Tag Archives: SpaceX

Daily Beast: Hot Mic Catches Republican Saying Trump Is in the Epstein Files

Posted on by
Reply

Collins made a bombshell admission that he believes Trump’s name will be in the files.

MAGA lawmaker Mike Collins lobbed a political grenade into efforts from Team Trump to limit his exposure to fallout from the Epstein files.

Georgia Rep. Collins made a bombshell admission, that he believes Donald Trump’s name will be in the files, at a county GOP meeting, the Washington Examiner reported.

A constituent asked the MAGA lawmaker whether he believed Trump was in the files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide while in federal custody in New York City in August 2019 as he awaited trial on new sex trafficking charges.

“Yeah, I’m sure he’s in there,” Collins said, without providing evidence, according to an audio clip of the exchange uploaded to YouTube, titled, “HOT MIC: Republican caught saying Trump IS IN THE EPSTEIN FILES!”

The White House has repeatedly pushed back after reports emerged that Trump was told in May that he was in files related to Epstein. Trump and Epstein were once friendly, but the president said they fell out in 2004.

The Daily Beast contacted the White House and Collins for comment.

Trump “is in the Epstein files,” he wrote in a post on X as he and the president engaged in a bitter online feud. He alleged that “that is the real reason they have not been made public.” Musk signed the post off by writing: “Have a nice day, DJT!”

Musk added in a follow-up post: “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”

At the time, Trump brushed off the claims in an interview with NBC News.

“That’s called ‘old news.’ That’s been old news. That has been talked about for years. Even Epstein’s lawyer said I had nothing to do with it. It’s old news,” the president said.

Officials in the first Trump administration determined that Epstein’s death was a suicide, but conspiracy theories that he was killed to shield high-profile individuals have proliferated nonetheless.

The Trump administration, in February, declassified and released files related to Epstein, but they were highly redacted and did not offer major revelations. The FBI said in a July memo that a “systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list.”

Hot Mic Catches Republican Saying Trump Is in the Epstein Files
Collins made a bombshell admission that he believes Trump’s name will be in the files.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/hot-mic-catches-republican-saying-trump-is-in-the-epstein-files

Daily Express: Trump signs order to relax environmental rules for Bezos and Musk’s spaceships

Posted on by
Reply

President Trump’s latest executive order will anger environmental groups while appearing to boost SpaceX and Blue Origin

On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order titled “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry”, saying it was crucial to national security that the private rocket-ship industry increase launches “substantially” by 2030.

The order directs the U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to “eliminate outdated, redundant, or overly restrictive rules for launch and reentry vehicles.” Duffy called Trump’s executive order “visionary”.

According to the executive order, this would mean that commercial spaceship companies may be able to bypass the environmental reviews that are required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Usually private space companies are required to get launch permits from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and are subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Space companies have complained that the FAA has taken too long to review launch permits, and environmental groups have criticized the agency for not using NEPA reviews to require more protections at launch sites.

Environmental reviews are in place because rocket launches and landings can be hugely disruptive to local towns and residents, along with the nature and wildlife in the area.

For example, toxic chemicals, noises and fumes created at launch can injure and kill endangered species, while exploded rocket parts returning to Earth can harm marine life.

…

The suit looked at SpaceX’s Starship rocket launch in Texas in April 2023, which had a concerning impact on the surrounding environment. The spaceship annihilated its launchpad, sending chunks of concrete flying 6 miles (10km) away. It also sparked a grassfire that burned nearly 4 acres of a state park.

A six-mile circle of damage and destruction!

Click on the links below to read the entire article:

Trump signs order to relax environmental rules for Bezos and Musk’s spaceships
President Trump’s latest executive order will anger environmental groups while appearing to boost SpaceX and Blue Origin

https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/180335/trump-signs-order-relax-environmental-rules-musk-bezos-spaceship

SpaceX Gets Billions From the Government. It Gives Little to Nothing Back in Taxes.

Posted on by
Reply

Elon Musk’s rocket company relies on federal contracts, but years of losses have most likely let it avoid paying federal income taxes, according to internal company documents.

SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite internet company, has received billions of dollars in federal contracts over its more than two-decade existence.

But SpaceX has most likely paid little to no federal income taxes since its founding in 2002 and has privately told investors that it may never have to pay any, according to internal company documents reviewed by The New York Times.

The rocket maker’s finances have long been secret because the company is privately held. But the documents reviewed by The Times show that SpaceX can seize on a legal tax benefit that allows it to use the more than $5 billion in losses it racked up by late 2021 to offset paying future taxable income. President Trump made a change in 2017, during his first term, that eliminated the tax benefit’s expiration date for all companies. For SpaceX, that means that nearly $3 billion of its losses can be indefinitely applied against future taxable income.

Tax experts consulted by The Times said that not having to pay tax on $5 billion in taxable income was substantial and notable for a company that has relied on contracts with the U.S. government to an unusual degree. SpaceX works closely with the Pentagon, NASA and other agencies, giving it a vital role in national security. In 2020, federal contracts generated almost 84 percent of the rocket maker’s revenue, according to the documents, a figure that had not been previously reported.

Larger tech companies — including some that have taken advantage of the tax benefit — often pay billions in federal income taxes. Microsoft, for one, said it expected to pay $14.1 billion in federal income taxes in its last fiscal year.

Tax F’Elon!

Tax SpaceX!

Fund Social Security!

SpaceX Gets Billions From the Government. It Gives Little to Nothing Back in Taxes.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/15/technology/spacex-musk-government-contracts-taxes.html

Independent: Trump says he will ‘take a look’ at deporting Musk as feud reaches new height

Posted on by
Reply

The world’s richest person has been criticizing Trump’s signature legislation as costing far too much

Donald Trump said he would “take a look” at deporting Elon Musk after his former ally renewed criticism of the tax and spending megabill on which the president has bet his legislative agenda.

As he departed the White House on Tuesday to visit an immigration detention facility in Florida, the president was asked if the Tesla billionaire – a naturalized American citizen originally from South Africa – could be forced out in retaliation for his attacks on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act under debate in the Senate.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “We’ll have to take a look.”

Trump also hinted he might turn the quasi-agency once run by Musk, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), on his former friend.

“We might have to put Doge on Elon,” he said. “You know what Doge is? Doge is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.”

Instead of governing equitably and fairly as a president should, King Donald is a small-minded coward who turns everything into a personal vendetta.

Trump says he will ‘take a look’ at deporting Musk as feud reaches new height
The world’s richest person has been criticizing Trump’s signature legislation as costing far too much

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-deporting-elon-musk-feud-b2780342.html

CNBC: Elon Musk says he regrets some social media posts he made about Trump

Posted on by
Reply
  • Elon Musk on Wednesday said he regretted some of the social media posts he made about U.S. President Donald Trump last week.
  • Musk and Trump had engaged in an explosive public feud over social media.
  • It was largely triggered by Musk’s opposition to the Trump-backed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” tax and spending bill.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Wednesday said he regretted some of the social media posts he made about U.S. President Donald Trump last week during an explosive public dispute with his former close ally.

…

A post in which Musk replied “yes” to a social media user calling for Trump to be impeached and replaced with Vice President JD Vance also appeared to have been deleted.

In turn, Trump on Monday said he was planning to retain the Starlink technology, a satellite internet service that is part of Musk’s SpaceX, at the White House.

Are the cry babies getting along again?

CNBC: Elon Musk says he regrets some social media posts he made about Trump

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/elon-musk-says-he-regrets-some-social-media-posts-during-trump-showdown.html

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

Techdirt: Trump Administration Tells Supreme Court DOGE Can’t Be FOIAed

Posted on by
Reply

The destructive force that is DOGE still somehow manages to exist, despite it not being (depending on which claim is made and when) an official federal agency and/or overseen by anyone specifically identifiable as the head of DOGE.

Until recently, everyone — including Donald Trump — knew (and said as much in public) that DOGE was both a government agency and headed by Elon Musk. When the lawsuits started flying, the backtracking began by the administration, which apparently thought it could cover its tracks by walking backwards in its golf-cleated clown shows.

Trump’s love for DOGE has managed to undercut the protections DOGE hoped it would be able to avail itself of when the FOIA requests began pouring in and the discovery demands started hitting federal dockets.

Trump Administration Tells Supreme Court DOGE Can’t Be FOIAed
The destructive force that is DOGE still somehow manages to exist, despite it not being (depending on which claim is made and when) an official federal agency and/or overseen by anyone specifically…
Trump Administration Tells Supreme Court DOGE Can’t Be FOIAed

The Hill: Musk drug use on campaign trail sparked concerns: Report

Posted on by
Reply

Alleged drug use by tech billionaire and close President Trump ally Elon Musk on the campaign trail during the 2024 presidential election has sparked concerns, according to an explosive New York Times report published Friday morning. 

The article comes as Musk is exiting the Trump administration after a whirlwind several months in which he led efforts to cut down on the government’s size.

Musk told people he was using ketamine so often that it was impacting his bladder, along with utilizing psychedelic mushrooms and taking ecstasy, the Times reported.

Musk drug use on campaign trail sparked concerns: Report

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5325589-elon-musk-drug-use-reports

New York Times: As Trumps Monetize Presidency, Profits Outstrip Protests

Posted on by
Reply

The president and his family have monetized the White House more than any other occupant, normalizing activities that once would have provoked heavy blowback and official investigations.

When Hillary Clinton was first lady, a furor erupted over reports that she had once made $100,000 from a $1,000 investment in cattle futures. Even though it had happened a dozen years before her husband became president, it became a scandal that lasted weeks and forced the White House to initiate a review.

Thirty-one years later, after dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Jeff Bezos agreed to finance a promotional film about Melania Trump that will reportedly put $28 million directly in her pocket — 280 times the Clinton lucre and in this case from a person with a vested interest in policies set by her husband’s government. Scandal? Furor? Washington moved on while barely taking notice.

The Trumps are hardly the first presidential family to profit from their time in power, but they have done more to monetize the presidency than anyone who has ever occupied the White House. The scale and the scope of the presidential mercantilism has been breathtaking. The Trump family and its business partners have collected $320 million in fees from a new cryptocurrency, brokered overseas real estate deals worth billions of dollars and are opening an exclusive club in Washington called the Executive Branch charging $500,000 apiece to join, all in the past few months alone.

Just last week, Qatar handed over a luxury jet meant for Mr. Trump’s use not just in his official capacity but also for his presidential library after he leaves office. Experts have valued the plane, formally donated to the Air Force, at $200 million, more than all of the foreign gifts bestowed on all previous American presidents combined.

And Mr. Trump hosted an exclusive dinner at his Virginia club for 220 investors in the $TRUMP cryptocurrency that he started days before taking office in January. Access was openly sold based on how much money they chipped in — not to a campaign account but to a business that benefits Mr. Trump personally.

trump-money-plane-crypto.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/us/politics/trump-money-plane-crypto.html

Independent: Furious Democrats call for investigation into Musk’s bid to help build Trump’s ‘$500 billion’ Golden Dome project

Posted on by
Reply

Forty-two members of the opposition write to Pentagon’s Inspector General to raise conflict of interest concerns over SpaceX’s potential involvement in anti-missile project

A group of 42 Democrats has written to the Pentagon’s Inspector General demanding an investigation after it was reported that Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, could win a lucrative contract to help build President Donald Trump’s new “Golden Dome” anti-missile defense system.

Senators Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Tammy Duckworth have responded by expressing their concerns in a letter to acting Pentagon Inspector General Steven A Stebbins, demanding transparency about the bidding process.

“Mr Musk’s formal or informal participation in any process to award a government contract raises serious conflict of interest concerns, including the possibility that SpaceX is a top contender for the Golden Dome contract because of Mr Musk’s position in the government,” they wrote.

The project, inspired by Israel’s “Iron Dome”, was announced by President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House on Tuesday. The president promised it would be “fully operational” before he leaves office in January 2029 and capable of intercepting rockets, “even if they are launched from space.”

The independent Congressional Budget Office has warned that the project could cost as much as $524bn and take 20 years to build. Trump dismissed that estimate, putting the price tag closer to $175bn and insisting it could be completed in just three years, beginning with a $25bn grant to kickstart the development. That effort will be steered by Space Force General Michael Guetlein and “the brightest minds” in Silicon Valley, he said without naming the former DOGE leader.

I smell a crooked deal in the works, with the “winning” bidder already selected.

Democrats call for investigation into Elon Musk’s Golden Dome bid
Forty-two members of the opposition write to Pentagon’s Inspector General to raise conflict of interest concerns over SpaceX’s potential involvement in anti-missile project

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-golden-dome-trump-democrats-b2755109.html