family back in Beijing. Meanwhile, just this week, reports of Chinese efforts to steal U.S. state secrets or sow political divisions have surfaced. On Friday, the Department of Justice indicted two Chinese nationals and a lawful permanent resident for conspiring to traffic sensitive American military technology to the CCP. Over the weekend, a British businessman was arrested for attempting to smuggle sensitive U.S. military components to China. American artifical intelligence company OpenAI this week also shutdown a Chinese-linked influence operation that was utilizing its ChatGPT product to generate social media posts and sow political division related to U.S. politics online. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The new visa policy is long overdue,” Congresswoman Michele Steel said. “After four years of willful ignorance – or gross incompetence – under the Biden administration, President Trump has wasted no time in directing his administration to take the decisive, necessary action to finally thwart the pervasive and growing threat of Chinese communist espionage.”
Democrats begin to embrace Musk amid Trump spat after party railed against him as a ‘dictator’
Democrats are moving to embrace former Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk as he publicly spats with President Donald Trump, despite many party voters and lawmakers railing against Musk for months as a “fascist” or “dictator” for taking a hatchet to the federal government’s overspending and fraud within the Trump administration. “If Biden had a big supporter criticize him, Trump would have hugged him the next day,” Democrat California Rep. Ro Khanna posted to X on Thursday of Musk’s criticisms of the “big, beautiful bill.” “When we refused to meet with @RobertKennedyJr, Trump embraced him & won. We can be the party of sanctimonious lectures, or the party of FDR that knows how to win & build a progressive majority.” Khanna told Politico on Wednesday that Democrats should “ultimately be trying to convince [Musk] that the Democratic Party has more of the values that he agrees with.” WHITE HOUSE STANDS BY TAX BILL AFTER MUSK CALLS IT A ‘DISGUSTING ABOMINATION’ “A commitment to science funding, a commitment to clean technology, a commitment to seeing international students like him,” he added. Democrat New York Rep. Ritchie Torres told the outlet on Wednesday, “I’m a believer in redemption, and he is telling the truth about the legislation.” Torres said Musk has “done an enormous amount of damage” and “there are Democrats who see his decimation of the federal workforce and the federal government as an unforgivable sin.” “Couldn’t agree with Elon more: kill the bill,” Jon Favreau, who served as former director of speech writing for former President Barack Obama, posted to X in response to Musk calling on lawmakers to “kill” the legislation. JONATHAN TURLEY WARNS DEMOCRATS ‘SHREDDING’ THEIR OWN BELIEFS WITH ‘DANGEROUS’ ANTI-MUSK CAMPAIGN Musk is in the midst of publicly trading barbs with Trump over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is sweeping legislation currently making its way through Congress and aims to fund the president’s agenda. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk posted to X on Tuesday. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.” In addition to Democrats who don’t support the bill, Musk has also found himself aligned with members of the House Freedom Caucus, which is considered the most conservative voting bloc within the lower chamber, as well as staunch fiscal conservatives in the Senate, such as Republicans Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Wisconsin Sen. Ron. Johnson, who have publicly rebuked the legislation. Some Democrats posting messages favorable of Musk’s comments on the “big, beautiful bill” come after many left-wing voters and lawmakers, as well as federal employees, slammed Musk for months as an unelected billionaire who was helping shape White House policy. Many also took issue with Musk on inauguration day for delivering what dozens of media outlets described as a “Nazi-style salute” to Trump supporters. “If you’re cool and want to defend the ‘Sieg Heils’ and the Nazi salutes … whatever you want to do, that’s on you,” Democrat New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Coretz said in January following the gesture. “I’m on the opposite side of that. I’m not with the Nazis.” “I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal,” New York Rep. Jerry Nadler tweeted in January. “This abhorrent gesture has no place in our society and belongs in the darkest chapters of human history. I urge all of my colleagues to unite in condemning this hateful gesture for what it is: antisemitism.” “He’s incompetent. He’s a thief. He’s a Nazi. And people don’t trust him,” former Democrat New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman said of Musk in March. “He’s a Nazi nepo baby who breaks everything he touches,” Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Ayanna Pressley said in February as Musk announced cuts to the federal government via DOGE. “And right now he’s locked himself in a room with grandpa’s Social Security check.” Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey referred to Musk as a “dictator” at an anti-DOGE rally in February. TESLA HYPOCRISY: DEMS CONTINUE INVESTING IN ELON MUSK COMPANY DESPITE PAINTING HIM AS VILLAIN Fiscal conservatives in Congress have spoken out against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as one that will increase the U.S. debt ceiling by trillions, including Senate Republicans bucking support for the legislation after its passage in the House last month. “I want the tax cuts to be permanent. But at the same time, I don’t want to raise the debt ceiling $5 trillion,” Paul told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “The GOP will own the debt once they vote for this.” Trump has admonished the criticism from fiscally conservative Republicans, arguing that Paul, for example, was on the verge of siding with the “Radical Left Democrats” and encouraging a 68% tax hike on Americans if he voted against the legislation. Musk, since stepping down from his DOGE role in May after his 130 predetermined days as a special government employee ended, ramped up his criticism of the bill on Wednesday, including encouraging lawmakers to “kill the bill.” On Thursday, Trump directly addressed Musk’s comments, saying in an Oval Office meeting with the chancellor of Germany that he was “disappointed” by Musk’s attacks on the legislation and said he was unsure how their friendly relationship would fare through the criticisms. Trump added that Musk’s disapproval of the bill was allegedly tied to its cuts to electrical vehicle mandates. Musk is the CEO of electric vehicle company Tesla. MUSK SAYS TRUMP WOULD HAVE LOST 2024 ELECTION WITHOUT HIM AS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ FEUD CONTINUES “I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, better than you people. He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it,” Trump said Thursday. “All of a sudden, he had a problem. And he only developed the problem when he found out that we’re going
WATCH: Republican senators react to Musk v. Trump feud: ‘He’s not the CEO here’
Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Roger Marshall of Kansas shared their thoughts on the sudden, escalating feud between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, with one senator saying Musk needs to realize “he’s not the CEO here.” After denying “outlandish” Democratic claims that the Trump-backed “big, beautiful bill” would result in cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits if passed, Cornyn addressed whether he believes Trump is wise to threaten to cancel all of Musk’s companies’ government contracts. Musk and Trump have been locked in an escalating war of words over their disagreement about the president’s proposed budget bill, which is being considered by the Senate. In an X post Tuesday, Musk said: “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.” ELON MUSK POSTS ‘KILL BILL’ MEME IN LATEST PUSH TO NIX TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Musk then asserted Thursday afternoon that Trump “is in the Epstein files” and “that is the real reason they have not been made public.” Meanwhile, Trump has said Musk is “wearing thin” during his leadership at DOGE and asserted he “asked him to leave.” “I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” Trump said on Truth Social. The president also said Thursday “the easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ FACES RESISTANCE FROM REPUBLICAN SENATORS OVER DEBT FEARS “I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!” Cornyn stopped short of criticizing either side, telling Fox News Digital Musk “has done a great service to the nation” and “I’m grateful to President Trump for bringing him on board and initiating DOGE.” Even through Musk’s spat with the president, Cornyn said the Department of Government Efficiency is “going to now be a permanent part of our discussions up here.” “Everybody believes, or understands, I should say, that the federal government is too big and too bloated and inefficient, and Elon and DOGE was very effective, I thought, at pointing out some of the most egregious examples of that,” the Texas Republican said. RADICAL NEW DOGE TRANSPARENCY POWERS COULD HIT CONGRESS AFTER ELON MUSK EXIT Marshall responded to the controversy by telling Fox News Digital, “We appreciate what Elon did for the government, but it’s time to move on. “What Elon doesn’t realize is that he’s not the CEO here. “Working for Congress, working for the people back home is so much different than being a CEO. [When] you’re a CEO, you tell people jump, they say, ‘How high do you got to go?’ But President Trump is working with a board.” Marshall described the president’s role as “working with a board of a big business.” “There’s 435 across the Capitol way here. There’s 100 in the Senate. We’ve all got opinions. And, right now, this bill, I think 90% of the folks up here, Republicans, thinks that it’s where it needs to be,” he said. Though acknowledging “there’s opportunities for improvement” and “I agree with Elon that we’re still spending too much money, that we need more cuts, I’ve learned a long time ago to stay locked in on my goal. And I am locked in on getting this one big, beautiful bill across the line.” ‘AMERICAN HERO’ OR ‘FAILURE’: ELON MUSK’S DOGE DEPARTURE DIVIDES CAPITOL HILL “I can guarantee you we’re not paying any attention to this little feud going on,” he concluded. Regarding Democratic accusations that the bill will drastically cut Medicaid and SNAP benefits, Marshall said, “We’re going to do the right thing, but protect it for those who need it the most.” He posited that the Medicaid system is rife with illegal aliens and other individuals using the program “fraudulently.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Addressing the rest of those not using the system fraudulently, the senator said, “We’re not going to take grandma out of the nursing home. We’re going to make sure that she has her Medicaid. “Persons with disabilities, I will fight to keep their Medicaid for them, children as well. But, on the other hand, there’s probably 7 million healthy American men out there, working age, that really should be working and not on Medicaid, not on food stamps,” he added. “So, let’s help those people get a job.”