One, Big, Beautiful Breakup

Leah Feiger: Well, I mean, because it’s nan safer option. This is nan richest man successful nan world and nan president of nan United States. I would for illustration to judge that location is thought down immoderate of this.

Zoë Schiffer: 100 percent.

Leah Feiger: And that's precisely what a bunch of these conspiracy theorists person been saying complete nan past 24 hours. Senior newsman David Gilbert published a communicative coming astir really nan full conspiracy world thinks that nan Musk-Trump breakup is simply a psyop, it's “5D chess.” It's messy, messy, messy. We're talking posts of group conscionable being like, “No, no, no, this is their plan. It's each to goad nan Democrats into publishing nan Epstein files fully.” It's benignant of chaotic to behold, honestly, but I deliberation we're astir to spot a spot of a fissure successful Republican authorities really for nan first clip successful astir 8 months, 9 months; they've had a bully run.

Zoë Schiffer: OK, I consciousness for illustration we request to return a fewer steps backmost and conscionable talk astir really did we get here?

Leah Feiger: Is their narration still useful to each other? Elon Musk is still nan richest man successful nan world, and arsenic irritated arsenic Trump whitethorn beryllium correct now, they still person a batch of shared vested interests. Musk has a batch of contracts pinch nan US authorities that he astir apt doesn't want to risk. They person immoderate Qatari interests. There's a batch of business there, but this measure seems for illustration it's becoming a sticking point. We'll person to see.

Zoë Schiffer: Right. And I consciousness for illustration to that point, 1 of Musk's main, astatine slightest public, grievances astir it is that it adds to nan deficit, but besides 1 of nan provisions successful nan measure is that it reduces electrical conveyance credits. Obviously, this is an rumor for Elon Musk and Tesla. So really overmuch of that do you deliberation is impacting his views here?

Leah Feiger: Again, I can't get afloat into his head, but arsenic overmuch arsenic Elon Musk has been like, “Reduce nan deficit, trim nan deficit, this is nan extremity of DOGE, we're going to trim $2 trillion,” that don't moreover really beryllium successful US national spending. So successful position of cutting nan deficit, it's difficult for maine to really ascribe his motivations there. Does he care? I'm not 100 percent convinced. Does he attraction astir Tesla? Absolutely, and you're precisely connected nan money pinch nan EV credit. I mean, I deliberation it was thing past year, Tesla had spent astatine slightest a 4th of a cardinal dollars lobbying connected behalf of nan electrical conveyance taxation in installments that gets trim successful this bill. And that's a batch of money, that's a batch of time. Musk besides was reportedly doing a batch of advocating for nan in installments down nan scenes, and truthful I could very overmuch spot this benignant of being a small spot of a, “Screw you. I did each of this for you, I asked for this 1 really large thing, and you still person it successful location anyways.” And for illustration you said astir nan egos, I could really spot it successful truthful galore ways coming down to that, and I person to mention, because this has besides been going on, evidently things person not been ace soft sailing for Musk pinch nan White House 100 percent of nan clip for nan past fewer months, and nan different point that's travel up successful nan past fewer days, which has travel up before, is Musk has really liked picking group that are taking definite authorities positions. A mates of days ago, it was complete nan weekend, I believe, this man named Jared Isaacman, who is this Musk ally, was nominated for NASA administrator, and Trump has removed that. And Musk has tally into these issues pinch Scott Bessent, caput of nan treasury, pinch Sean Duffy from transportation. And truthful it's difficult to opportunity precisely what nan 1 point is, but each of this together, nan EV taxation credits, nan not being capable to really opportunity who's going to beryllium successful charge, I could spot this being very overmuch not enjoyable for him, let's conscionable say.