A public feud erupted between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, with each leveling sharp barbs. Musk, initially critical of Trump and calling for his impeachment, later seemed to back down, tweeting about other topics and supporting JD Vance. The spat highlighted US dependence on Musk's companies for space capabilities, and Tesla's shares slid 15%. The article also discusses Musk's political aspirations ('The America Party') and his past failures in political influence. A separate section details the current state of AI-generated films, critiquing their lack of emotion and creativity, but highlighting two intriguing exceptions. Finally, it introduces The Guardian's new 'Secure Messaging' app feature for sources.
Unstoppable force loses battle with immovable object: Elon bows to Trump
TechnologyElon MuskDonald TrumpArtificial intelligence (AI)CultureUnited States
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A public feud erupted between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, with each leveling sharp barbs. Musk, initially critical of Trump and calling for his impeachment, later seemed to back down, tweeting about other topics and supporting JD Vance. The spat highlighted US dependence on Musk's companies for space capabilities, and Tesla's shares slid 15%. The article also discusses Musk's political aspirations ('The America Party') and his past failures in political influence. A separate section details the current state of AI-generated films, critiquing their lack of emotion and creativity, but highlighting two intriguing exceptions. Finally, it introduces The Guardian's new 'Secure Messaging' app feature for sources.
Trending- 1 Mid-last week: Feud between Musk and Trump exploded into public view.
- 2 Thursday: Elon Musk called for Trump's impeachment and mocked Epstein connections; Trump threatened to cancel federal contracts.
- 3 Last Thursday: AI film showcase attended.
- 4 Sunday night: Musk pivoted to tweeting about Los Angeles riots and supporting JD Vance.
- 5 Earlier this year: Musk played a domineering role in a Wisconsin supreme court election loss.
- 6 2023: Musk challenged Zuckerberg to a cage fight.
- 7 2025: Trump threatened to cancel Musk's government contracts.
- 8 April: Runway film festival submissions closed.
- Tesla shares slid 15% (knocking $150bn from its total market value)
- Musk lost approximately $90bn of his fortune
- Potential harm to democracy if Musk creates a new political party
- AI tools could make a $10m movie seem like one with a $100m budget
What: Public feud between Elon Musk and Donald Trump; discussion of AI-generated films; launch of The Guardian's Secure Messaging app feature.
When: Middle of last week (feud started); Thursday (Musk called for impeachment); Sunday night (Musk pivoted); Last Thursday (AI film showcase); Earlier this year (Wisconsin election); 2023 (cage fight challenge); 2025 (Trump contract cancellation threat); April (Runway film festival submissions closed); 2022 (Runway submissions 300).
Where: United States (general); X (social media platform); Los Angeles (riots); California (Governor Newsom); Wisconsin (supreme court election); New York (magazine story); International Space Station.
Why: Tension between Musk and Trump; Musk's criticism of a Republican spending bill; Trump's threat to cancel federal contracts and tax subsidies for Musk's companies; Musk's perceived ingratitude; Trump's 'Trump derangement syndrome' pattern; Musk's political ambitions; advancements in generative AI technology; the need for secure communication channels for news sources.
How: Public social media exchanges (X); Musk's threats to decommission SpaceX's Dragon rocket; Trump's threats of retribution; AI tools like Runway and Google's Veo 3 generating films; The Guardian developing a new app feature with University of Cambridge computer scientists.