Saturday, June 7

A highly public fight between US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk has escalated, quickly worsening relations between the two.

Trump and Musk have been quite close since last year, when Musk strongly backed his presidential bid. Musk was seen as a hardcore Republican fighting to get Trump into office, spreading pro-Trump posts on social media and speaking with him onstage. He also gave a record $277 million in funds towards Trump's campaign, bringing him even closer to the now-president.

However, those good relations have quickly declined after a major fallout between the two billionaires in recent days. Musk, who was put at the leading position of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after getting onto Trump's good side, was forced to leave the White House this week after his 130-day term as a special government employee came to an end.

At his departure ceremony, Musk denied the recent reports of him taking drugs on the job, and was given a gold key to the White House to commemorate his efforts towards reducing the government budget deficit.

Then, relations crumbled, with Musk calling out a new bill that has been spearheaded by the president. The bill, which includes a sweeping wave of tax cuts and increased government spending in certain areas, was heavily denounced by Musk, with the billionaire calling it a "disgusting abomination." The bill also includes the removal of tax credits for electric cars, which could be one of the reasons why Musk dislikes the bill-- he owns the major electric car company, Tesla.

A few days after the dissent began, Trump struck back, establishing that he was "disappointed" in Elon Musk's posts. Musk, though, continued with the rout, posting that Trump would have lost the election if it weren't for him and claiming that Republicans would have lost control of both the House and the Senate if he hadn't supported Trump's bid.

Trump responded by confirming that he had fired Musk by not approving his request to stay in his position for longer, and accused Musk of going "crazy" because he removed the EV tax credits that "forced everyone to buy electric cars that nobody else wanted."

That was just the beginning, with the brief tiff quickly escalating into a very public, personal brawl. Accusations were made, contracts were threatened, and more, and it has all been seen by the public due to the fight's location on social media.

Now, where this relationship ends up is yet to be seen, and whether either man will make good on his threats will greatly affect the future of the United States and most likely other countries as well.

Fact of the Day (BBC): Dogs tilt their heads when you speak to them to better pinpoint familiar words. Your dog is tilting its head when you speak to it to pinpoint where noises are coming from more quickly. This is done to listen out more accurately for familiar words such as 'walkies' and helps them to better understand the tone of your voice. If a dog doesn't tilt its head that often, it's because it relies less on sound and more on sight.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Because you don’t live near a bakery doesn’t mean you have to go without cheesecake. (Hedy Lamarr)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Festoon (verb, fess-TOON) - Festoon usually means "to cover or decorate (something) with many small objects, pieces of paper, etc.," or "to appear here and there on the surface of." It can also mean "to hang decorative chains or strips on."

In a Sentence: Tiny wildflowers festooned the meadow.