(Reuters) — Tesla shares jumped 10% on Monday after the electric-vehicle maker started testing its long-awaited robotaxi service, a key step toward proving the technology that CEO Elon Musk has for years touted as a crucial driver of its lofty valuation.
The automaker deployed a small fleet of self-driving taxis in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, marking the first time its cars have carried paying passengers without human drivers. The rides were being offered for a flat fee of $4.20 in a limited zone.
The trial&#8217;s success is crucial for Tesla as Musk has pivoted the company to self-driving cars and robots, shelving plans for mass-market dominance in the EV space as Chinese competition heats up and demand slows for its aging line-up of models.
&#8220;It was a comfortable, safe, and personalized experience,&#8221; said Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, who took multiple robotaxi rides on Sunday and has long been a Tesla bull.
&#8220;There was a moment where we drove up a narrow road going up a hill with cars parked on both sides with oncoming traffic and people opening their car doors into the road and the robotaxi masterfully maneuvered with patience and safety.&#8221;
Many social-media influencers also posted videos of their first rides on X, showing the cars navigating busy city streets by slowing down and making room for incoming traffic.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/3GbQ9sZA2O">https://t.co/3GbQ9sZA2O</a>
&mdash; Tesla (@Tesla) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tesla/status/1937076639504236728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Still, the tightly controlled trial — with about 10 vehicles and front-seat riders acting as &#8220;safety monitors&#8221; &#8211; is just the first step in what could be a years-long process of scaling up the service, according to some industry experts.
Musk said that he aims to get &#8220;hundreds of thousands, if not over a million Teslas doing self-driving in the U.S.&#8221; by the end of next year.
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ELON MUSK:“By the end of next year, we&#39;ll have hundreds of thousands, if not over a million Teslas doing self-driving in the US.” <a href="https://t.co/q4EkaxSggI">pic.twitter.com/q4EkaxSggI</a>
&mdash; Dima Zeniuk (@DimaZeniuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DimaZeniuk/status/1936795466575810739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Tesla, as well as rivals including Google-backed Waymo, have faced federal investigations and recalls following collisions.
Industry experts have questioned the efficacy of Tesla&#8217;s self-driving technology that depends mostly on cameras and AI, without redundant sensors such as lidar and radar, claiming fog, heavy rain and glaring sunlight can hamper safety.
The company will also have to navigate a new Texas law taking effect September 1 that requires a state permit for self-driving vehicles and reflects bipartisan calls for a cautious roll-out.
If Monday&#8217;s gains hold, Tesla — the world&#8217;s most valuable automaker — will add nearly $100 billion to its market value of about $1 trillion. The stock has declined about 12% so far this year, after the company faced criticism and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-issues-warning-over-left-wing-terrorist-attacks-against-tesla">threats</a> over Musk&#8217;s role in the Trump administration and his backing of right-wing political movements in Europe.
Still, Tesla trades at nearly 149 times forward earnings estimates, far above auto rivals such as Ford Motor at 9.3 and tech giants including Microsoft at 31.6.
(Reporting by Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D&#8217;Silva)

FILE PHOTO: Tesla robotaxis launch in Austin, Texas

Tesla Shares Soar After First Robotaxis Hit The Road

Austin

Auto Companies

Elon Musk

Technology

Tesla

Texas

President Donald Trump on Friday night took numerous questions from the press about the rift with billionaire Elon Musk, who recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-goes-after-trump-over-epstein-files-time-to-drop-the-really-big-bomb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacked</a> Trump on his social media platform, X.
The president repeatedly said he hopes Musk&#8217;s company Tesla does well and praised Musk&#8217;s brainchild, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but said he&#8217;s &#8220;not really interested&#8221; in working toward reconciliation.
&#8220;There are efforts &#8212; I&#8217;ve been asked about it,&#8221; Trump said of outsiders trying to get the pair back together. &#8220;But I&#8217;m not really interested in it. I&#8217;m really interested in the country and solving problems, including war problems in very far away lands.&#8221;
Trump also said he&#8217;ll look at potentially canceling government contracts with Musk&#8217;s companies, only if it&#8217;s &#8220;fair.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ll take a look at everything. He gets a lot of subsidy, so we&#8217;ll take a look at that — only if it’s fair for him, and for the country, I would certainly think about it, yeah. But it has to be fair,&#8221; the president said. “I hope he does well with Tesla. I just wish him well.&#8221;
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Trump made a similar statement on Truth Social, <a href="https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-decommission-dragon-spacecraft-in-response-to-pres-trump-war-of-words-elon-musk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a>, &#8220;The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
On reports of Musk&#8217;s alleged drug use, POTUS took to hitting the media. “I don’t want to comment on his drug use, I don&#8217;t know what his status is,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I read an article in The New York Times &#8212; I thought it was, frankly, it sounded very unfair to me.”
This past week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Musk’s statements on Trump were a reaction to not getting what he wanted in the reconciliation bill.
“This is an unfortunate episode from Elon,” she said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-responds-to-elon-musk-epstein-claims-an-unfortunate-episode-from-elon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement to The Daily Wire</a>, “who is unhappy with the One Big, Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted.”
“The president is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again,” Leavitt added.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Trump just answered a lot of questions tonight about Elon, as well as his companies. Here were his responses to each question:
Trump tonight on Elon Musk: “I hope he does well with Tesla. I just wish him well.”
Trump on if he will cancel Elon’s companies government contracts:… <a href="https://t.co/2jnaYtmQXj">pic.twitter.com/2jnaYtmQXj</a>
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) <a href="https://twitter.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1931170672706760942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-responds-to-elon-musk-epstein-claims-an-unfortunate-episode-from-elon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House Responds To Elon Musk Epstein Claims: ‘An Unfortunate Episode From Elon’</a>

Donald Trump and Elon Musk

‘Not Really Interested’: Trump Talks Elon Rift, Drug Use, And Possible Reconciliation

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Donald Trump

Executive

Politics

SpaceX

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump is considering selling the Tesla he bought from Elon Musk, The Daily Wire has learned.
Musk has repeatedly asked to meet with the president on Friday, a senior White House office said, following his very public and dramatic outburst on X on Thursday, when he repeatedly criticized the president and accused him of covering up the Jeffrey Epstein files to protect himself.
Trump, the official shared with The Daily Wire, is focused on getting the &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; passed and does not plan to speak with Musk on Friday. He&#8217;s also considering selling the red Tesla that he bought from Musk in March, when Tesla delivered five of its cars to the White House for Trump to inspect — which he did, with Musk by his side.
As of Friday morning, the Tesla is parked outside the White House. It is an all-wheel-drive red Model S Plaid that was previously listed on the Tesla website for $88,490.
<div id="attachment_930359" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-considers-selling-his-tesla-as-elon-musk-begs-for-meeting/tesla-2" rel="attachment wp-att-930359"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930359" class="wp-image-930359 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Tesla-768x576.jpeg" alt="President Trump's Tesla sits outside the White House on Friday, June 6." width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Tesla-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Tesla-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Tesla-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Tesla.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a>President Trump&#8217;s Tesla sits outside the White House on Friday, June 6.</div>
POLITICO reported Thursday that White House aides were urging the president to avoid escalating the fight with Musk, urging the president to take a phone call from the billionaire CEO. During a phone call with ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl on Friday morning, Trump said that he was &#8220;not particularly&#8221; interested in talking to Elon.
The president also told CNN: “I won’t be speaking to [Musk] for a while I guess, but I wish him well.”
“I’m not even thinking about Elon,” Trump added. “He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem.”

President Trump Speaks Alongside Tesla Vehicles At The White House

Trump Considers Selling His Tesla As Elon Musk Presses For Meeting

President Donald Trump said Friday morning that he&#8217;s &#8220;not particularly&#8221; interested in speaking with Elon Musk after the massive blowup between the two former allies on Thursday.
Musk signaled his interest in smoothing things over with Trump Thursday night when he replied to an X <a href="https://x.com/BillAckman/status/1930738907081331040">post</a> from billionaire Trump supporter Bill Ackman calling for Trump and Musk to &#8220;make peace for the benefit of our great country.&#8221;
&#8220;You&#8217;re not wrong,&#8221; the Tesla and SpaceX CEO <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930798791806050496">replied</a>.
According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/05/trump-white-house-aides-signal-a-possible-detente-with-musk-00391502">POLITICO</a>, White House aides urged the president to avoid escalating the fight with Musk and scheduled a phone call with Musk for Friday. Trump, however, doesn&#8217;t appear ready to take that step, <a href="https://x.com/jonkarl/status/1930953493797273708?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q">telling</a> ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl in a phone call Friday morning that while Musk wants to talk, the president is &#8220;not particularly&#8221; interested in a discussion. Karl added that Trump didn&#8217;t &#8220;seem angry or even concerned about the feud.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/06/politics/donald-trump-elon-musk-rift">told</a> CNN Friday morning, &#8220;I won’t be speaking to [Musk] for a while I guess, but I wish him well.”
“I’m not even thinking about Elon,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem.”
Just hours earlier, Trump said he was &#8220;very disappointed&#8221; with Musk for his comments on the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; sparking a back-and-forth between the two titans on social media, culminating in Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-goes-after-trump-over-epstein-files-time-to-drop-the-really-big-bomb?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Elon+Musk+Goes+After+Trump+Over+Epstein+Files%3A+%E2%80%98Time+To+Drop+The+Really+Big+Bomb%E2%80%99">accusing</a> Trump of sitting on the Epstein Files because he is implicated in them, and Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-musk-just-went-crazy-threatens-his-governmental-subsidies-and-contracts">threatening</a> to strip Musk&#8217;s companies of government subsidies and contracts.
In a Truth Social post, the president rebuked his former senior adviser, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-musk-just-went-crazy-threatens-his-governmental-subsidies-and-contracts">saying</a> that Musk &#8220;just went CRAZY.&#8221;
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“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” the president posted.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” he added in a follow-up. “I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114632555927229642">added</a> later on Thursday night, &#8220;I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago.&#8221;
&#8220;This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress,&#8221; he added, referring to his &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221; &#8220;It’s a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given. If this Bill doesn’t pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that. I didn’t create this mess, I’m just here to FIX IT. This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221;
Musk&#8217;s main <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-very-disappointed-with-elon-musk-fires-back?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+He%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%98Very+Disappointed+With+Elon%E2%80%99%3B+Musk+Fires+Back">criticism</a> of Trump&#8217;s key piece of legislation centers on the federal deficit and government waste, issues that Musk believes must be immediately addressed. The Tesla CEO denied that the bill&#8217;s lack of EV tax credits played a part in his opposition to it.
“Whatever. Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil &amp; gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill,&#8221; Musk said in response to Trump&#8217;s comments.
Trump also told reporters that he “would have won Pennsylvania regardless of Elon,” a comment <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-floats-creating-a-new-political-party-amid-fallout-with-trump?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Musk+Floats+Creating+%E2%80%98A+New+Political+Party%E2%80%99+Amid+Fallout+With+Trump">sparking the ire</a> of Musk, who shot back on X, writing, &#8220;Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.&#8221;
Musk was Trump&#8217;s top campaign donor in the 2024 election, spending at least $277 million and launching an aggressive operation in Pennsylvania, a swing state Trump won by roughly 1.7 percentage points.
&#8220;Such ingratitude,&#8221; Musk added.

Donald Trump/Elon Musk

Musk Signals He’s Open To Speaking With Trump, But President ‘Not Particularly’ Interested

Bill Ackman

Celebrities

Trump Administration

White House

On Thursday, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-very-disappointed-with-elon-musk-fires-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">railed</a> against Elon Musk over the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” pinning the tech billionaire&#8217;s opposition to its plan to phase out federal electric vehicle tax credits. But is it really to blame?
Musk, whose Tesla company sells electric vehicles, “only developed the problem [with the bill] when he found out we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate because that&#8217;s billions and billions of dollars,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/theblaze/status/1930659597905170561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters at the White House.
&#8220;And it really is unfair,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We want to have cars of all types — electric — we want to have electric, but we want to have gasoline combustion. We want to have different — we want to have hybrids. &#8230; We want to be able to sell everything.&#8221;
The bill accelerates the phase-out of the $7,500 consumer tax credit for electric vehicles from December 31, 2032, to the end of this year. It also outlines terms for a one-year reprieve, but Tesla has already surpassed the 200,000 sales cap to qualify.
In response to Trump, Musk declared that he does not care whether the bill retains cuts for credits on electric vehicles — as well as solar, which is expected to impact the Tesla Energy division with its solar panels and battery storage products.
&#8220;Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil &amp; gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill,&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930660788739698878" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X.
He added, &#8220;In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful. Everyone knows this! Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way.&#8221;
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Musk also <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930680655173882078" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tagged</a> the president in another post, asking if he remembered their joint appearance outside the White House in March, when Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc-p9zG00G8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised</a> Musk for not complaining that he &#8220;ended&#8221; the EV mandate.
In a post from &#8220;Tesla Owners Silicon Valley,&#8221; Musk is seen in an old video <a href="https://x.com/teslaownersSV/status/1930683013257634170" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> claiming the tax credits actually pose a &#8220;competitive disadvantage&#8221; for Tesla in comparison to companies that might sell EVs for a much lower price.
Last week, as Musk was ending his time helping to oversee the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, he started to harshly criticize the legislation — focusing on how it is estimated to inflate the national debt, not the EV credits.
Despite the attack on the bill, Musk appeared with Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, getting a warm send-off after completing his stint as a special government employee. &#8220;Elon&#8217;s really not leaving,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/DailyMail/status/1928568349606215888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;He&#8217;s going to be back and forth, I think.&#8221;

Trump and Elon

Everything You Need To Know About Trump’s Clash With Elon Over EV Credits

Electric cars

Spending Bill

Tax Cuts

President Donald Trump continued his tirade against his former senior adviser, Elon Musk, on Thursday, posting on social media that Musk &#8220;just went CRAZY!&#8221; and threatening to strip government contracts with his companies.
Trump posted about Musk on Truth Social as the Tesla and SpaceX owner took to his social media platform, X, to call out the president for pushing the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221; The back-and-forth started when Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that he was &#8220;very disappointed&#8221; with Musk&#8217;s criticism of his signature piece of legislation.
&#8220;Elon was &#8216;wearing thin,&#8217; I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!&#8221; the president <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114632206992330264">wrote</a>.
&#8220;The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114632206992330264">added</a> in a follow-up post. &#8220;I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!&#8221;
Musk responded to Trump&#8217;s posts, calling them &#8220;an obvious lie.&#8221;
&#8220;So sad,&#8221; Musk added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Such an obvious lie. So sad. <a href="https://t.co/sOu9vqMVfX">https://t.co/sOu9vqMVfX</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1930698237650026675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk also <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930698593100599462">mocked</a> Trump&#8217;s threat to end the government contracts with SpaceX, writing, &#8220;This just gets better and better. Go ahead, make my day.&#8221;
SpaceX holds numerous contracts with the federal government, including for space transportation, satellite launches, and internet services. The federal government recently <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/spacex-ula-expected-clinch-multibillion-dollar-contract-key-pentagon-launch-2025-04-04/">signed</a> a $13.5 billion contract with SpaceX, along with United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin, to launch sensitive Pentagon satellites into space.
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Musk&#8217;s electric vehicle company, Tesla, has also received government contracts and subsidies through the years, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-biden-federal-contract-electric-vehicles-donald-trump-f8f5b07d03f6e0c9d072abd69feedec4">raking</a> in over $40 million from the federal government.
The fallout between Trump and Musk stems from Musk&#8217;s belief that the president’s bill doesn’t do enough to cut waste and fraud in the federal government. He is also concerned about the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; adding to the federal deficit. Trump said on Thursday that Musk &#8220;only developed the problem [with the bill] when he found out we’re going to have to cut the EV [electric vehicle] mandate,&#8221; a claim that Musk denied.
“Whatever. Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil &amp; gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill,&#8221; Musk said. &#8220;In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful. Everyone knows this! Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way.”
Just last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/will-only-grow-stronger-musk-says-its-still-the-beginning-of-doge-as-he-steps-back-from-role">held</a> a friendly press conference with Musk, announcing his transition away from the White House. During the press conference in the Oval Office, Musk said he would &#8220;continue to be visiting here, and be a friend and an adviser to the president.&#8221;

Trump Says Musk ‘Just Went CRAZY,’ Threatens His ‘Governmental Subsidies And Contracts’

Former CNN politics reporter Chris Cillizza revealed on Wednesday that his Tesla was vandalized with a &#8220;Musk is a Nazi&#8221; sign at his son&#8217;s soccer tournament last weekend.
Cillizza, a left-wing journalist who worked for CNN from 2017 until 2022, <a href="https://chriscillizza.substack.com/p/someone-defaced-my-tesla">wrote</a> on his Substack that the vandalism is another sign that the politicization of every aspect of American life “is making us all crazy.”
Cillizza recalled the days when owning a Tesla meant “coding yourself as like an enviro-liberal-wacko-communist,&#8221; and now, in 2025, his car “symbolizes everything the left hates.”
“Doesn’t that suggest that there’s an inherent ephemeralness to what an inanimate object ‘means’ in a political context?” Cillizza added. “As in: If the meaning of owning a certain kind of car can change 180 degrees in the space of five years, isn’t it possible that ascribing meaning to it in the first place was misguided?”
In reality, he only bought it as a “cool” car that was really “fun to drive,” not as a “symbol of my support for Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration.”
The former CNN writer further aired his grievances over how the politicization of “everything” even extended to chicken sandwiches, noting how eating at Chick-fil-A has led to critiques from his audience like, “How does HATE taste?”
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“But does a sandwich have to be political at all? I didn’t eat it because I wanted to send a message to gay people. I ate it because it was delicious,” Cillizza wrote. “[Is] it ok to eat Chick-Fil-A now? Or still not because the family who founded it are evangelicals who have, in the past, expressed their opposition to gay marriage?”
The journalist dismissed the idea that merely buying a product “[lines] the pockets of people with views that should be rejected” or “normalizes” their views.
&#8220;If your bar is that you never interact with or buy anything from a company whose founder has taken a position with which you disagree or which has donated to a cause you don&#8217;t support, I find it very hard to believe you are going to make any purchases ever,&#8221; he said.
The former CNN analyst warned that such extreme politicization is &#8220;making us all crazy&#8221; and &#8220;driving us further from any sort of recognition of our common humanity,&#8221; concluding that Americans would be better served by finding common ground rather than seeking political battles in every aspect of daily life.

Tesla Supercharger Station In San Diego

Former CNN Analyst Stunned After Anti-Musk Vandals Deface His Tesla

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Elon Musk, who has taken a step back from his role in the Trump administration, said on Friday that he came to the &#8220;obvious conclusion&#8221; that &#8220;accelerating GDP growth is essential&#8221; to saving the United States from the national debt crisis.
Musk, whose massive donations to President Donald Trump and Republicans in 2024 helped secure the White House and Congress for the GOP, said earlier this week that he would donate &#8220;a lot less in the future&#8221; in political contributions. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has also taken a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-significantly-cut-back-doge-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">step back</a> from his role guiding the Department of Government Efficiency to focus more on his companies.
Responding to a conversation on X about the Republicans&#8217; &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; Musk revealed more of his thinking on his decision, which he confirmed was focused on pushing for &#8220;radical&#8221; GDP growth through humanoid robots.
The conversation was sparked when one X user <a href="https://x.com/BarrettHoffarth/status/1925595695610044438" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, &#8220;Given the disastrous GOP bill, the only chance the US has is explosive GDP growth. If that doesn&#8217;t happen in the next 2-3 years, we are cooked.&#8221;
Another person <a href="https://x.com/BarrettHoffarth/status/1925595695610044438" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a> to the post, writing, &#8220;I wonder if this [is] why Elon has somewhat moved away from politics in order to accelerate GDP growth with humanoid robots. If he believes this is the only solution then this would be his most logical choice.&#8221;
Musk, who goes by the name &#8220;Kekius Maximus&#8221; on X, <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1925787762927554651" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to the second post and confirmed that it accurately depicted his thinking on the issue.
&#8220;I have come to the perhaps obvious conclusion that accelerating GDP growth is essential. @DOGE has and will do great work to postpone the day of bankruptcy of America, but the profligacy of government means that only radical improvements in productivity can save our country,&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1925975507759243741" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
Tesla is currently <a href="https://www.tesla.com/AI#:~:text=Tesla%20Optimus,of%20our%20hardest%20engineering%20challenges." target="_blank" rel="noopener">developing</a> an &#8220;autonomous humanoid robot capable of performing unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks.&#8221; Musk appears to be re-focusing on the project after spending months around the White House advising President Donald Trump and pushing to cut government spending. Last week, the Tesla CEO posted a clip of a robot dancing with human-like movements.
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🕺 <a href="https://t.co/NzqAmN3F5z">pic.twitter.com/NzqAmN3F5z</a>
&mdash; Kekius Maximus (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1922083384085430492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In another post in April, Musk showed a video of a humanoid robot speeding up and slowing down while walking.
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Accurate actuators accelerate automation <a href="https://t.co/5H0uHxf7v2">pic.twitter.com/5H0uHxf7v2</a>
&mdash; Kekius Maximus (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1907317741763084507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1925977691162816639" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believes</a> that robots will play a major part in the global economy and have an effect on the GDP of some countries within five years. Last year, he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/elon-musk-10-billion-humanoid-robots-by-2040-20k-25k-each-2024-10-29/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted</a> that there would be 10 billion humanoid robots on Earth by 2040, sold for $20,000 to $25,000 each. He also <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1916573094367625556" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in April that &#8220;robots will surpass good human surgeons within a few years and the best human surgeons within ~5 years.&#8221;
Musk&#8217;s explanation for focusing more on his companies and less on politics comes after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bessent-says-u-s-can-grow-our-way-out-of-national-debt-crisis-by-focusing-on-economy?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Bessent+Says+U.S.+Can+%E2%80%98Grow+Our+Way+Out+Of%E2%80%99+National+Debt+Crisis+By+Focusing+On+Economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Friday morning that he is pushing to grow the economy &#8220;faster than the debt.&#8221; Bessent argued that Americans concerned with the massive federal debt should focus on the debt-to-GDP ratio “because we can grow our way out of this.”
“If we change the growth trajectory of the country, of the economy, then we will stabilize our finances and grow our way out of this,” Bessent added.

Musk Reveals More About His Decision To Step Back From Politics … And It Involves Humanoid Robots

General

Robots

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, said on Tuesday that he will dial back his spending on future political campaigns.
Asked about his plans for political contributions at Bloomberg&#8217;s Qatar Economic Forum, Musk said over video that he&#8217;s &#8220;going to do a lot less in the future.&#8221; Musk <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-277-million-trump-republican-candidates-donations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent</a> nearly $240 million through his political action committee, America PAC, helping Trump and Republicans in the 2024 election cycle. His comments on Tuesday, however, indicate that he won&#8217;t be as aggressive in pushing Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.
&#8220;I think I&#8217;ve done enough,&#8221; Musk said, adding, &#8220;If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I do not currently see a reason.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="LIVE: Elon Musk speaks remotely at the Qatar Economic Forum" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iTRY86NEIbg?start=1984&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Along with his major donations to the Republican effort last election cycle, Musk was also a major fixture on the campaign trail, appearing multiple times alongside Trump. After Trump took office in January, Musk led the effort, alongside the Department of Government Efficiency project, to find waste and fraud within the federal government.
After joining Trump in the White House, Musk got behind the conservative candidate in the closely watched Wisconsin Supreme Court election, saying the race could affect the &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-says-wisconsin-supreme-court-election-is-a-vote-for-which-party-controls-the-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entire destiny</a>&#8221; of humanity. Musk&#8217;s America PAC spent millions of dollars on race, but conservative candidate Brad Schimel <a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2025/wisconsin/?r=50888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> to liberal candidate Susan Crawford by 10 percentage points, and the liberals maintained a majority on the court.
Musk, who was regularly seen with the president during the Trump administration&#8217;s first 100 days, has taken a step back from overseeing Trump&#8217;s DOGE initiative.
“I’ll be allocating far more of my time to Tesla&#8230;&#8221; Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-significantly-cut-back-doge-time?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Elon+To+%E2%80%98Significantly%E2%80%99+Cut+Back+On+DOGE+Time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last month.
The Tesla CEO added in his interview on Tuesday that he is committed to leading the electric car company for at least the next five years, <a href="https://x.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1924835630858543332" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> that he wants “sufficient voting control” to keep Tesla from falling into the hands of activist investors.
“It’s not a money thing,” Musk said. “It’s a reasonable control thing over the future of the company.”
Musk&#8217;s shift back to focusing on Tesla comes after the company saw a drop in revenue and net income over the first quarter of 2025. Tesla stock dropped from $379 at the beginning of January to $222 at the beginning of April. Since then, however, the stock has climbed back up to $349. After Musk became a senior adviser to Trump and pushed for major government spending cuts, Tesla has been targeted by leftist activists who have set fires to and vandalized vehicles and threatened Tesla dealerships.
&#8220;Firing bullets into showrooms and burning down cars is unacceptable. Those people will go to prison, and the people that funded them and organized them will also go to prison. Don&#8217;t worry, we&#8217;re coming for you,&#8221; Musk said on Tuesday&#8217;s video call to the applause of the crowd.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="LIVE: Elon Musk speaks remotely at the Qatar Economic Forum" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iTRY86NEIbg?start=281&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

‘I’ve Done Enough’: Musk Says He Will Spend ‘A Lot Less’ On Future Political Campaigns

Bloomberg News

Qatar

Republicans

Neil Young is facing criticism for a new song he wrote about “fascists” buying Teslas.
The 79-year-old singer-songwriter debuted the song, reportedly titled “Let’s Roll Again,” at the Light Up the Blue charity concert in Los Angeles over the weekend. 
“If you’re a fascist, get a Tesla / It’s electric, it doesn’t matter / If you’re a Democrat, taste your freedom / Get whatever you want, taste your freedom,&#8221; Young could be heard singing in clips circulating on social media. 
“Come on Ford, come on GM / Come on Chrysler, let&#8217;s roll again,&#8221; the song continued. &#8220;Build something special that people need / Build us a safe way for us to meet / Build something that won&#8217;t kill our kids / Runs real clean.&#8221;
“Come on America, let’s get in the race / China’s way ahead, they’re making clean cars,” Young sang.
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Neil Young attacks Elon Musk: “If you’re a fascist, get a Tesla &#8211; It’s electric, it doesn’t matter. If you’re a Democrat, taste your freedom &#8211; get whatever you want, taste your freedom.” <a href="https://t.co/Gva6vtb1BK">pic.twitter.com/Gva6vtb1BK</a>
&mdash; Unlimited L&#39;s (@unlimited_ls) <a href="https://twitter.com/unlimited_ls/status/1917538359062462668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Responses on social media have been full of mockery.
“Neil Young waddling up to a mic like a deranged scarecrow, screeching out his geriatric fever dream of a protest song, is peak washed-up hippie cringe,” one X user <a href="https://x.com/SchoenPhotog/status/1917622372800290880">wrote</a>. &#8220;Neil, you sound like a college freshman who just discovered Reddit and thinks quoting China makes them deep… Time to unplug his amp and his internet, he’s gone full granola lunatic.”
“Imagine 25-year-old Neil Young seeing what a boorish square he would become,” another person <a href="https://x.com/NolteNC/status/1917669704660910416">agreed</a>.
“Another washed up slob,” political commentator Mark Levin <a href="https://x.com/marklevinshow/status/1917759301646504311">said</a>.
The new song comes as Elon Musk’s car company <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-significantly-cut-back-doge-time?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Elon+To+%E2%80%98Significantly%E2%80%99+Cut+Back+On+DOGE+Time">reported</a> a 71% earnings drop over the past three months when compared to the first quarter of last year. This decline was driven in part by frequent protests over Musk working with President Donald Trump on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative.
Recently, Young said he was afraid Trump wouldn’t allow him back into the country after his upcoming European tour.
“When I go to play music in Europe, if I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket,” he wrote on his <a href="https://neilyoungarchives.com/news/3">website</a>. “That is happening all the time now. Countries have new advice for those returning to America.”
&nbsp;

Neil Young

Neil Young Slammed For New Anti-Tesla Song: ‘Peak Washed-Up Hippie Cringe’

Neil Young Slammed For New Anti-Tesla Song: 'Peak Washed-Up Hippie Cringe'

Entertainment

Elon Musk says he will soon reduce his time overseeing the Trump administration&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, a role that has taken a toll on his electric car and energy company, Tesla.
&#8220;The large slug of work necessary to get the DOGE team in place and working in the government to get the financial house in order is mostly done,&#8221; Musk said during a Tesla earnings call on Tuesday.
&#8220;And I think starting probably in the next month, May, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly,&#8221; Musk continued, adding later, &#8220;I&#8217;ll be allocating far more of my time to Tesla&#8230;&#8221;
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BREAKING: Musk says he&#39;ll be cutting down time at DOGE starting in May to dedicate more time to Tesla but will spend a couple of days at DOGE a week for Trump&#39;s entire presidency.
&quot;The large amount of work necessary to get the DOGE team in place&#8230; is mostly done.&quot;
&quot;Starting… <a href="https://t.co/S6cy9kUB5m">pic.twitter.com/S6cy9kUB5m</a>
&mdash; Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1914800041354781078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Musk suggested that he will continue working in DOGE for the remainder of President Donald Trump&#8217;s term, &#8220;a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the president would like me to do so.&#8221;
Tesla reported a 71% earnings drop over the past three months when <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/04/22/tesla-earnings-elon-musk-politics-stock/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compared</a> to the first quarter of last year. But the company&#8217;s stock rose approximately 5% in after-hours trading as Musk reassured investors.
&#8220;Musk just made a huge step forward on call. DOGE work basically ending (1-2 days a week)…now his focus back on Tesla. Street needed to hear this,&#8221; Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a <a href="https://x.com/DivesTech/status/1914797271855648909" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on X.
As the U.S. national debt approaches $37 trillion, Musk endeavored to remove $1 trillion from the federal budget. DOGE&#8217;s website says &#8220;estimated savings&#8221; have <a href="https://doge.gov/savings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached</a> $160 billion amid cuts to programs and jobs across the bureaucracy.
However, Musk&#8217;s involvement with DOGE has sparked controversy, including protests at Tesla locations across the United States and abroad, as well as incidents that the FBI says have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-issues-warning-over-left-wing-terrorist-attacks-against-tesla" target="_blank" rel="noopener">involved</a> vandalism, arson, and gunfire.
Musk said DOGE led to &#8220;some blowback,&#8221; but he stressed, &#8220;I think the work that we&#8217;re doing there is actually very important for trying to rein in the insane deficit that is leading our country, the United States, to destruction.&#8221;
DOGE has &#8220;made a lot of progress&#8221; addressing &#8220;waste and fraud,&#8221; Musk said. He also noted it is &#8220;natural&#8221; that those receiving &#8220;wasteful dollars and the fraudulent dollars&#8221; would try to &#8220;attack&#8221; him and those associated with him.

Elon To ‘Significantly’ Cut Back On DOGE Time

A Minnesota state fiscal policy analyst who <a href="https://www.startribune.com/suspect-in-tesla-vandalizing-spree-in-minneapolis-to-be-entered-into-diversion-and-not-charged/601334027">reportedly</a> admitted to vandalizing six Teslas, causing a reputed $21,000 in damages, will not be charged with criminal conduct by the local Democrat county attorney.
Dylan Bryan Adams, 33, who <a href="https://x.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/1913268726813827421" target="_blank" rel="noopener">describes himself</a> as a fiscal policy analyst for the state Department of Human Services on social media, was caught on video keying different Teslas in the Minneapolis area. One owner of a victimized Tesla told the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/suspect-in-tesla-vandalizing-spree-in-minneapolis-to-be-entered-into-diversion-and-not-charged/601334027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota Star Tribune</a> that the marks on her car appeared to be a failed attempt to carve a swastika.
“Our main priorities are to secure restitution for the victims and hold Mr. Adams accountable,” Hennepin County Attorney&#8217;s Office spokesman Daniel Borgertpoepping stated. “As a result, we will file for pre-charge diversion to best facilitate both of those goals. This is an approach taken in many property crime cases and helps to ensure the individual keeps their job and can pay restitution, as well as reducing the likelihood of repeat offenses. Criminal prosecution remains a possibility should unlawful behavior continue.”
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4/ Let&#39;s take a look at the mindset of Gov. Tim Walz&#39;s state employee Dylan Bryan Adams, who is suspected of damaging several Teslas in the heart of MAGA Country in downtown Minneapolis. <a href="https://t.co/bJtqeTCMMB">pic.twitter.com/bJtqeTCMMB</a>
&mdash; CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/1913297668681461939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Participants in the county attorney’s diversion program are expected to sign a contract which could include conditions like community service and restitution payments,” the Star Tribune noted.
“The Minneapolis Police Department did its job,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara reacted. “It identified and investigated a crime trend, identified and arrested a suspect, and presented a case file to the Hennepin County Attorney&#8217;s Office for consideration of charges. This case impacted at least six victims and totaled over $20,000 in damages. Any frustration related to the charging decision of the Hennepin County Attorney should be directed solely at her office. Our investigators are always frustrated when the cases they poured their hearts into are declined. In my experience, the victims in these cases often feel the same.”
“We are reviewing the matter at this time,” Minnesota DHS stated to the Star Tribune. “State employees are expected to follow our code of conduct and hold themselves to the highest ethical standards through their words and actions.”
Mary Moriarty, the Hennepin County Attorney, was a former public defender who became Hennepin County Attorney in January 2023. “She vowed to make police more accountable and change the culture of an office she believes had long overemphasized punishment without addressing the root causes of crime,” KFGO <a href="https://kfgo.com/2024/07/30/hennepin-county-prosecutor-facing-backlash-but-vows-to-endure/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in July 2024.
Attorney Gretchen Gray-Larson, who retired in July 2023 from the county attorney’s office after 33 years, said colleagues of hers who kept working in the office were not happy, adding, “People are afraid to talk. The morale is horrible.”

Maplewood, Minnesota. Tesla car dealership. Cars at charging stations. Tesla, Inc. is an American electric vehicle and clean energy company.

Walz Admin Staffer Walks Free After Doing $20K Damage To Teslas

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