In an eyebrow-raising display of mutual admiration, tech billionaire Elon Musk and former U.S. President Donald Trump lavished effusive praise upon one another during a chummy joint interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. The cozy tête-à-tête, which Hannity quipped felt like he was “interviewing two brothers,” focused on defending Musk’s controversial overhaul of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Musk Touts ‘Thrashing of Bureaucracy’ in Doge Revamp
With his signature bravado, Musk boasted of a “thrashing of the bureaucracy as we try to restore democracy and the will of the people” when pressed about criticism of his so-called “department of government efficiency” involved in the Dogecoin project. The brash entrepreneur framed the initiative as an attempt to cut through red tape and implement the desires of the masses.
For his part, Trump backed up Musk’s claims, asserting that the Doge figurehead had identified a whopping one percent in “waste, fraud and abuse” in the system. The former commander-in-chief even went so far as to predict that Musk is “going to find $1 trillion” in such inefficiencies.
Billionaire Conflicts of Interest Dismissed
The power duo handily dismissed concerns over potential conflicts of interest arising from Musk’s sprawling business empire. The magnate’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, hold billions in government contracts that could allow him to tilt federal spending to benefit his own interests in the Doge redesign.
“He wouldn’t be involved” if a conflict arose, Trump breezily assured, while Musk chimed in, “I’ll recuse myself… I haven’t asked the president for anything, ever.”
Trump Takes Swipes at Ukraine, DOJ Sees Shakeup
Elsewhere in Trumpworld, the former president stirred up fresh controversy by appearing to lay blame on Ukraine for its war with Russia. When asked about President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s displeasure at being excluded from U.S.-Russia peace talks, Trump griped that Ukraine “should have never started” the conflict and “could have made a deal.”
Tensions continued to roil the Justice Department as well, with a top prosecutor abruptly resigning after refusing Trump’s demand to investigate a government contract from the Biden era. The department has traditionally been seen as independent from political pressure.
Hundreds of FEMA Workers Fired After Holidays
Adding to the turmoil were mass terminations of federal employees over the holiday weekend and into Tuesday, which saw hundreds of FEMA workers ousted amid disaster relief and rebuilding efforts. The gutting of staff could hamper the agency’s critical services to devastated communities.
More Tariff Threats Loom, ‘Doom Spending’ Rises
On the economic front, Trump expanded his protectionist crusade against trading partners by threatening 25% tariffs on imported cars, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. The specter of further levies spooked consumers and stoked “doom spending,” with one in five Americans frantically buying extra goods as a hedge against expected price spikes.
Whether Musk and Trump’s shared vision will truly democratize and streamline Doge, or merely serve to enrich corporate titans, remains to be seen as a shroud of uncertainty and upheaval descends upon Washington. As the tycoon-in-chief odd couple rallies their forces, only time will tell if their bureaucracy-busting bromance is an agent of popular will or a billionaire’s bonanza in disguise.
Adding to the turmoil were mass terminations of federal employees over the holiday weekend and into Tuesday, which saw hundreds of FEMA workers ousted amid disaster relief and rebuilding efforts. The gutting of staff could hamper the agency’s critical services to devastated communities.
More Tariff Threats Loom, ‘Doom Spending’ Rises
On the economic front, Trump expanded his protectionist crusade against trading partners by threatening 25% tariffs on imported cars, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. The specter of further levies spooked consumers and stoked “doom spending,” with one in five Americans frantically buying extra goods as a hedge against expected price spikes.
Whether Musk and Trump’s shared vision will truly democratize and streamline Doge, or merely serve to enrich corporate titans, remains to be seen as a shroud of uncertainty and upheaval descends upon Washington. As the tycoon-in-chief odd couple rallies their forces, only time will tell if their bureaucracy-busting bromance is an agent of popular will or a billionaire’s bonanza in disguise.
