Latest news with #TrumpMusk
New York Times
a day ago
- Health
- New York Times
Seeking Jobs and Purpose, Fired Federal Workers Form New Networks
When Scott Gagnon was fired from his government job earlier this year, he and his laid-off colleagues kept in touch to vent, comfort each other and share job opportunities. It quickly turned into an informal but crucial support group. And they happened to be uniquely qualified for the task, having worked at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a relatively small agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. 'It was very familiar territory for us to rally around each other, knowing that we're all going through this trauma, being separated from jobs that we all loved very much,' Mr. Gagnon, 49, the agency's former New England director, said in an interview. Their ad hoc network, which meets virtually every couple of weeks, mirrors the way hundreds of laid-off federal employees are dealing with the stress and pain of abruptly losing their livelihoods as part of President Trump and Elon Musk's slash-and-cut-some-more approach to reshaping the federal work force and government programs. Tens of thousands of civil servants across dozens of government agencies have been fired or have resigned since February. The groups that have emerged in response are large and small, impromptu and more formal. They meet for happy hours in the Washington area, gather virtually and stay connected through messaging apps. For the most part, those involved said, the focus has been on helping people with similar expertise or experience navigate their next chapter in the private sector or elsewhere. Getting laid off is difficult for workers in any industry. But federal employees, in many cases, sought out roles in government because of the unique combination of job security, benefits and public service. Not only are people losing their careers, experts said, they are losing a sense of self. Their challenges are compounded now by a job market where fewer and fewer opportunities are available. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Why the Trump-Musk bust-up will only serve to deepen China's doubts about the US president
Earlier this month, a dramatic feud erupted between US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk over a tax and spending bill, which culminated in the two hurling threats at each other. Advertisement Musk, who was Trump's biggest political donor and his self-proclaimed 'first buddy', said the American leader 'would have lost the elections' without him, and alleged without evidence that Trump was named in the sealed files of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump retaliated, saying he was 'very disappointed' by Musk's comments and threatening to terminate the Tesla chief executive's government subsidies and contracts. 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will any more,' he said. While the feud has since cooled and Musk has said that some of his posts 'went too far', the episode may have solidified the feeling in China that Trump is an erratic politician who goes back on his word. What this means, according to diplomatic observers, is that China could remain guarded and cautious when entering negotiations with a 'mercurial Trump'. It could also add a layer of complications as Beijing considers a summit between its leader and Trump Advertisement Sun Chenghao, a fellow at Tsinghua University's Centre for International Security and Strategy, said the fallout was not entirely unexpected but Trump's behaviour was in line with how the Chinese public and government saw his character. 'Many people believe that Trump is a transactional president who is accustomed to using tactics such as probing and pressure to determine the other party's bottom line and maximise his own interests,' he said.
Bloomberg
12-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Divorcing SpaceX Just Isn't Possible Right Now
The public spat between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the world's richest person, was unsettling given the power these two men wield and how their verbal tussle quickly escalated to issues that directly affect national security. Trump floated the cancellation of all NASA and Department of Defense contracts with SpaceX, the space-launch and satellite-internet company Musk founded in 2002. Musk countered that he would withdraw the services of the Dragon space capsule, which is the only option now, except for resorting to the Russians, for ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station.
Wall Street Journal
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
The National Slap Fight Continues
What the heck is going on? Have some of America's leaders gone completely bonkers? How else to explain the world's richest man and the globe's most powerful political figure slapping each other around with the cockiness of pimply teenagers? President Trump and once-best buddy Elon Musk looked like plastic Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots in that tiny Mattel boxing ring. We—the observing public—find it hard to turn away from the spectacle. Instead, we watch as the red and blue (or in this case, red and red) pugilists land blow after blow. But for what purpose?
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Trump says reconciliation with Musk is possible in interview before Tesla boss's apology
Donald Trump has not ruled out the possibility of reconciling with Elon Musk after their public falling out. In an interview for podcast Pod Force One, Trump said he 'could' fix the relationship with the richest man in the world, but it was not a top priority. 'Look, I have no hard feelings,' Trump said in the interview recorded on Monday. 'I was really surprised that that happened. He went after a bill that's phenomenal. …He just — I think he feels very badly that he said that, actually.' It came before Elon Musk publicly apologised for some of his social media posts about the president. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Musk tweeted: 'I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.' Sources close to Musk told Reuters his anger has started to subside, and they believe he may want to repair his relationship with Trump. In the podcast interview with Miranda Devine, Trump said he had 'no hard feelings' towards Musk.
