Report: Musk, Epshteyn clash
Musk has reportedly clashed with Epshteyn, a longterm Trump advisor. Sources say that, at a dinner table in front of other guests at Mar-a-Lago, Musk accused Epshteyn of leaking details of Trump’s transition — including personnel picks — to the media. Epshteyn responded by telling Musk that he didn’t know what he was talking about. Musk ahs also questioned whether Epshteyn has had too much influence in Trump’s selections, especially his Justice Department picks and the White House counsel.
Jones thanks Musk for helping restore Infowars
Jones says Musk is helping him to stop Infowars being sold to The Onion, after Musk’s lawyers filed a notice of appearance at the bankruptcy court.
The only individual that’s done more to expose tyranny, promote liberty and team humanity, in my lifetime, who even begins to rival Donald Trump, is Elon Musk. Everything he’s done has been devastating to tyrants and corrupt institutions and has fabulously positive for freedom for the average person. So I wanted to take a moment out to thank Elon Musk. And to specifically point out that he send his lawyers to Houston in my corporate bankruptcy case.
Exclusive! Alex Jones Thanks Elon Musk For X Corp Entering Infowars Bankruptcy Case And Provides Key Update On Fake Auction.
Livestream With Massive News Breaking On Russia and WW3 Tune In Now!https://t.co/f2rZbC3IlN pic.twitter.com/LK7ZHUvdDO
— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) November 17, 2024
Janja to Musk: F–ck you!
Speaking at an event ahead of the Rio de Janeiro summit of the G20 group of largest nations, Brazil’s First Lady Janja Lula da Silva speaks about the importance of regulating social media to curb misinformation. As a ship’s horn sounded, she says:
I think it’s Elon Musk. I’m not afraid of you, f*** you, Elon Musk.
Musk responds with laughing emojis:
They will lose the next election
🤣🤣
They will lose the next election
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 16, 2024
Trump, Musk, cabinet nominees attend UFC 309
Trump, Musk, along with several cabinet nominees, attend UFC 309 at Maddison Square Garden, New York. Trump waves to fans, who chant “USA” as he walks to the octagon, before dancing as the UFC plays footage celebrating his election victory over Kamala Harris.
After Jones wins his bout against Stipe Miocic, he greets Trump, and hands the president-elect his championship belt.
I want to say a big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight.
Jon Jones gave President Trump his belt.
AMERICA IS BACK! pic.twitter.com/flfEsb005k
— George (@BehizyTweets) November 17, 2024
Senators Reed, Shaheen want Musk Russia contact probe
Reed, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior Democrat on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees send a letter (link) to Attorney General Garland and Defence Department Inspector General Storch asking for a proble into Musk’s contact with Russian officials.
We write with serious concern regarding open source reporting detailing conversations between Russian officials and the CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk. On October 25, the Wall Street Journal reported that Mr. Musk had multiple, high level conversations with Russian President Vladmir Putin as early as 2022, and sustained contact with high-level Russian officials, including Putin’s deputy chief of staff, Sergei Kiriyenko.1 At the same time, Mr. Musk asserts that he holds a Top Secret level security clearance. These relationships between a well-known U.S. adversary and Mr. Musk, a beneficiary of billions of dollars in U.S. government funding, pose serious questions regarding Mr. Musk’s reliability as a government contractor and a clearance holder. We urgently call upon the U.S. government to open an investigation up to and including a determination by the senior debarment official of the Department of Defense, consistent with section 4654 of title 10 United States Code, to determine whether this behavior should force a review of Mr. Musk’s continued involvement in SpaceX’s varying contracts with the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community.
Over a series of posts Musk reacts:
I’m going to find out who’s making these accusations and nuke them. [Shaheen and Reed] are just the puppets. Who actually wrote this and made those knuckleheads sign it?
I’m going to find out who’s making these accusations and nuke them
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 16, 2024
‘Musk rigged dogecoin’ lawsuit ends
Musk adds Microsoft, Hoffman, to OpenAI lawsuit
Musk files an amendment to a lawsuit filed in a California court in August, adding Microsoft and Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, to the complaint of operating a monopoly. OpenAI:
[Mr Musk’s refreshed complaint is] baseless. Elon’s third attempt in less than a year to reframe his claims is even more baseless and overreaching than the previous ones.
Milei praises Trump and Musk
At the America First Gala at at Mar-A-Lago, Milei praises Trump:
The world is a much better place, and the winds of freedom are blowing much stronger. [The election was] the greatest political comeback in all of history, defying the political establishment even at the risk to his own life.
And Musk:
I would like to thank the great Elon Musk for the wonderful job he has been doing to save humanity.
Milei also criticised unfair tax systems that caused “the redistribution of wealth at gunpoint”.
Trump says it is an “honour” to welcome him to Mar-a-Lago – and calls Milei “a MAGA person”.
The job you’ve done is incredible. Make Argentina Great Again… he’s doing that.
Report: Musk, Iranian UN ambassador meet
The New York Times reports that Musk and Ivrani, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, meet at a secret location in New York for more that an hour . According to the paper, two Iranian officials said the meeting addressed how to ease tensions been the US and Iran. One of the officials said Musk was the one who requested the meeting. The Iranian officials said the meeting was “positive” and described it as “good news.”
DOGE wants to hire ‘super high-IQ small government revolutionaries.’
DOGE begins soliciting applications for staff jobs:
We don’t need more part-time idea generators. We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting. If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.
We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE. We don’t need more part-time idea generators. We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting. If that’s…
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) November 14, 2024
Musk says separately:
Even a brief stint in government by people with high competence and integrity would greatly help America…Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lots of enemies & compensation is zero…What a great deal!
Yousaf: Musk has a ‘whole team trying to besmirch my reputation’
After Musk suggested he had been “racist” in his private communications, Yousaf says he checked his private messages:
It was more out of complete and utter confusion of what the heck he was talking about. A very pointed accusation that he’s trying to make, and most people who commented underneath are saying the same thing, you know, ‘Go on Elon, release his Twitter DMs’…I’m thinking, I’ve been on Twitter for a long time, have I made an off-colour joke? Have I said something in a private communication? So, I thought I better do the belt and braces thing, and as I say there was nothing there, and unsurprisingly so
And accuses Musk of targeting him:
But here is somebody who is basically saying to me by the way ‘you better watch out; I’m going to release stuff on you and it’s going to make your life hell…I am certain he has a whole team of people who are looking at any information they can gather on me and try to use it to besmirch my reputation.
Yousaf repeats his claim that Musk is a racist, with “far-right, white supremacist tendencies”.
Elon Musk could have trillions let alone billions and he wouldn’t have enough to shut me up.
Trump, Musk, Macchio sing God Bless America
Trump, Musk and Macchio sing God Bless America at the A1Policy conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Earlier Trump had praised Musk, pointing to Musk seated in the center row directly in front of the stage.
Elon has been so great.
President @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk join @ChrisMacchio in singing God Bless America tonight at Mar-a-Lago 🎶🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/3wqmA8dLqk
— Margo Martin (@margommartin) November 14, 2024
Lemon quits X
In a post on X, Lemon says he is leaving the platform, highlighting X’s incoming new terms of service, which state that lawsuits against the social media platform will be handled in the Northern District of Texas.
I have loved connecting with all of you on Twitter and then on X for all of these years, but it’s time for me to leave the platform. I once believed it was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency, and free speech, but I now feel it does not serve that purpose.
Citing the change of venue:
Quote, all disputes be brought exclusively in the US District Court for the northern district of Texas or state courts located in Tarrant County, Texas, end quote…This quote ensures that such lawsuits will be heard in courthouses that are a hub for conservatives, which experts say could make it easier for X to shield itself from litigation and punish critics. I think that speaks for itself.
Lemon says he will remain on Facebook, TikTok, and other social media platforms.
Here's why I'm leaving Twitter… pic.twitter.com/VIope68L2k
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) November 13, 2024
Trump jokes he ‘can’t get rid of’ Musk
At a Washington DC meeting of House Republicans, Trump jokes about Musk’s presence after the election win:
Elon won’t go home. I can’t get rid of him. Until I don’t like him.
Musk has spent most days after the election with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Florida estate, joined in Trump’s game of golf with his granddaughter, and sat in with callswith world leaders.
The Guardian leaves X
The Guardian says it will no longer post content on X, saying the platform is ‘toxic’ and that Musk has used its influence to shape political discourse. The newspaper has more than 80 accounts on X with approximately 27 million followers.
We wanted to let readers know that we will no longer post on any official Guardian editorial accounts on the social media site X (formerly Twitter). We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere.
This is something we have been considering for a while given the often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism. The US presidential election campaign served only to underline what we have considered for a long time: that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.
X users will still be able to share our articles, and the nature of live news reporting means we will still occasionally embed content from X within our article pages.
Our reporters will also be able to carry on using the site for news-gathering purposes, just as they use other social networks in which we do not officially engage.
Social media can be an important tool for news organisations and help us to reach new audiences but, at this point, X now plays a diminished role in promoting our work. Our journalism is available and open to all on our website and we would prefer people to come to theguardian.com and support our work there.
Musk supports journalist investigated for X post
Musk responds to reports that the UK police visited the home a journalist for the Telegraph, to investigate her for a ‘Non Crime Hate Incident’ related to a year-old post she had posted on X.
This needs to stop.
This needs to stop https://t.co/wvwxkHvVMT
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2024
Musk, Ramaswamy to lead ‘Department of Government Efficiency’
Trump announces that Musk and Ramaswamy will lead a new ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ in his second administration.
I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”). Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the “Save America” Movement. This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk said.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2024
Fineman: Musk made me cry on SNL
In a deleted TikTok post, Fineman says Musk made her cry at a table-read for the SNL show he hosted. The incident had previously been reported by co-star Bowen Yang, who had said that a male host had once made ‘muliple cast members cry’ because ‘he hated the ideas’.
OK, I just saw some news article about Elon Musk being like butt-hurt about ‘SNL’ and his impression, but I’m, like, you’re clearly watching the show. Like, what are you talking about? And I’m like, you know what? I’m gonna come out and say at long last that I’m the cast member that he made cry. And he’s the host that made someone cry. Maybe there’s others.
I was like, I’m not gonna say anything. But I’m like, no, if you’re gonna go on your platform and be rude, like, guess what? You made I, Chloe Fineman, burst into tears because I stayed up all night writing the sketch.
I was so excited, I came in, I asked if you had any questions and you stared at me like you were firing me from Tesla and were like, ‘It’s not funny.’ I waited for you to be like, ‘Ha ha, jk.’ No. Then you started pawing through my script, like flipping each page, being, like, ‘I didn’t laugh once, not one time.
According to Fineman, the sketch, which she thought was ‘fine’, made it onto the show, and she ‘actually had a really good time.’
I thought you were really funny in it. But, you know, have a little manners here, sir.
Claim: Musk used Starlink to ‘steal’ US election
Left-wing conspiracy theorists allege the 2024 US presidential election was rigged through manipulation by Elon Musk’s Starlink network, with claims of 20 million votes disappearing and Starlink interfering with vote-counting machines spreading across platforms like X, Threads, and TikTok. There is no evidence to support the claims spreading on social media. US voting machines are typically disconnected from the internet in order to prevent interference.
Trump, Musk golf at Trump International
Trump plays golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The president-elect is accompanied by his granddaughter, Kai, as well as Musk. This is the first time Trump has played golf after the second assassination attempt made against him at the club on Sept. 15, 2024.