Musk says he’s disappointed in ‘big, beautiful bill,’ saying it ‘undermines’ DOGE’s work

Musk says he's disappointed in 'big, beautiful bill,' saying it 'undermines' DOGE's work

Tech billionaire Elon Musk — who spearheaded the cost-cutting efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — said he was "disappointed" to see the massive legislative package of Republican priorities make it through the House. "I was, like, disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit… and it undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," Musk said in a preview of an interview set to air this weekend on "CBS Sunday Morning." The bill — titled the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," adopting Trump's slogan for the measure — passed the House last Thursday after a series of last-minute negotiations and text changes that proved critical in coalescing GOP support for the legislation. The bill, which now is in the Senate's hands, extends the tax cuts enacted by the president during his first term in 2017; boosts funding for border, deportation, and national defense priorities; imposes reforms, like beefed-up work requirements, on Medicaid that are projected to result in millions of low-income individuals losing health insurance; and rolls back green energy tax incentives. The bill also increases the debt limit by $4 trillion. "I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful," Musk said, referring to the name of the legislation. "I don't know if it could be both," he added. "My personal opinion." Musk has taken a step back from his role in Trump's White House after spending months slashing government spending and reducing the size of the federal workforce. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

byDan Dunne

in

May 27, 2025

Musk says he’s disappointed in ‘big, beautiful bill,’ saying it ‘undermines’ DOGE’s work

Musk says he's disappointed in 'big, beautiful bill,' saying it 'undermines' DOGE's work Tech billionaire Elon Musk ...

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‘We’re Going To Flood The Zone’: Homan Puts Sanctuary Cities Like Nashville On Notice

'We're Going To Flood The Zone': Homan Puts Sanctuary Cities Like Nashville On Notice

Border czar Tom Homan pushed back on Nashville's mayor Tuesday on "The Ingraham Angle," saying that federal agencies will flood "the zone" due to his attempt to get involved in the federal government's deportation of illegal migrants. The House Homeland and Judiciary committeesopenedan investigation Monday into Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell after he allegedly aided and abetted illegal immigrants, obstructing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Fox host Laura Ingraham told Homan to expect "caterwauling from the open borders crowd." Homan responded. "Remember, just a couple weeks ago, AOC went on social media saying if we put a finger on any of her coworkers or congress people that were at our Newark facility, there'd be consequences. Well, guess what? We did it. I'm waiting on the consequences. But you know, the mayor is no different," Homan said. "Look, I've said from day one, you cannot cooperate with ICE if that's what you want to do, but you can't get in our way, and you can't impede our efforts. Or you cross that line, we will seek prosecution." "As far as the belonging fund that he's supporting, I have my own belonging fund," Homan added. "We can give housing, food and free medical care in ICE detention. That's exactly what we're going to do in Nashville. We're going to flood the zone with agents, multi-agency FBI, DEA, ICE, U.S. Marshals, and we're going to flood the zone. If he wants to push back and support sanctuary cities, that means we flood the zone. We'll flood the zone in the neighborhood to find the bad guy. We'll flood the zone at work sites to find the bad guy. But we're going to do it, and he's not going to stop us." The investigation into O'Connell comes after the Nashville mayor issued an executive order requiring city employees and first responders to report all communication with immigration authorities directly to his office.(RELATED: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Judge Who Allegedly Helped Illegal Migrant Dodge Feds) WATCH: During a press conferenceannouncingthe open investigation, Republican Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles said that the committee will formally request all documents and communications related to O'Connell's executive order, internal discussions concerning ICE actions and all correspondence involving Metro employees and affiliated NGOs regarding the arrest of illegal migrants. Ingraham asked Homan if he believes the investigation against the Nashville mayor could "rise" to the "level of charging him with obstruction" of ICE officials. "We'll see. I know Homeland Oversight is opening up a congressional investigation. I cannot confirm or deny if ICE is investigating him, but we'll see where it plays out. It isn't just what he says, it's what he does. So I plan on going to Nashville in the near future," Homan said. "I said that from day one that we're going to hit every sanctuary city. Everybody that wants to push back against ICE, we're going to pay a lot of attention to them. Because why? It's not a threat." "He ought to be thanking ICE for arresting the criminal aliens they arrested. They arrested, as you said earlier, a sex offender, several people that are convicted of violent crimes, gang members, and illegal aliens that were deported many times before, which means now they're a felon. We made his street safer. A thank you would be nice, not attacking the men and women of ICE," Homan added. Since entering his position, Homan has received pushback from Democrats and sanctuary cities over his efforts to carry out the Trump administration's agenda of mass deportation. In May, federal prosecutorschargedDemocrat New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver with assaulting law enforcement officers after she, two other Democrat representatives and a Democrat mayor were involved in anincidentoutside an ICE detention facility. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter's byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contactlicensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

byDan Dunne

in

May 27, 2025

‘We’re Going To Flood The Zone’: Homan Puts Sanctuary Cities Like Nashville On Notice

'We're Going To Flood The Zone': Homan Puts Sanctuary Cities Like Nashville On Notice Border czar Tom Homan pushed back on Nashv...

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California GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Tells Bannon How ‘Working-Class Latino Voters’ Will Impact 2026 Election

California GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Tells Bannon How 'Working-Class Latino Voters' Will Impact 2026 Election

During a Tuesday appearance on "Bannon's War Room," Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton laid out a bold strategy for victory in 2026. Hilton, whoannouncedin April that he's running for governor of California, said that working-class Latino voters will form the backbone of a populist political realignment in the nation's largest state. Hilton began by analyzing the math of a midterm election in California, saying that voter turnout in such years typically hovers around 11.8 million. "I'm very serious about this, and here's the path, right? In 2026 the gubernatorial election in California is a midterm. You're gonna have a lower turnout. Roughly if you look at the average of the last two years, last two midterms, the vote that you can expect is about 11.8 million. To win in California next year you need 5.9 million votes. President Trump just got 6.1 million. If every Trump voter turns out — now, that is a big if — but if every Trump voter turns out, I'll be the governor," Hilton told Steve Bannon. While acknowledging that full turnout is a high bar, the candidate said the key lies with disaffected working-class Latinos. WATCH: "There's a huge untapped potential, and this is where it absolutely is all about populism. The people who've been hammered the most by these insane far-left policies on climate and the taxes and the regulations and all the rest of the nonsense, the gender ideology in the schools. Who really is being hammered the most by that? Working-class Latinos, the biggest demographic group effectively in California now," Hilton said. Hilton dismissed media narratives that he said portray the GOP, particularly its MAGA wing, as "white supremacist adjacent," calling them deliberate distortions meant to stall the movement's momentum.(RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Steve Hilton Has A Message For Those Who Think It's 'Impossible' To Save California) Hilton said the establishment is desperate to discredit the growing alliance between working-class Americans and the Republican Party. In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, President Donald Trumpsecured46% of the Latino vote nationwide, marking the highest share ever achieved by a Republican candidate among this demographic. This significant gain played a crucial role in his victories. Trump won 55% of Latinomen, an increase of 19 points from 2020, and saw his backing among Latina women rise to 38%, up 8 points from the previous election. Former Vice President Kamala Harris isexpectedto decide by summer's end whether she'll run for governor of California. Hilton said he would welcome the challenge, calling Harris a "great opponent to face" whose national profile would draw major attention to the state. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter's byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contactlicensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

byDan Dunne

in

May 27, 2025

California GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Tells Bannon How ‘Working-Class Latino Voters’ Will Impact 2026 Election

California GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Tells Bannon How 'Working-Class Latino Voters' Will Impact 2026 Election During a Tuesday app...

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Australia's opposition coalition reunites a week after split

Australia's opposition coalition reunites a week after split

By Alasdair Pal SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's conservative opposition coalition said on Wednesday it would reunite, a week after splitting over policy differences following a resounding election defeat. The Liberal and National parties have shared power for decades in state and federal politics, with the Nationals broadly representing the interests of rural communities and the Liberals contesting city seats. "Our parties are at their best when they work together, to fight, right now as a strong opposition for this government," new Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley told a news conference. "I know that we will be a great partnership going forward." In a May federal election dominated by voter backlash against U.S. President Donald Trump's policies, the Liberal Party - historically the more dominant of the two parties in the coalition - was reduced to 28 out of 150 seats in the country's lower house of parliament, with the Nationals holding 15 seats. The incumbent Labor Party led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese increased its seats to 94 from 77. The two conservative parties briefly split last week due to differences over policies, including nuclear energy, powers to break up leading supermarket chains and policies relating to regional Australia. Ley, a moderate who took over after the former Liberal leader lost his seat in the election, also announced her shadow cabinet, naming deputy leader Ted O'Brien as shadow Treasurer. Angus Taylor, the former shadow Treasurer from the right of the party who ran against Ley for the leadership, was moved to a shadow defence role. Precursors of both parties have been in alliance for over a century, though they have briefly split several times over that period. (Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)

byDan Dunne

in

May 27, 2025

Australia's opposition coalition reunites a week after split

Australia's opposition coalition reunites a week after split By Alasdair Pal SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's conservative opposition ...

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How Charlie Rangel Changed His Mind About the War on Drugs

How Charlie Rangel Changed His Mind About the War on Drugs

It "seemed like a good idea at the time," Charlie Rangelremarkedin 2021, referring to the draconian drug penalties he supported as a New York congressman in the 1980s. "Clearly, it was overkill." Rangel, whodiedon Monday at the age of 94, came to that conclusion after enthusiastically supporting the war on drugs for decades, going so far as to criticize Republicans as soft on the issue. His transformation from a zealous prohibitionist into a drug policy reformer reflected his recognition of the human costs inflicted by heavy-handed criminalization. A former federal prosecutor who was first elected to Congress in 1970, Rangel was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus who represented Harlem in the House until 2017. He played a leading role in drug policy as a member of the House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control, which he chaired from 1983 to 1993. "Even though the administration claims to have declared a war on drugs, the only evidence we find of this war [is] the casualties," Rangelcomplainedin June 1986, a week after the cocaine-related death of Len Bias, a star University of Maryland basketball player who had just been drafted by the Boston Celtics. "If indeed a war has been declared, I asked the question, 'When was the last time we heard a statement in support of this war from our commander in chief?'" A few months after Rangel demanded action, Congress approved theAnti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which established mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenses, including a sentencing scheme that treated smoked cocaine as if it were 100 times worse than the snorted kind. Two years later,another Anti-Drug Abuse Actmade crack penalties even more severe, prescribing a minimum five-year sentence for simple possession of more than five grams—less than the weight of two sugar packets. In a 1989Ebonyprofilethat dubbed him "The Front-Line General in the War on Drugs," Rangel explained the rationale for such legislation. "We need outrage!" he said. "I don't know what is behind the lackadaisical attitudes towards drugs, but I do know that the American people have made it abundantly clear: They are outraged by the indifference of the U.S. government to this problem." Four years later, when Rangelintroduceda bill that would have eliminated three crack-specific mandatory minimums, he was already having second thoughts about this get-tough approach. By that point, thesenseless penal distinctionbetween crack and cocaine powder had led to stark racial disparities and promptedobjectionsfrom federal judges, whose criticism would soon beamplifiedby the U.S. Sentencing Commission. "In response to the onslaught of cocaine abuse in the 1980s," Ran­gelexplainedin 2007, "the nation crafted a drug policy totally lacking in compassion, and worse, that was totally unfair to the weakest, and most disadvantaged, in society." By his telling, "the sudden, frightening epidemic of a new street drug…impelled besieged lawmakers to enact stiff punishments for crack cocaine offenses." Rather than "reducing drug addiction and crime," Rangel said, those laws "swelled prison populations, created a sentencing divide that victimized young Black men, left a generation of children fatherless, and drove up the costs of a justice system focused more on harsh punishment than rehabilitation." In other words, the "stiff punishments" that Rangel thought would help his community had the opposite effect. Rangel's evolution extended beyond crack penalties. By 2011, the same congressman who in 1991 had defended the war on drugs in adebatewithNational Reviewfounder William F. Buckley Jr. was co-sponsoring abillaimed at ending federal marijuana prohibition. "It simply doesn't make sense to waste billions of dollars putting hundreds of thousands of Americans in prison for non-violent offenses," Rangeldeclaredin 2012. His change of heart, which began earlier and went further than asimilar shiftby Joe Biden, provided hope that even the most gung-ho drug warrior can learn from experience. © Copyright 2025 by Creators Syndicate Inc. The postHow Charlie Rangel Changed His Mind About the War on Drugsappeared first onReason.com.

byDan Dunne

in

May 27, 2025

How Charlie Rangel Changed His Mind About the War on Drugs

How Charlie Rangel Changed His Mind About the War on Drugs It "seemed like a good idea at the time," Charlie Rangelremarkedin 2021...

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