Donald Trump vs Elon Musk: Who has more to lose – US President or world’s richest man? Stakes are high for both!

Article arrow_drop_down

[ad_1]

Donald Trump vs Elon Musk: Who has more to lose - US President or world’s richest man? Stakes are high for both!
The fallout between Trump and Musk has created significant implications for both these influential figures.

The spat between US President Donald Trump and world’s richest person Elon Musk, is getting uglier as each hour of the day passes. From trading harsh barbs to threats, it’s a fight like no other. And it keeps getting worse! Once avid supporters of each other, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have turned on each other in the blink of an eye!The fallout between Trump and Musk has created significant implications for both these influential figures, raising concerns about potential consequences. The situation presents substantial political and financial risks for both billionaires involved.For Musk, the potential impact was immediately visible as investors in Tesla, which Musk heads, turned nervous. Tesla saw its stock crash and the company lost over $150 billion in market cap – its biggest single day loss.On the other hand, Donald Trump faces a delicate situation in the House, where losing more than three Republican votes could halt the passage of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’. It is this bill that has caused the rift between Trump and Musk. The House Freedom Caucus members have expressed reservations about the bill’s impact on the deficit, echoing Musk’s criticisms.What Does Donald Trump Have To Lose?Donald Trump’s comprehensive legislative proposal, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” includes his core policy ambitions. It combines tax cuts and enhanced border security with reductions to Medicaid and food aid programs. Though narrowly approved in the House with a 215–214 vote, the bill faces further scrutiny in the Senate before returning to the House. A significant challenge to its success comes from Elon Musk, who has condemned the bill’s projected $2.5 trillion federal deficit increase and called it a “disgusting abomination,” warning politicians who support it of electoral consequences.Musk’s public criticism carries weight, particularly among fiscally conservative lawmakers. With a history of financially supporting Trump—including over $250 million in contributions to his reelection campaign—Musk’s influence is potent. Now, he threatens to redirect that financial muscle against supporters of the bill, potentially backing primary challengers or deploying subtler tactics to sway Republican votes, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Although most GOP lawmakers remain loyal to Trump, Musk only needs a few defectors to derail the bill’s progress.Also Read | ‘Electric cars that nobody else wanted…’: Donald Trump’s shocking words on Elon Musk; says Biden should have terminated Musk’s subsidiesOnly a handful of Republican lawmakers, such as Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson have publicly aligned with Musk’s stance. Another Republican, Rep. David Schweikert, has voiced the need for significant amendments before pledging support, emphasizing concerns over the scale of national debt and validating Musk’s warnings. Meanwhile, internal party tensions rise, with a senior GOP member noting that Musk’s opposition is straining relationships within Republican ranks and undermining legislative momentum.The fallout from a Musk-Trump rift could extend far beyond this bill. With Republicans holding only a slim majority in the House, Musk’s disapproval—and the potential mobilization of his vast social media influence on X—could impact critical midterm races in 2026. Amplifying that possibility, Musk floated the idea of launching a new political party, receiving strong support from his followers in an online poll. Such a move could disrupt existing political dynamics and reshape the conservative landscape in the USWhat Does Elon Musk Have To Lose?Elon Musk, who leads Tesla, SpaceX and xAI, has big government contractual agreements whilst seeking regulatory modifications to fulfil his pledge to shareholders about transforming Tesla into a trillion-dollar AI and robotics enterprise.Also Read | Tesla stock price crash wipes out $150 billion! Investors dump Elon Musk’s company as clash with Donald Trump escalates; fear US President won’t be a ‘nice guy’On Thursday, Trump issued a warning about cancelling government agreements with Musk’s enterprises—a suggestion his supporters have advocated since the SpaceX chief executive began criticising Trump’s signature legislation this week, according to an individual familiar with the president’s thinking.Impact on SpaceX

  • SpaceX, under Elon Musk’s leadership, has built a deep and strategic relationship with multiple branches of the US government, including NASA, the Pentagon, and intelligence agencies. The company plays a central role in launching military satellites, supporting Ukraine via its Starlink internet network, and transporting astronauts to the International Space Station—making it an important partner. NASA alone has committed nearly $10 billion to SpaceX through contracts for space-station missions and lunar exploration projects, including developing Starship and a deorbiting craft for the ISS.
  • The company also relies on regulatory bodies like aviation safety and environmental authorities to support its launch operations. SpaceX recently secured a $5.9 billion agreement to deliver national-security payloads and maintains a classified $1.8 billion partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office for satellite surveillance. These collaborations underline SpaceX’s expanding influence in both civilian and military aerospace sectors.
  • However, despite SpaceX’s government ties, political uncertainty looms. A White House official remarked that Musk currently lacks allies within Donald Trump’s political circle—suggesting potential future complications in securing support or contracts if Trump returns to office. Previously, Musk seemed well-positioned to gain more government business, including participation in Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome for America” missile-defense project.

Impact on Tesla

  • Tesla requires federal-level regulatory modifications to deploy nationwide autonomous vehicles, as current regulations leave control of self-driving vehicles on public roads to individual states.
  • The company’s inability to implement autonomous driving features has been consistently attributed to regulatory obstacles. Tesla’s investments in autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots rely heavily on vehicle sales, which have declined significantly in the US and European markets, coinciding with closer ties between Musk and Trump.
  • Tesla faces additional challenges from potential White House initiatives to relax fuel economy and emissions regulations. The company generates substantial quarterly revenue through selling regulatory credits to competing automobile manufacturers who must purchase them to avoid penalties for exceeding emission limits.
  • The recent Congressional decision to remove California’s authority to establish independent tailpipe emission standards has effectively eliminated a primary catalyst for electric vehicle investment in the United States.
  • As the spat between Trump and Musk escalated, Tesla’s shares crashed 14% wiping out a whopping $150 billion from its market capitalization.

Also Read | Will the Donald Trump administration be forced to give billions of dollars in tariff refunds?



[ad_2]

Source link

About the author

trending_flat
Costume Designer Amritha Ram on designing Kamal Haasan’s unconventional look in ‘Thug Life’: ‘He’s always done what others don’t’ – Exclusive | Tamil Movie News

[ad_1] Amritha Ram discusses her creative journey designing costumes for Kamal Haasan in Mani Ratnam's 'Thug Life.' She highlights the collaborative process with Ratnam, whose precise vision guided the film's unique aesthetic, diverging from typical commercial styles. Ram details the evolution of Haasan's wardrobe across three distinct stages, emphasizing minimalism and character-driven choices, particularly in the Delhi and Nepal looks. Costume designer Amritha Ram has worked with Kamal Haasan on multiple projects, but Thug Life—directed by the legendary Mani Ratnam—offered a creative journey like no other. In this exclusive chat with ETimes, she opened up about building the layered wardrobe for Kamal’s complex character, working closely with Mani Ratnam’s precise vision, and how the film’s aesthetics stand apart from typical commercial fare. Excerpts...What was the most exciting challenge about designing for Kamal Haasan in Thug Life under Mani Ratnam's direction?The […]

trending_flat
If It Happened There: Donald Trump sends central troops to quell protests in opposition-ruled California | World News

[ad_1] Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Note: The following piece is inspired by Joshua Keating’s If It Happened There which uses tropes and tones normally used by American media to describe events in other countries. The facts presented deal with as much exactitude and accuracy as an American media outlets’ reporting about a foreign country.Los Angeles, Mexican for the city of angels, is home to Hollywood – America’s answer to Bollywood – and a city where starstruck aspirants come with the dream of being immortalised on the silver screen. Yet, the city, which falls under America-administered California, an opposition state which overwhelmingly voted for Mr Donald Trump’s rival from the Democratic Party, Ms Kamala Harris, […]

trending_flat
Apple prepares for new ‘Games’ app as domain goes live ahead of WWDC 2025 keynote

[ad_1] Apple is expected to launch iOS 19 (or rumoured iOS 26) and one of new features that is reported to come is a new Apple Games app. Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for this new application, which is said to curate games from the App Store and Apple Arcade, as a domain purportedly leading to the platform has gone live.As per a report by 9to5mac, the company's new games.apple.com domain has just gone live. However, it is currently displaying a blank page, signaling imminent content.This shift from a "Safari Can’t Find The Server" error message to a blank white page strongly suggests Apple is preparing to push content to the URL very soon, potentially coinciding with the conclusion of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote.What Apple’s new Games app is all aboutWhile the exact function of the […]

trending_flat
MS Dhoni inducted into ICC Hall of Fame | Cricket News

[ad_1] MS Dhoni, former India cricket captain, has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, recognizing his extraordinary career spanning 16 years with 17,266 international runs, 829 dismissals and 538 matches across formats for India. The wicketkeeper-batsman revolutionized the sport through his unique playing style, tactical leadership and achievements including winning all three ICC men's white-ball titles as captain. "It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever," Dhoni said about his induction. Dhoni's journey began in 2004 when he made his ODI debut. Though he was dismissed for a duck in his first match, he soon announced his […]

trending_flat
160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi in China found to be harmful to trees |

[ad_1] In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have uncovered 160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi fossils from the Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in China. The new findings offer fresh insights into the ecological relationships between blue-stain fungi, plants, and insects during the Jurassic period. These fungi are generally nonfatal to their hosts but often accelerate tree mortality when associated with wood-boring insects.According to ScienceDaily, a Chinese team of scientists highlights the discovery of well-preserved blue-stain fungal hyphae within Jurassic fossil wood from northeastern China, pushing back the earliest known fossil record of this fungal group by approximately 80 million years.Know about the blue-stain fungi, deadly to treesBlue-stain fungi are known for their ability to colonize wood, particularly in conifer trees, causing characteristic discoloration in the sapwood. While these fungi do not decompose wood, they often cause considerable damage when associated with wood-boring insects. Their role […]

trending_flat
America burning: LA reels under anti-immigration protests for third straight day despite Trump’s National Guard order

[ad_1] Multiple Waymo taxis burn near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, following last night's immigration raid protest. (Video credit: X) For the third night in a row, downtown Los Angeles became the epicentre of chaos and confrontation as protests against US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown boiled over into violence, with police deploying tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbangs to subdue demonstrators. Protesters set self-driving cars ablaze, blocked the 101 freeway, and clashed with law enforcement late into Sunday night, leaving parts of the city scorched and on edge.The flashpoint came after Trump took the extraordinary step of deploying the National Guard to California without the consent of the state's governor, an act not seen in decades. More than 300 troops arrived over the weekend, with 2,000 authorised and 500 US Marines on standby.Meanwhile, California governor Gavin […]

Related

trending_flat
Costume Designer Amritha Ram on designing Kamal Haasan’s unconventional look in ‘Thug Life’: ‘He’s always done what others don’t’ – Exclusive | Tamil Movie News

[ad_1] Amritha Ram discusses her creative journey designing costumes for Kamal Haasan in Mani Ratnam's 'Thug Life.' She highlights the collaborative process with Ratnam, whose precise vision guided the film's unique aesthetic, diverging from typical commercial styles. Ram details the evolution of Haasan's wardrobe across three distinct stages, emphasizing minimalism and character-driven choices, particularly in the Delhi and Nepal looks. Costume designer Amritha Ram has worked with Kamal Haasan on multiple projects, but Thug Life—directed by the legendary Mani Ratnam—offered a creative journey like no other. In this exclusive chat with ETimes, she opened up about building the layered wardrobe for Kamal’s complex character, working closely with Mani Ratnam’s precise vision, and how the film’s aesthetics stand apart from typical commercial fare. Excerpts...What was the most exciting challenge about designing for Kamal Haasan in Thug Life under Mani Ratnam's direction?The […]

trending_flat
If It Happened There: Donald Trump sends central troops to quell protests in opposition-ruled California | World News

[ad_1] Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Note: The following piece is inspired by Joshua Keating’s If It Happened There which uses tropes and tones normally used by American media to describe events in other countries. The facts presented deal with as much exactitude and accuracy as an American media outlets’ reporting about a foreign country.Los Angeles, Mexican for the city of angels, is home to Hollywood – America’s answer to Bollywood – and a city where starstruck aspirants come with the dream of being immortalised on the silver screen. Yet, the city, which falls under America-administered California, an opposition state which overwhelmingly voted for Mr Donald Trump’s rival from the Democratic Party, Ms Kamala Harris, […]

trending_flat
Apple prepares for new ‘Games’ app as domain goes live ahead of WWDC 2025 keynote

[ad_1] Apple is expected to launch iOS 19 (or rumoured iOS 26) and one of new features that is reported to come is a new Apple Games app. Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for this new application, which is said to curate games from the App Store and Apple Arcade, as a domain purportedly leading to the platform has gone live.As per a report by 9to5mac, the company's new games.apple.com domain has just gone live. However, it is currently displaying a blank page, signaling imminent content.This shift from a "Safari Can’t Find The Server" error message to a blank white page strongly suggests Apple is preparing to push content to the URL very soon, potentially coinciding with the conclusion of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote.What Apple’s new Games app is all aboutWhile the exact function of the […]

trending_flat
MS Dhoni inducted into ICC Hall of Fame | Cricket News

[ad_1] MS Dhoni, former India cricket captain, has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, recognizing his extraordinary career spanning 16 years with 17,266 international runs, 829 dismissals and 538 matches across formats for India. The wicketkeeper-batsman revolutionized the sport through his unique playing style, tactical leadership and achievements including winning all three ICC men's white-ball titles as captain. "It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever," Dhoni said about his induction. Dhoni's journey began in 2004 when he made his ODI debut. Though he was dismissed for a duck in his first match, he soon announced his […]

trending_flat
160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi in China found to be harmful to trees |

[ad_1] In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have uncovered 160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi fossils from the Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in China. The new findings offer fresh insights into the ecological relationships between blue-stain fungi, plants, and insects during the Jurassic period. These fungi are generally nonfatal to their hosts but often accelerate tree mortality when associated with wood-boring insects.According to ScienceDaily, a Chinese team of scientists highlights the discovery of well-preserved blue-stain fungal hyphae within Jurassic fossil wood from northeastern China, pushing back the earliest known fossil record of this fungal group by approximately 80 million years.Know about the blue-stain fungi, deadly to treesBlue-stain fungi are known for their ability to colonize wood, particularly in conifer trees, causing characteristic discoloration in the sapwood. While these fungi do not decompose wood, they often cause considerable damage when associated with wood-boring insects. Their role […]

trending_flat
America burning: LA reels under anti-immigration protests for third straight day despite Trump’s National Guard order

[ad_1] Multiple Waymo taxis burn near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, following last night's immigration raid protest. (Video credit: X) For the third night in a row, downtown Los Angeles became the epicentre of chaos and confrontation as protests against US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown boiled over into violence, with police deploying tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbangs to subdue demonstrators. Protesters set self-driving cars ablaze, blocked the 101 freeway, and clashed with law enforcement late into Sunday night, leaving parts of the city scorched and on edge.The flashpoint came after Trump took the extraordinary step of deploying the National Guard to California without the consent of the state's governor, an act not seen in decades. More than 300 troops arrived over the weekend, with 2,000 authorised and 500 US Marines on standby.Meanwhile, California governor Gavin […]

Be the first to leave a comment

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *