State Champ Radio politics
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty / Elon Musk / Donald Trump
Was it worth it? X is asking the billion-dollar question after Elon Musk, aka Phony Stark, announced he is leaving the Trump administration.
Musk announced on the platform he allegedly sold to xAI that his time leading DOGE has come to an end. He also wrote in the same post that he was thankful to Donald Trump for allowing him to run the “cost-cutting” agency, which, however, didn’t achieve significant cost-cutting results.
The Tesla chief was appointed as a “special government employee,” which allowed him to work for the federal government for 130 days. Musk came on board on January 20, Felon 47’s inauguration, which means his tenure would be coming to an end at the end of May.
Elon Musk’s announcement comes after the billionaire criticized his former boss’s legislative centerpiece of his Trump’s political agenda, his “big beautiful” budget bill.
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk wrote on X.
“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Speaking with the BBC, Musk explained why he was not feeling Trump’s “big beautiful bill.”
Per BBC:
The BBC understands that the White House will begin “offboarding” Musk as a special government employee on Wednesday night.
Musk’s exit comes after he said he was “disappointed” with Trump’s budget, which proposes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and a boost to defence spending.
The SpaceX and Tesla boss said in an interview with BBC’s US partner CBS that the bill would increase the federal deficit, adding that he thought it “undermines the work” being done at Doge.
Musk’s association with the MAGA movement has also not been beneficial for his business, which has been struggling since he invested in Trump and the Make America Great Again initiative.
Tesla is currently experiencing a slump in Europe, with sales plummeting by nearly 50 percent, which many believe is also the reason Musk decided to step back from politics.
Social media has been using the moment to take shots at Musk, as well as point out that he used his time as a donor to Trump to ensure he stays wealthy despite his business taking a hit.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
2. Mmmmhmmmm
3. Basically
4. Damn shame
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Source: Tom Williams / Getty
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, one of the few Democratic leaders who is consistently willing to call out the absurdity of President Donald Trump without pulling punches and mincing words, is asking when someone is going to get the president the mental help he truly needs after he delivered a comically ridiculous commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point over the weekend.
While speaking to graduating cadets, the commander-in-chief used his time on stage to air out grievances and rifle through right-wing talking points, completely politicizing the event and, as usual, making it all about himself. Instead of following the tradition of acting as a president for all Americans, Trump decided to turn the commencement speech into an impromptu Fox News-style segment where he ranted against “drag shows,” boasted that he “liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political trainings,” and declared that there will be “no more critical race theory or transgender for everybody.”
Oh, and he also randomly ranted about “trophy wives,” golf and some nonsense about Al Capone.
Well, Crockett, for one, is over it.
“I am tired of it,” Crockett said during an appearance on MSNBC on Suday. “I mean, he literally sounds like someone who is broken out of the insane asylum. Like, he just be all over the place. Like, get him some ADHD medicine, if nothing else, because I don’t know where he’s ever going to go,” she continued.
“And I don’t think that those that have gone through West Point expected to have their commander-in-chief address them and start talking about trophy wives or start talking about how he had so many investigations. What a great reminder that you are not qualified to be the person that potentially will command us as troops to go into war. Like, that is not instilling confidence whatsoever. And honestly, our troops deserve better. Our graduates deserve better. We as a country deserve better.”
Trump was on one for the entire Memorial Day weekend, actually. Most presidents, when wishing America a happy Memorial Day, would stick to politically neutral comments that focused on military personnel who died serving their country.
Most presidents.
Here’s y’all’s president on Memorial Day.
So, yeah — perhaps, once again, Rep. Jasmine Crockett is right.
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Charlie Rangel, the former congressman who represented several New York districts across his four-decade career, died on Monday (May 26) at the age of 94. Rep. Charlie Rangel’s storied career also included a stint in the military, where he became a decorated war veteran before completing his high school studies and going on to earn a law degree, culminating in a long life of public service.
Charlie Rangel was born Charles Bernard Rangel on June 11, 1930, in Harlem, N.Y. Rangel’s father was a native of Puerto Rico, and his mother was Black. As a young man, Rangel, who was raised primarily by his mother, took odd jobs before dropping out of high school at 16. Rangel enlisted in the United States Army, serving between 1948 and 1952. He was a member of the all-Black 503rd Field Artillery Battalion in the 2nd Infantry Division.
Fighting in the Korean War as part of a racially segregated unit, Rangel’s actions led his fellow soldiers to safety, earning him the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and three battle stars. Rangel returned home and completed his high school studies, then enrolled in the New York University School of Commerce. From there, Rangel went on to earn a law degree from St. John’s University School of Law in 1960.
Rangel was named the Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York by U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, staying in the role for a year. Rangel, under the tutelage of civil rights activist and Assemblyman Percy Sutton, would later serve as a state assemblyman, beginning his life in public office.
In 1970, Rangel challenged longtime congressman Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who fell out of favor in the public eye with some due to an ethics scandal, losing his seat in 1967 but regaining it in 1969 after a U.S. Supreme Court decision detailed in the Powell v. McCormack case.
Rangel would go on to serve 23 terms in Congress before retiring in 2017. Along the way, he was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and became the first Black chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.
One of the hallmarks of Rangel was his no-nonsense approach to working for his constituents and his ability to work across the aisle with the opposing parties to get bills moved through the chamber. Rangel also had an affable personality that resonated well with his colleagues, and his distinctive New York accent was hard to miss.
As a member of the Gang of Four, which included David Dinkins, Basil Paterson, and the aforementioned Sutton. The quartet was notable for its ascension in the political realm.
In 2024, Rangel’s wife of 60 years, Alma Carter, passed away. He is survived by two children, Steven and Alicia, and three grandsons.
On X, reactions to the passing of Rep. Charlie Rangel have cropped up. We’ve got them listed below.
[h/t CNN]
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Photo: Tom Williams / Getty
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Source: Jemal Countess / Getty
On the last day of March, Sen. Cory Booker made history by delivering the longest speech in the history of the U.S. Senate, beating out Sen. Strom Thurmond’s filibuster intended to prevent the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. It was a great moment for Booker, who received widespread praise for using his time to call out President Donald Trump and his Constitution-defying, orgiarch-friendly, civil rights eroding administration.
Well, it took Booker less than two months to piss away all of that political fanfare by being the only Democrat vote to confirm ex-con Charles Kushner, father of Ivanka Trump’s husband, Jared Kushner, as ambassador to France.
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For those who aren’t familiar, in 2005, Charles Kushner was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to 16 counts of tax fraud, witness retaliation, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission.
Since the MAGA-fied GOP had no issue pledging their undying loyalty to a 34-time felon and backing him for the presidency, it’s no surprise that 50 Republican senators voted to confirm Kushner. It’s also not surprising that 45 Democrats voted “no” on the appointment. What has surprised many people, however, is that Booker was not one of those Democrats.
Now his constituents want an explanation.
Unfortunately, there might just be an explanation, just not one that will satisfy anyone who doesn’t like to watch elected officials scratch each other’s backs for political favors. You see, before Booker became the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, in 2006, he ran for the position unsuccessfully in 2002, and, according to The New Jersey Globe, Kushner was a major donor to his campaign.
“Charles Kushner was convicted of making false statements to the FEC and pleaded guilty to tax evasion & witness tampering,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said in a statement explaining her (hell) “no” vote. “And Trump pardoned him. Of course, I voted NO to advance Kushner’s nomination as AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE. We don’t need any more Kushners in government.”
Meanwhile, Booker has been all over X blasting the forthcoming GOP tax bill, which is all well and good, but he seems to be completely ignoring the onslaught of social media users who are dragging him up and down these internet streets, either demanding that he offer up an explanation for his Kushner vote, or just condemning him for doing so.
Check out some of the reactions below.
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with President Donald Trump at the White House this week, and there were moments of contention. President Cyril Ramaphosa shot down President Donald Trump‘s claim of so-called white genocide being carried out against white farmers by the country’s Black residents.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was in Washington with members of his nation’s delegation to discuss with President Donald Trump ways to improve their business dealings. South Africa is hoping to encourage other world leaders to work alongside South Africa and help improve its standing in the world.
President Trump had other issues in mind, using the meeting to harshly confront President Ramaphosa and center the rumored white genocide happening in South Africa. At one point, Trump had aides dim the lights and showed his guest a video that purported to show the violence happening against white farmers and supporting a conspiracy theory that has been continually debunked.
Trump repeatedly talked over Ramaphosa, who tried to explain the truth that more Black farmers are being harmed and killed than whites. Ramaphosa was flanked by white South African Johann Rupert, the nation’s richest man, who explained that what Trump was promoting was false. South African agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, also white, attempted to do the same.
Ramaphosa, a skilled negotiator and longtime politician, never appeared rattled by Trump’s swarming attacks. CNN added in its reporting that the South African press largely pressed Ramaphosa’s showing, which was similar to the moment Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had with Trump at the White House, albeit a lot less contentious.
Watch this video courtesy of CNN below.
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Photo: The Washington Post / Getty
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Kneecap band member Liam O’Hanna has been charged with a terror offense by London police after he allegedly waved a Hezbollah flag onstage, according to the BBC.
The charge comes about six months after the alleged incident, during which the 27-year-old Irish musician — whose stage name is Mo Chara — is said to have displayed the flag during his band’s gig at the O2 Forum on Nov. 21, 2024. The London Metropolitan Police only learned of the alleged offense in April, when a video of the concert surfaced online.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese Shia militia that the United States has designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization, is banned in the U.K., with the BBC reporting that it is illegal to express support for the group. The same goes for Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization that Hezbollah has backed amid the former’s ongoing conflict with Israel.
O’Hanna is reportedly due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18.
The update is just the latest development in a series of controversies for Kneecap, which made headlines in April for ending its Coachella set with the following message displayed onscreen: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F— Israel; free Palestine.”
While some criticized the Coachella message, some fellow musicians — including Massive Attack, Pulp and Fontaines D.C. — expressed support for the group in an open letter. The Belfast trio has been one of the most outspoken voices in the music world in supporting Palestine amid Israel’s war on Hamas, which began Oct. 7, 2023, when the terrorist group killed 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 250 more. More than 53,000 Palestinians have since died in the violence, according to The Associated Press.
Kneecap again drew criticism when footage of the group allegedly calling for the deaths of British MPs (members of parliament) in 2023 resurfaced online in April, shortly after London authorities announced that they were assessing a video taken of a band member appearing to say “up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” Around that time, Kneecap released a statement: “Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah,” the band wrote. “We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history. We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever. An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.”
“We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual,” it continued. “Ever. An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.”
Bruce Springsteen is doubling down on his stance that the United States government is “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous,” even after his remarks on the subject at a Manchester concert infuriated President Donald Trump last week.
One week after criticizing the Trump administration during a speech at his European tour kickoff show in England — leading the twice-impeached POTUS to launch into a series of vitriolic posts targeting him on Truth Social — the Boss has released a Land of Hopes & Dreams EP featuring a recording of the address as its opening track. “In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, and has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration,” he says in the audio snippet. “Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against the authoritarianism, and let freedom ring.”
The rocker then dives into 2001’s “Land of Hopes & Dreams,” which is also the name Springsteen’s ongoing tour.
In addition to the politically charged speech, the six-track project also features live takes of the musician and his band performing “Long Walk Home,” “My City of Ruins” and “Chimes of Freedom” in Manchester. There’s also a three-and-a-half-minute recording of Springsteen once again critiquing the state of American politics later in the show.
“In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain that they inflict on American workers, they’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and moral society,” he says in the clip. “They’re abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom.”
The EP comes shortly after Trump responded to Springsteen’s onstage remarks by calling him “highly overrated” and “dumb as a rock” on Truth Social, adding at the time, “This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just ‘standard fare.’”
Later, the billionaire accused the “Born in the U.S.A.” singer — along with Beyoncé, Oprah and Bono — of taking part in an “illegal election scam” for Kamala Harris, alleging that he accepted an undisclosed payment from the 2024 Democratic nominee to endorse her for president. (Campaign finance records do not support this claim, and Harris’ campaign has denied paying any artist for their support in last year’s election.)
Trump still hadn’t let the matter go as of Wednesday, when he shared an edited video of himself golfing — and appearing to hit and knock over Springsteen with his ball — on Truth Social hours after the Land of Hopes & Dreams EP dropped.
But despite Trump’s counters, Springsteen hasn’t ever backed down on his firm stance against the president’s policies. The E Street bandleader has long been vocal about his beliefs, telling The Atlantic in 2020 that he believed Trump — who in May 2024 was convicted of 34 felony counts in a hush money trial — to be a “threat to our democracy.”
Also in 2024, Springsteen proudly endorsed Harris and played at a number of her campaign events. He also appeared in an advertisement for the former VP’s campaign, telling viewers, “This election is about a group of folks who want to fundamentally undermine our American way of life … Donald Trump does not understand this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American.”
President Donald Trump is once again letting his distaste for Bruce Springsteen be known after the musician slammed him and his administration during two recent concerts.
This time, an altered video Trump shared via his Truth Social platform on Wednesday (May 21) shows the commander in chief in a red Make America Great Again cap as he takes a big swing and hits a ball on the golf course as onlookers cheer him on. The video then cuts to a scene of The Boss walking on stage during a concert, as a white dot representing the golf ball suddenly sails into the shot, hits the musician in the back and knocks him down as audio of onlookers clapping and saying “nice shot” plays. Trump did not caption the video, but also shared it on X.
Billboard has reached out to Springsteen’s reps for comment.
This latest dig at the 20-time Grammy winner comes after Springsteen spoke out against the twice-impeached president on his ongoing tour. “[America] is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration,” the rocker, who endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, said during his first Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour in Manchester, England, on May 14. “Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against the authoritarianism, and let freedom ring.”
Trump, who in May 2024 was convicted of 34 felony charges in his hush money trial, responded in a lengthy Truth Social post on May 16 calling the artist “dumb as a rock” and going on to insult his talent. “This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just ‘standard fare,’” Trump wrote the same day he also insulted Taylor Swift, who also endorsed his opponent in the election. “Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!”
Springsteen continued his criticism of the president during his May 17 show in Manchester. “In my home, they’re persecuting people for their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. That’s happening now,” the musician told concertgoers. “The majority of our elected representatives have utterly failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government. They have no concern or idea of what it means to be deeply American.”
Those same comments from his two concerts are included in a new six-track EP also titled Land of Hopes & Dreams, which arrived on Wednesday.
Since the back-and-forth, the president has called for investigations into Springsteen as well as other stars for allegedly joining in on an what he calls an “illegal election scam” he claims was orchestrated by Harris’ campaign. In May 19 Truth Social posts, Trump accused The Boss, Beyoncé, U2’s Bono as well as Oprah Winfrey of illegally accepting undisclosed payments to appear at the former VP’s rallies and endorse her. FactCheck.org previously disproved those allegations when they first surfaced in 2024.
After Trump initially insulted Springsteen and Swift on May 16, the American Federation of Musicians International stepped up to defend the artists. “The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada will not remain silent as two of our members — Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift — are singled out and personally attacked by the President of the United States,” Tino Gagliardi, the organization’s president, said in part in a statement that day. “Musicians have the right to freedom of expression, and we stand in solidarity with all our members.”
Neil Young has had it with President Donald Trump, especially after the politician’s recent digs at Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift.
In a post on his website Tuesday (May 20), the “Heart of Gold” singer slammed Trump for being “out of control” with his comments about the Boss and “Fortnight” singer on Truth Social a few days prior. On the platform, the POTUS had called Springsteen “highly overrated” and “dumb as a rock,” while saying that Swift is “no longer ‘HOT.’”
“Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America,” Young wrote in response to the insults. “You worry about that instead of the dyin’ kids in Gaza. That’s your problem. I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us. You shut down FEMA when we needed it most. That’s your problem Trump. STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT ROCKERS ARE SAYING. Think about saving America from the mess you made.”
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“Taylor Swift is right. So is Bruce,” the Canadian-American musician continued, referencing the Eras headliner and “Born in the U.S.A.” rock star’s history of opposing Trump’s policies. “You know how I feel. You are more worried about yourself than AMERICA. Wake up Trump.”
The post is far from the first time Young has criticized the president, calling Trump a “disgrace to my country” in a scathing 2020 open letter and later speaking out about his fear of being barred from re-entering the United States after his tour on the president’s orders. The “Old Man” artist’s latest takedown comes after Trump went on a roll with posts antagonizing musicians, starting with Swift on Friday (May 16). “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’” he wrote on Truth Social.
He then turned his attention to Springsteen. Incensed by the E Street band leader’s prior comments in Manchester about Trump’s administration being “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous,” the latter wrote of Springsteen on Truth Social, “Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK.”
But that was just the tip of the iceberg. A few days later, Trump returned to Truth Social to once again slam Springsteen, this time accusing him — as well as Beyoncé, Bono and Oprah Winfrey — of taking part in an “illegal election scam” run by Kamala Harris. “HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT? … WHAT ABOUT BEYONCÉ?” he wrote at the time.
“I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter,” the president continued Monday. “Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment.”
There is no record of Harris paying money to any of the artists who endorsed her, and her campaign has denied doing so. That didn’t stop Trump from perpetuating the unsubstantiated claim to the contrary through his posts, something Young sees as a distraction from what’s really important.
“You are forgetting your real job,” Young concluded his post on his website Tuesday. “You work for us. Wake up Republicans! This guy is out of control. We need a real president!!”
After reports last week of ICE raids at Kid Rock‘s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse in Nashville, the rocker took to social media to respond to the story and double down on his support for President Trump’s deportation of undocumented immigrants. Responding to a Daily Mail US post on X about how […]
