Tag Archives: Elon Musk

Bloomberg: Unrestrained Trump Turns to Military in Second-Term Power Play

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President Donald Trump’s moves to deploy US troops to Los Angeles and hold a splashy parade on the Army’s 250th birthday fulfills his longtime goal of leaning on the military for a show of force and political power.

Stymied in his first term by cabinet members who resisted the use of soldiers on American soil, Trump has a more compliant team around him this time. After sending in the National Guard this weekend, he escalated his showdown with California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday by mobilizing 700 active-duty Marines, a decision that Newsom called a “provocation.”

Late Monday, Trump went even further, authorizing an additional 2,000 National Guard members to deploy there, bringing the total to 4,000, not including the Marines.

…

David Leopold, a former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the presence of the National Guard and Marines was a “shocking” development meant to deliberately spread chaos, confusion and fear. “What we’ve seen is people exercising their First Amendment rights,” Leopold told Bloomberg Television. “That is what these troops are being sent out to suppress.”

Unrestrained Trump Turns to Military in Second-Term Power Play

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-10/unrestrained-trump-turns-to-military-in-second-term-power-play

Also here (no paywall):

Unrestrained Trump Turns to Military in Second-Term Power Play

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/unrestrained-trump-turns-to-military-in-second-term-power-play/ar-AA1Gq3xN

Politico: Gavin Newsom: Trump is ‘unhinged,’ speaking like an ‘authoritarian’

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The California governor blasted Trump amid the president’s deployment of National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Donald Trump’s threats against him and other Democrats following the president’s unilateral deployment of National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area carried all the markings of authoritarianism.

“It’s just an extraordinary moment, and I don’t want to overstate it, but these are the words of an authoritarian,” Newsom said in a Monday interview with POLITICO. “Whether he acts on it or not, the chill that creates is real, and it’s a serious moment, very serious.”

Trump and his border czar have targeted Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass by name with threats of arrests — and other ominous unspecified acts to be carried out by the federal government if the two don’t fall in line. Newsom spoke after a weekend of unrest — property destruction and bursts of violence — following immigration raids in the region.

California on Monday sued the Trump administration for authorizing the deployment against their will. The president and aides portrayed the move as just the start of potentially escalated action, including sending hundreds of U.S. Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton.

Newsom, Bass and other Democratic leaders believe Trump’s moves were designed to provoke protesters to produce footage showing a major American city in chaos — as well as an attempt to distract from the uneven economy hastened by his trade standoffs and his messy breakup with Elon Musk.

“He is unhinged, and he’s acting recklessly, and the threat of the Marines coming in the United States, this is a very serious and sober moment. We are going to stand firm,” Newsom said.

…

Gavin Newsom: Trump is ‘unhinged,’ speaking like an ‘authoritarian’
The California governor blasted Trump amid the president’s deployment of National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/09/gavin-newsom-trump-is-unhinged-speaking-like-an-authoritarian-00394617

Daily Mail: Body found outside looted store as LA riots take deadly turn: Live updates

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The Los Angeles riots have taken a sinister turn after a man’s body was found on the sidewalk following a night of looting and chaos. Police were called to the scene near a looted T-Mobile shortly after 1:30 a.m., where they discovered his body. An LAPD spokesperson said they are investigating the matter and it is unclear if his death was related to protest activity.

On Monday, a mystery donor was caught on camera passing out gas masks and riot shields from her Ford F-150 to protesters in the streets as the National Guard was stationed nearby. 

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Trump claims the city would have been ‘completely obliterated’ if he had not deployed the Guard.

F*ck*ng fool Trump!!!

Military announces new measures in LA as protests turn deadly: Live
LIVE UPDATES: The military is set to stay in Los Angeles for 60 days after Monday marked a fourth day of destructive anti-ICE protests.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14797673/la-riots-live-updates-2025-trump-cause-protest-ice-marines.html

CNBC: Trump authorizes deploying 2,000 more National Guard troops to LA

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  • President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of another 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
  • About 700 U.S. Marines were mobilized to support the California National Guard to protect federal personnel and property in Los Angeles.
  • Trump said that he would support arresting California Gov. Gavin Newsom for purported obstruction of federal immigration enforcement actions in LA.
  • Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta sued Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for deploying National Guard troops to deal with protests in LA.
Trump authorizes deploying 2,000 more National Guard troops to LA
President Donald Trump is “unhinged right now,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom said, arguing that federalizing National Guard troops for the protests was illegal.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/09/trump-sued-national-guard-la-california-newsom.html

Politico: Gavin Newsom: Trump is ‘unhinged,’ speaking like an ‘authoritarian’

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The California governor blasted Trump amid the president’s deployment of National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Donald Trump’s threats against him and other Democrats following the president’s unilateral deployment of National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area carried all the markings of authoritarianism.

“It’s just an extraordinary moment, and I don’t want to overstate it, but these are the words of an authoritarian,” Newsom said in a Monday interview with POLITICO. “Whether he acts on it or not, the chill that creates is real, and it’s a serious moment, very serious.”

…

Newsom, Bass and other Democratic leaders believe Trump’s moves were designed to provoke protesters to produce footage showing a major American city in chaos — as well as an attempt to distract from the uneven economy hastened by his trade standoffs and his messy breakup with Elon Musk.

“He is unhinged, and he’s acting recklessly, and the threat of the Marines coming in the United States, this is a very serious and sober moment. We are going to stand firm,” Newsom said.

…

“There’s maybe a second branch of government left in this country,” Newsom said. “We obviously lost the legislative branch to Trump and Trumpism. We pray that the courts are still holding firm.”

Gavin Newsom: Trump is ‘unhinged,’ speaking like an ‘authoritarian’
The California governor blasted Trump amid the president’s deployment of National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/09/gavin-newsom-trump-is-unhinged-speaking-like-an-authoritarian-00394617

Deadline: Trump Deploys 2,000 Troops To L.A. As Backlash & Protests To ICE Raids Surge; POTUS Action “Purposefully Inflammatory,” Newsom Warns

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Reeling from widespread harsh ICE raids and responding protests and resistance over the past 24 hours, Los Angeles has become a powder keg with Donald Trump deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops over the objection of Governor Gavin Newsom and other SoCal leaders.

As rock-throwing and bellowing Angelenos sought to stop undocumented individuals being targeted by masked and heavily armored federal agents from being dragged away from a Home Depot in Paramount, Calif. and LA’s Westlake neighborhood on Saturday, Trump took to social media to announce a de facto takeover of the City of Angels. “If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!” he said (caps’ Trump).

Declaring “to the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States” in a memorandum today, Trump says the federalized troops’ “duration of duty shall be for 60 days or at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense.”

…

Raising the stakes even more, and seeming to disregard federal law, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth proclaimed that “if violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert.”

Trump Deploys 2,000 Troops To L.A. As Backlash & Protests To ICE Raids Surge; POTUS Action “Purposefully Inflammatory,” Newsom Warns
LA is feeling the heavy hand of the White House tonight as 1000s of troops are deployed in response to protests & resistance to widespread ICE Raids.

https://deadline.com/2025/06/trump-national-guard-los-angeles-ice-raids-newsom-1236426811

Explicame: ‘Revenge tax’ set to hit passive income at 50%, analysts warn

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The ‘Revenge Tax,’ officially known as Section 899, emerges as a controversial component of President Donald Trump’s ambitious legislative proposal, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act.’ This measure, driven by House Republicans and endorsed by Trump, targets foreign investors from nations deemed to impose ‘unfair’ or ‘discriminatory’ taxes on U.S. businesses. The tax aims to deter these countries from maintaining such fiscal policies, urging them to engage in negotiations.

Section 899’s primary objective is to penalize foreign investors by expanding the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT), which prevents corporations from shifting profits abroad to evade taxes. The provision allows the U.S. to incrementally increase existing taxes on countries with ‘unfair foreign taxes’ by 5 percentage points annually, capping at 20 points above the legal rate. This could lead to passive investment income facing a U.S. withholding tax as high as 50% in certain scenarios.

The tax would apply to dividends, interest, and royalties earned by foreign investors from countries labeled as ‘discriminatory.’ However, exceptions exist for foreign pension funds and charitable organizations. Notably, U.S. Treasury bonds and portfolio interest remain unaffected. This measure could raise interest costs for some U.S. borrowers, as many loan agreements include ‘gross-up’ clauses, requiring borrowers to cover tax increases enacted post-agreement.

Yet another bad idea in the One Big Hideously Ugly Bill Act!

‘Revenge tax’ set to hit passive income at 50%, analysts warn
Trump’s bill proposes a ‘Revenge Tax’ of up to 50% on passive income from countries taxing U.S. firms, raising concerns over foreign investment and the U.S. economy.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/revenge-tax-set-to-hit-passive-income-at-50-analysts-warn/ar-AA1GjMyP

Daily Beast: Pentagon Reporter Calls Out Hegseth on Fox News Over Media Crackdown: ‘He’s Embarrassed’

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A veteran Pentagon correspondent used a Fox News appearance to savage Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for attempting to restrict media access at his department.

Barbara Starr, who spent more than 20 years as CNN’s Pentagon correspondent, claimed Hegseth is ending journalists’ access to certain areas at the Pentagon because he’s “embarrassed” by the chaos engulfing his time in the Trump administration.

“Hegseth is embarrassed,” Starr said on Fox’s MediaBuzz Sunday. “He’s embarrassed by this—so much exposure to information, classified by all accounts, that he posted on Signal about that air attack in Yemen. He’s embarrassed that information came out that he was going to meet with Elon Musk and brief him on China.”

Pentagon Reporter Calls Out Hegseth on Fox News Over Media Crackdown: ‘He’s Embarrassed’
Barbara Starr says the defense secretary should be more focused on other areas other than his “PR structure.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-reporter-barbara-starr-calls-out-hegseth-on-fox-news-over-media-crackdown-hes-embarrassed

Alternet: ‘Corrupt’ Trump official used new access for personal gain 100 times in first 5 months: report

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Democrat from Massachusetts, on Tuesday released a report chronicling over 100 examples of “unethical or potentially corrupt actions” that either benefit billionaire Elon Musk or one of his companies and which took place while Musk played a key role in the Trump administration.

According to the report, the past few months have been very profitable for Musk, who officially departed the White House last week. “Since Election Day, Musk’s staggering net worth has increased by over $100 billion,” the report states.

‘Corrupt’ Trump official used new access for personal gain 100 times in first 5 months: report

https://www.alternet.org/trump-administration-corrupt

Bloomberg: US Borrowers Face Higher Interest If Trump’s ‘Revenge Tax’ Becomes Law

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A measure in President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill that’s meant to penalize foreign investors may also raise interest costs for some US borrowers.

The so-called Section 899 provision takes aim at nations such as Canada, the UK and France that have digital services taxes or other corporate tax rules the US deems unfair. Investors and companies from those countries may see gradually higher tax rates on income they earn from US assets — which some analysts have called a “revenge tax.” 

But Section 899 would affect loan interest payments in a way that would hurt some US companies, according to legal experts. Many lending agreements require borrowers to cover such tax hikes if they’re enacted after the deal is signed. 

These requirements are known as withholding tax gross-up obligations. Borrowers remit the withholding tax to the US government, but they must “gross up” their payment to ensure the lender still receives the full amount of interest owed.

US Borrowers Face Higher Interest If Trump’s ‘Revenge Tax’ Becomes Law

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-04/section-899-us-borrowers-face-higher-interest-if-trump-tax-plan-wins