Trump-Musk Feud & Travel Ban 2.0 | 6.6.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary: "Trump-Musk Feud & Travel Ban 2.0 | 6.6.25"

Release Date: June 6, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of Morning Wire, hosts John Bickley and Georgia Howe delve into the escalating public feud between former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the implications of Trump’s new travel ban, and the ongoing investigation into President Joe Biden’s use of an "auto pen" for signing official documents. The conversation also touches on significant legislative developments and immigration policies shaping the current political landscape.

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1. Trump and Elon Musk Feud

Overview

The relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has dramatically soured, becoming a highly publicized spat with both figures exchanging barbs on social media.

Key Highlights

• Public Exchanges: Former President Trump has been vocal on his platform, Truth Social, criticizing Musk. Conversely, Elon Musk retaliates on X (formerly Twitter), denying Trump’s claims and making serious accusations against him.

• Quotes:

  • John Bickley [00:04]: "The relationship between President Trump and Elon Musk implodes on the public stage."
  • Scott Bessant [02:35]: "Trump posted several times about Elon on Truth Social yesterday, saying he was wearing thin and claiming he asked Elon to leave the White House."
  • Tim Rice [02:35]: "The Tesla founder just went crazy after Trump lifted the mandate, which, quote, forced everyone to buy electric cars that no one else wanted."

Discussion

The feud appears to revolve around policy disagreements, particularly Trump's decision to revoke the Biden administration's electric vehicle (EV) mandate. Musk has hinted at significant political shifts, including the possibility of starting his own party, and has implicated Trump in misleading practices related to national debt discussions.

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2. The Big Beautiful Bill and Senate Finance Committee

Overview

The "big beautiful bill," officially referred to as the "big ugly spending bill," is making its way through the Senate. Home to substantial economic reforms, the bill has garnered mixed responses from various stakeholders.

Key Highlights

• Progress in Legislation:

  • Scott Bessant [03:49]: "The bill's 90, 95% there. The House has done a wonderful job trying to balance ultra conservatives like me who want to work towards a balanced budget, as well as those people that are from blue or purple districts as well."

• Senator Roger Marshall's Insights:

  • Senator Roger Marshall [04:04]: "I think the bill's 90, 95% there... I would like to see us cut a little bit more spending... protect Medicaid for those who need it the most."

• Deficit Debate:

  • Senator Marshall [05:16]: "I think the White House has it right... President Trump is modeling a 3% growth... $15 trillion of investment coming into this country."
  • Scott Bessant [05:00]: Addresses the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) projection of a $2.4 trillion deficit increase over ten years, countered by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant's assertion that the bill will actually save money.

Discussion

Senator Marshall emphasizes the bill’s near completion and its efforts to balance fiscal conservatism with necessary social protections. The debate over the deficit is pivotal, with Republicans challenging the CBO's projections by presenting more optimistic economic growth models and anticipated investments.

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3. Trump’s New Travel Ban

Overview

President Trump has reinstated and expanded a travel ban previously enacted during his first term, reflecting heightened concerns over national security and immigration.

Key Highlights

• Details of the Ban:

  • Cabot Phillips [07:37]: "President Trump announced a total ban for nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Yemen."
  • Partial Ban Extension: "Seven more countries, including Venezuela and Cuba, will also face a partial ban."

• Criteria for Inclusion:

  • Tim Rice [08:53]: Factors include "large scale presence of terrorists," "failure to cooperate on visa security," and "persistently high rates of illegal visa overstays."

• Visa Overstay Statistics:

  • Cabot Phillips [09:17]: "29% of Afghanis here on student or worker visas have overstayed... 49% of B1 and B2 visa holders from Chad resulted in similar overstays."

Discussion

The expanded travel ban targets nations deemed significant sources of security threats based on stringent criteria. The administration emphasizes the high rates of visa overstays as evidence of these countries' noncompliance with U.S. immigration laws.

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4. Immigration and Deportation Efforts

Overview

Under the new administration, there has been a concerted effort to intensify deportations and clamp down on illegal immigration, significantly ramping up ICE operations.

Key Highlights

• Increased Deportations:

  • Cabot Phillips [09:52]: "ICE made 2,200 arrests in a single 24-hour span. That is the largest single day total in history."

• Government Pressure:

  • Stephen Miller's Demand: "ICE officials have been threatened with termination if they do not detain at least 3,000 illegal aliens a day."

• Legal Challenges:

  • Deportation Blocked: "A US District judge blocked the removal of the family of a terror attack suspect, citing that 'deportation without process could cause irreparable harm.'"
  • White House Response [09:44]: "This judicial coup must end. United States courts continue to give preferential treatment to illegal aliens. Put American safety at risk."

Discussion

The administration’s aggressive stance on immigration has led to unprecedented numbers of arrests and deportations. However, these actions are met with legal hurdles, highlighting an ongoing conflict between executive actions and judicial oversight.

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5. Investigation into Biden’s Use of the Auto Pen

Overview

President Trump has initiated an investigation into the Biden administration’s use of an "auto pen," a device allegedly used to sign official documents without President Biden’s direct involvement, raising questions about the president’s cognitive and physical fitness.

Key Highlights

• Initiation of Investigation:

  • John Bickley [11:37]: "Trump signed a memo on Wednesday calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead an investigation into the Biden administration's use of this auto pen."

• Allegations and Details:

  • Biden’s Auto Pen Use:
    • Karine Jean Pierre [11:37]: "The investigation will look at whether staffers who are not named unconstitutionally exercised the president's authority while deceiving the public about Biden's mental and physical state."
  • Tim Rice [12:10]: "The auto pen, I think, is the big scandal outside of the rigged election of 2020."

• Biden’s Response:

  • Statement [12:29]: "Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false."

• Congressional Investigations:

  • Testimony by Daniel Turner [13:10]: "There's no evidence of Joe Biden in first person in his voice as president talking about them."
  • Mike Johnson’s Account [13:25]: Recounts a moment where Biden appeared unaware of executive orders, suggesting a lack of understanding of his own policies.

• Karine Jean Pierre’s Departure:

  • Georgia Howe [14:46]: "Her departure and forthcoming tell-all book purportedly detail a 'broken White House.'"
  • Jean Pierre’s Reflection [14:54]: "It is not a cover up. I know that is the narrative that you all want. It is not."

Discussion

The investigation into the auto pen centers on allegations that President Biden has been delegating the signing of official documents without his direct involvement, potentially indicating deeper issues with his administration’s transparency and his own capacity to govern effectively. Biden has firmly denied these allegations, while congressional hearings continue to shed light on internal administrative practices.

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Conclusion

This episode of Morning Wire provides a comprehensive overview of the tumultuous developments in U.S. politics, from high-profile feuds and sweeping legislative efforts to contentious immigration policies and critical investigations into presidential practices. Hosts Bickley and Howe, along with their expert guests, offer insightful analysis and strong opinions on the pressing issues shaping the nation’s future.

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Notable Quotes:

• Tim Rice [00:08]: "I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here."
• Senator Roger Marshall [04:04]: "We want to protect Medicaid for those who need it the most."
• Tim Rice [12:10]: "I think the auto pen is the big scandal outside of the rigged election of 2020."
• Karine Jean Pierre [14:54]: "It is not a cover up. I know that is the narrative that you all want. It is not."

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Transcript

[John Bickley]

The relationship between President Trump and Elon Musk implodes on the public stage.

[Tim Rice]

I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate.

[Georgia Howe]

What's at the center of the epic clash?

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, June 6th, and this is Morning Wire.

[Georgia Howe]

President Trump takes another swing at a sweeping travel ban. Will it survive legal challenges?

[Tim Rice]

We've seen one terror attack after another carried out by foreign visa overstayers from dangerous places all over the world.

[John Bickley]

And President Trump and Congress demand a probe into the Biden auto pin controversy. Who signed off on major policies and was Biden aware?

[Tim Rice]

This investigation's moving at a rapid pace.

[Cabot Phillips]

And you know that there's been a.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Ton of information that's come out in.

[Cabot Phillips]

The last seven days.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to.

[Amanda Presa Giacomo]

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[Georgia Howe]

The once cozy relationship between President Trump and Elon Musk is quickly deteriorating all in public view.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire deputy Managing editor Tim Rice joined us yesterday to talk about this feud, but things have escalated dramatically since since then. Tim, things are getting pretty ugly here. What's the latest?

[Scott Bessant]

Yeah, ugly, to say the least. John. The President Elon are reaching a real fever pitch, trading barbs on their respective social media platforms. Trump posted several times about Elon on Truth Social yesterday, saying he was wearing thin and claiming he asked Elon to leave the White House. Trump also implied that Elon was not actually mad about the big beautiful bill, but is really just trying to get back at Trump for revoking the Biden administration's electric vehicle mandate. Trump says the Tesla founder just went crazy after Trump lifted the mandate, which, quote, forced everyone to buy electric cars that no one else wanted. Meanwhile, over on X, Musk denied Trump's claims, said he was going to start his own political party, and accused Trump of being in the Epstein files. He's also pulling up statements from Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson warning about the dangers of the national debt, essentially accusing both men of flying, flip flopping on what he's now calling the big ugly spending.

[John Bickley]

Yeah, not sure if that name's gonna stick or not. But look, this all started with this big, big beautiful bill or the big ugly spending bill. That bill is now in the Senate's hands. In fact, the President recently sat down with the Senate Finance Committee to get the bill to his desk. Where do things stand now?

[Scott Bessant]

Things actually look to be going pretty well, actually. To get the inside scoop, we talked with one of the senators who was in that meeting with Trump, Republican Senator Roger Marshall, and we asked him about the sticking points he needs to get to 51 votes in the Senate.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Well, I still think the emphasis is, I think the bill's 90, 95% there. The House has done a wonderful job trying to balance ultra conservatives like me who want to work towards a balanced budget, as well as those people that are from blue or purple districts as well. I would like to see us cut a little bit more spending. I think the House came in about $1.6 trillion. I'd like to get towards $2 trillion of cuts in spending. They didn't make all the Trump business taxes permanent. I'd like, I think that there's still a lot of waste, fraud and abuse setting out there in Medicaid in particular. Look, we want to protect Medicaid for those who need it the most. We want to protect Medicaid for those in nursing homes, those with disabilities. But Right now, over 90 million Americans are on Medicaid. And amongst Those are about 7 million healthy American men of working age as well. So let's help those folks find a job. And so I do. I think it's very, very feasible.

[Scott Bessant]

Now, the deficit is obviously a massive issue for the gop. The CBO claims that the bill will raise the deficit by $2.4 trillion in 10 years. But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant says they've got it wrong and it's actually going to save money. We asked Marshall who got it right.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Well, I think the White House has it right. And certainly that was the thrust of the meeting yesterday with our Finance Committee and President Trump and his leadership. Look, the CBO doesn't do dynamic scoring. They really don't assume. Assume or they don't really take into account what can happen to the economy if we make all these Trump tax cuts permanent. They consider a growth right now 1.8%. The White House is modeling a 3% growth. And just think about it. This quarter, it looks like we're going to be at 4.6% growth. So I think it's very doable. Additionally, President Trump very confident that more tariff money is coming in. And he's really excited about $15 trillion of investment. Investment coming into this country as well. $15 trillion of commitment from other companies to come in here for investments which is going to help grow the economy.

[Scott Bessant]

So a pretty strong vote of confidence from Marshall and also a good reminder that we're not done with tariffs just yet.

[John Bickley]

You know, we're a long way done from tariffs. And Tim, you and I, our relationship will never explode publicly with Elon and Trumps. Hey, thanks so much for reporting.

[Scott Bessant]

I promise, John.

[Amanda Presa Giacomo]

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[John Bickley]

This week, President Trump signed a travel ban that will prevent residents from a dozen nations from entering the US Daily.

[Georgia Howe]

Wire Senior editor Cabot Phillips is here to break it down. So Cabot, this is Trump bringing back a signature policy from his first term. What do we know?

[Cabot Phillips]

So we all remember back in 2017 when President Trump implemented a travel ban on seven countries, which the left labeled a, quote, muslim ban. That policy was challenged in court by Democrats at the time, but ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. But shortly after taking office in 2021, President Biden repealed that order, which he called a quote, moral blight that inflicted pain on millions. Now, though, it is back and more expansive than ever. On Wednesday, President Trump announced a total ban for nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Somalia and Yemen that includes temporary visitors as well as those seeking permanent immigrant status. Seven more countries, including Venezuela and Cuba, will also face a partial ban. Now, while the order includes exemptions for existing visa holders and those whose entry serves US national interests, AKA heads of state, just about everyone else looking to come in from those countries will be held out.

[Karine Jean Pierre]

Wow.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, what led up to this?

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, first and foremost, President Trump cited the terror threat posed by individuals from those specific countries in a video announcing the order. He pointed to terror attacks and failed plots across the US And Europe, saying it was a matter of national security. And he also offer details on the criteria they used for picking which countries.

[Tim Rice]

To include among the national security threats. Their analysis considered are the large scale presence of terrorists, failure to cooperate on visa security, inability to verify travelers identities, inadequate record keeping of criminal histories, and persistently high rates of illegal visa overstays.

[Cabot Phillips]

And to that last point, the White House offered specific numbers on countries with particularly egregious rates of visa overstays. For example, 29% of Afghanis here on student or worker visas have overstayed those visas and now live here illegally. Likewise, 49% of B1 and B2 visa holders from Chad resulted in similar overstays. Trump says those overstay rates are indicative of what he calls a, quote, blatant disregard for United States immigration laws.

[Georgia Howe]

And part of that broader effort is addressing illegal immigration in general. And the deportations are picking up. What are the latest numbers?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yes, they are. So President Trump has reportedly been dissatisfied with the number of criminal illegal aliens being arrested so far to that point. It's been widely reported that top White House advisor Stephen Miller met with ICE officials recently and threatened to fire top brass if they do not begin detaining at least 3,000 illegals a day. And in response, ICE appears to be ramping up their efforts. On Tuesday, the agency made 2,200 arrests in a single 24 hour span. That is the largest single day total in history.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, at least a few of the individuals who were targeted for deportation have since been ordered to stay. What do we know about that?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah. So following the terror attack on Jewish demonstrators in Boulder last week, ICE officials detained the family of that attacker. The Trump administration said they had illegally overstayed their visa, which expired in 2023, and were, quote, investigating to what extent his family knew about this horrific attack, if they had knowledge of it or if they provided support to it. The attacker's wife and five children, who are Egyptian, were then given expedited deportation orders. But on Wednesday, a US District judge blocked their removal, saying, quote, deportation without process could cause irreparable harm. He ruled that they must remain in the US While an appeal is heard in the courts. In response, the White House said, quote, this judicial coup must end. United States courts continue to give preferential treatment to illegal aliens. Put American safety at risk.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, another court battle over immigration. Cabot, thanks for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Absolutely.

[Georgia Howe]

President Trump has ordered an investigation into the Biden administration's use of the auto pen following new revelations about the apparent cover up of Biden's mental and physical decline during his tenure.

[John Bickley]

Here to discuss is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presa. Giacomo. Hey, Amanda. So tell us about this investigation. What exactly does Trump want looked into?

[Karine Jean Pierre]

Yeah, Trump signed a memo on Wednesday calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead an investigation into the Biden administration's use of this auto pen. This signed Biden's signature mechanically. He wasn't physically doing it himself. The investigation will look at whether staffers who are not named unconstitutionally exercised the president's authority while deceiving the public about Biden's mental and physical state. The investigation will look at which policy documents were signed with the auto pen and who directed the use of the auto pen. Trump has repeatedly spoken out about this. Here he is in the Oval Office yesterday.

[Tim Rice]

Well, look, the auto pen, I think, is the big scandal outside of the rigged election of 2020, I think the biggest scandal of the last many years is the auto pen. And who's using it. I happen to think I know. Okay. And I can tell auto pen easily. I can look at it like two little pinholes from pulling the paper.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Right.

[Tim Rice]

You always see the pinholes.

[Karine Jean Pierre]

Trump also underscored that during Biden's tenure, the White house issued over 1200 presidential documents. He appointed hundreds of judges to the federal bench, and he issued more pardons and commutations than any administration in US History. Right now. As for Biden, we have received a statement about this investigation. He said on Thursday that he is the one who made decisions about pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. And Biden added, quote, any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false.

[John Bickley]

All right, so a denial from Biden, unsurprisingly, but this is not just coming from Trump. We also have congressional investigations into auto pin use. What's the latest there?

[Karine Jean Pierre]

Yeah, there was a hearing just this week led by chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, Republican Rep. James Comer. Testimony from Daniel Turner, the founder of Power the Future. This caught a lot of attention as he described the gravity of this controversy.

[Amanda Presa Giacomo]

This is impersonation of the president. Staffers, of course, have a lot of leniency in what they do working on behalf of the President. But these executive orders that we identified, there's no evidence of Joe Biden in first person in his voice as president talking about them.

[Karine Jean Pierre]

Turner, during his testimony, he highlighted an anecdote from House Speaker Mike Johnson. Just a few months ago, Johnson recalled a moment with then President Biden talking about an executive order he signed banning the export of liquefied natural gas. Johnson said that Biden had no idea what he was talking about, and he suggested that the president was likely signing things without knowing what they were. This moment has been amplified by critics who believe that the auto pen was being inappropriately used because Biden was so frankly out of it.

[Cabot Phillips]

He genuinely did not know what he had signed. And I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, we're in serious trouble. Who is running the country? Like, I don't know who put the paper in front of, but he didn't know.

[Karine Jean Pierre]

Now, while there's all this heightened attention on Biden and his closest staffers, his White House press secretary, Karine Jean Pierre, she recently revealed that she's leaving the Democrat Party and she's selling a tell all book about her time in a, quote, broken White House. Now, while she was press secretary, Jean Pierre was one of Biden's biggest defenders. She repeatedly dismissed questions over Biden's physical and mental state. Here she is in July of 2024, right after Biden dropped out of the.

[Cabot Phillips]

Presidential race, who ordered White House officials to cover up a declining president?

[Georgia Howe]

It is not a cover up. I know that is the narrative that you all want. It is not.

[Karine Jean Pierre]

Listeners might also remember that Jean Pierre called videos that documented Biden's decline, misinformation and quote, cheap face.

[John Bickley]

That was a term the legacy media repeated over and over again at that time. Amanda, thanks so much for reporting.

[Karine Jean Pierre]

You're welcome.

[Georgia Howe]

A quick programming note. A lot of you have asked for it and we're bringing it back. Morning Wire's afternoon update is coming back, but with a few tweaks. So look for Evening Wire in your podcast feeds on weekdays at 5pm Eastern Time starting on Monday, June 9th.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're watching on YouTube, don't forget to like and subscribe. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more.

[Scott Bessant]

News you need to know.