Latest / Elon Musk Podcast / Elon Musk Weekly News Update: Tesla, SpaceX, X, Neuralink, and More

Transcript

Elon Musk Weekly News Update: Tesla, SpaceX, X, Neuralink, and More · Elon Musk Podcast

0:03
Your ultimate authority for daily Elon Musk News, exploring
0:07
the world's biggest ideas with your host Will Walden.
0:11
There's something new. Will Elon Musk finally deliver
0:14
on his long promised robo taxi revolution?
0:18
Now this question has arised after Musk announced this week
0:22
the exit tests autonomous taxi service will launch on June 22nd
0:26
in Austin, TX. The Robotaxi initiative has
0:30
lingered in Musk's promises for about 6 years, positioned as
0:33
Tesla's most critical future product and Tesla's ambitious
0:37
center around creating self driving vehicles that can
0:40
navigate urban environments without human assistance,
0:44
ideally rejuvenating the company's dwindling financial
0:47
outlook. Now, Tesla's robo taxi strategy
0:50
centers around Model Y SU VS currently on the market, though
0:53
Musk anticipates a steering wheel free model.
0:56
The Cyber cab could enter production by 2026 and Musk
1:00
believes that Tesla's camera based technology known as FSD
1:05
will offer the necessary precision for safe navigation.
1:09
He repeatedly mocks competing technologies such as Lidar,
1:12
which is a radar radar based sensor system which is widely
1:16
utilized by competitors like Waymo.
1:19
Traditional automotive giants previously entered this sphere
1:22
only to withdraw after incurring significant costs.
1:26
General Motors, despite investing billions of dollars,
1:28
recently abandoned its robotaxi ambitions, pointing to heavy
1:32
investments in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
1:36
Ford similarly shuttered its autonomous driving division,
1:39
concluding that robotaxis presented excessive financial
1:42
and technological challenges. Now, these decisions leave Tesla
1:46
alone among major automakers in America.
1:50
In pursuing this new technology, however, Tesla faces
1:55
considerable obstacles in demonstrating both technological
1:59
reliability and economic viability.
2:02
Bryant Walker Smith, a Stanford law expert specializing in
2:05
autonomous vehicle regulation, argues that Tesla's main hurdle
2:08
is economic competition, particularly against human
2:12
operated ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft.
2:15
Uber drivers often operate under low wages, which presents
2:18
significant pricing pressure on robo taxi services, especially
2:22
considering the high maintenance and operational costs of
2:25
autonomous vehicle fleets. And currently, Tesla's approach
2:29
contrasts sharply with Waymo. This is an autonomous taxi
2:33
service already operational in several U.S. cities like San
2:36
Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, the same market that
2:40
Tesla now targets. Waymo, having begun commercial
2:44
operations in 2020, has grown significantly recently,
2:47
surpassing 10 million rides delivered via its fleet of about
2:50
1500 vehicles. But despite this growth, Waymo
2:53
continues to incur substantial losses.
2:56
They reported a $4.1 billion deficit last year.
2:59
Within Alphabets broader financial structure, though, the
3:02
parent company remains highly profitable overall.
3:06
Moreover, Uber is strengthening its autonomous vehicle position
3:10
through strategic partnerships, particularly with Waymo.
3:13
The Uber CEO recently emphasized that while humans will remain
3:16
central to Uber's model, Robotaxi's offer valuable long
3:20
term potential. Uber's collaboration with Waymo
3:22
is expanding beyond Austin into new markets like Atlanta, and
3:26
they're aiming to gradually integrate autonomous vehicles
3:29
into its fleet alongside traditional drivers.
3:32
Now, safety concerns also play a significant role in shaping
3:35
public perceptions around robo taxis.
3:38
Tesla's vehicles have already attracted scrutiny as incidents.
3:43
Tesla's FSD has been involved in leading the National Highway
3:48
Traffic Safety Administration to launch investigations into
3:50
serious crashes, including one fatal accident involving A
3:54
pedestrian. A Tesla's reliance solely on
3:57
camera based systems without radar or Lidar leaves it
4:01
particularly vulnerable to environmental challenges like
4:04
sun glare or poor visibility conditions.
4:08
Now just take a second and I want to say thank you to Uber.
4:13
Uber is helping us out with this episode.
4:15
And if you've ever thought about becoming an Uber driver, if you
4:18
need a little bit of spare cash, maybe 50 bucks here and there,
4:21
you want to take somebody out to dinner, you want to just save a
4:25
little bit of money on the side, do it on the weekends.
4:28
It's a really good way to use something that you may already
4:32
have that you're not using to its fullest potential.
4:36
I've done Uber in the past. I'm going to be honest with you
4:39
and the fact that I could make 2 or $300 in a day just driving my
4:44
car around, talking to cool people, it's great.
4:47
There's a link in the show notes for you to check that out.
4:51
And I want you to know I get a little tiny kickback for that.
4:53
So when you sign up and you give your first ride, I might make
4:57
like 5 bucks. So just so you know now, the
5:01
autonomous vehicle mirrors historical reservations about
5:07
early automated elevators. The initial discomfort typically
5:12
subsides quickly once passengers experience the service full hand
5:16
though, so whether Tesla's camera only FSD system can
5:19
reliably detect hazards comparable to lighter equipped
5:23
vehicles remains A contentious question.
5:26
Is it going to miss all the obstacles that are in its way?
5:30
Will it drive around them? There's been studies on YouTube
5:33
channels, we've all seen them of Tesla completely failing in fog
5:39
and not so ideal conditions. So we're going to see how this
5:42
works out. Make sure to stay tuned to this
5:44
channel because if there's any news about this FSD happening in
5:49
Austin, we're going to be there. Economically, though, Tesla
5:53
urgently requires a successful new venture as financial
5:55
pressures mount. Last year, Tesla's sales
5:58
declined for the first time annually, accompanied by a sharp
6:01
drop in quarterly profits. The company's stock price
6:03
reflects these difficulties, having plunged 30% since a
6:06
mid-december peak, partially impacted by market reactions to
6:10
Musk's outspoken political affiliations and public
6:14
statements. And despite these ongoing
6:16
challenges and repeated delays, Musk continues projecting
6:20
immense optimism about the robo taxi on Tesla's value.
6:25
He claimed during an investor presentation earlier this year
6:28
robotaxis could trigger the largest asset value increase in
6:30
human history, suggesting Tesla could dominate as much as 99% of
6:36
the robotaxi market. But think about this.
6:39
If Tesla can nail FSD, they already have the production
6:44
facilities to make as many cars as they need.
6:48
Analysts remain skeptical about Musk's claims, though.
6:51
Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research dismisses the forthcoming June
6:55
launches More promotional than practical, Johnson argues that
6:59
Tesla's latest move amongst to merely demonstrating technical
7:02
capability rather than seriously testing commercial feasibility.
7:06
And he said that there's a possibility that Tesla will only
7:11
be able to have enough cars on the road to make it worth it in
7:15
about a year or two. Now skepticism it's broader
7:20
industry doubts surrounding Musk's repeated ambitions about
7:25
Tesla's performance gaps now. Smith also notes that Musk's
7:31
long record of overly optimistic forecasts undermines current
7:36
assertions. Historically, Musk has
7:38
repeatedly announced imminent breakthroughs for Tesla's
7:40
autonomous vehicle ambitions will need to postpone or revise
7:43
these timelines substantially by years, possibly decades.
7:48
FSD was announced a long time ago, still isn't here
7:51
completely. Tesla did not respond to
7:54
requests from us for further comment on the impending launch.
7:57
As June 22nd approaches, Tesla's success or struggle and
8:01
delivering a mobile viable robo taxi service could decisively
8:05
impact the company's long term viability and also reshape
8:10
everybody's visions of Musk's credibility.
8:14
Just as future prospects hinge significantly on whether its
8:18
latest robot taxi announcement proves to be another unmet
8:21
promise or the beginning of our transformative new era for
8:25
autonomous transportation. Elon Musk is shifting his tone
8:30
on Donald Trump after weeks of backlash triggered a rare
8:33
internal warning from Tesla's board of directors.
8:37
Public criticism surged following Musk's prominent role
8:39
in Trump's second administration, and for the
8:42
first time in years, Tesla's leadership told Musk directly
8:45
that his political behavior was damaging the company.
8:48
Multiple people familiar with that matter said the board told
8:51
Musk he would need to walk back his statements about Trump and
8:54
fast or risk losing his position at Tesla now.
8:58
The shift began in late spring, shortly after Musk stood next to
9:02
Trump at a White House press event and doubled down on the
9:05
federal layoffs driven by Doge. The Department of Government
9:07
Efficiency and Musk had personally overseen the cuts,
9:11
defended them publicly and celebrated his success at the
9:15
Oval Office. But inside Tesla, those moments
9:18
created a different kind of panic.
9:21
Key customers began cancelling orders.
9:24
Sentiment on investor calls turned hostile.
9:27
Tesla stock dipped sharply in the two weeks following Musk's
9:30
highest profile political appearances.
9:33
Board members took notice as well.
9:35
Two directors, including one who has worked with Musk since
9:39
Tesla's earliest years, warned that public association with
9:42
Trump was becoming an existential threat to the brand.
9:45
They argued that Musk's recent political comments were
9:49
alienating core Tesla buyers, many of whom lean liberal or
9:52
identify with climate activism. When director reportedly told
9:56
him you can't sell clean energy cars while backing someone
10:00
tearing up the EPA. Now Tesla's internal data team
10:04
had already flagged concerning trends.
10:06
Social media sentiment analysts showed Tesla's brand approval
10:10
had dropped by double digits in key markets like California and
10:14
New York. Suburban buyers wants a stable
10:17
Tesla demographic. We're voicing concerns about
10:19
Musk's comments on LGBTQ rights in his dismissive tone toward
10:24
climate policy. Now Tesla's PR team, which Musk
10:27
had famously dismantled, struggled to mount any kind of
10:31
response. Privately, Elon Musk started
10:34
softening his language. At a June meeting, he was asked
10:38
about his role in Trump's second term, and for the first time, he
10:41
didn't answer with his usual bravado.
10:44
He said only that he believed in efficiency and wanted what was
10:48
best for the country. He avoided using Trump's name
10:51
entirely. The silence wasn't random.
10:54
Sources close to the board say they told him that
10:57
disassociating from Trump was non negotiable if he wanted to
11:00
maintain his leadership position.
11:02
The pressure came as Tesla faced other vulnerabilities.
11:06
Its market global share had begun shrinking under intense
11:09
competition from Chinese electric vehicle makers, and the
11:14
company also remained under federal investigation for safety
11:17
violations tied to Autopilot. Any appearance of political
11:21
favoritism risked drawing unwanted attention to those
11:24
cases, especially since Musk had helped dismantle the regulatory
11:29
agencies meant to oversee them. That board members also raised
11:33
concerns about brand consistency for years.
11:36
Test the market itself as a clean tech leader, a climate
11:39
first brand backed by innovation.
11:41
Musk's political rhetoric was pulling the company into a
11:44
completely different orbit. When Musk echoed Trump's anti
11:48
trans talking points and used terms like woke mind virus,
11:52
Tesla's legal and marketing teams received a wave of emails
11:55
from longtime customers threatening to cancel orders.
11:58
At the core of the board's concern was shareholder trust,
12:01
though. After Musk's purchase of
12:03
Twitter, Now X, many investors question whether he could
12:06
balance Tesla's needs with his growing political ventures.
12:09
The Trump alliance pushed those concerns over the edge.
12:12
Major institutional investors warned that Musk's behavior was
12:16
destabilizing the company's value.
12:18
Some quietly began trimming their Tesla holdings.
12:21
And the final breaking point came when Tesla's customer
12:23
satisfaction rating dropped below 70% for the first time in
12:27
the company's modern history. Internal polling attributed the
12:32
decline directly to Musk's political activity and public
12:35
persona. One director told colleagues
12:38
that our product didn't get worse, our CEO did.
12:43
And after the internal push, Musk began a slow retreat.
12:46
He has not publicly apologized for his role in Trump's
12:49
administration, but insiders say he issued a private statement to
12:52
test the board members, acknowledging that he had let
12:55
personal convictions interfere with company responsibilities.
12:59
That message wasn't released publicly but was seen as the
13:03
first step toward more visible damage control.
13:06
And the Musk's recent tweets have also reflected this change.
13:09
In early May, he posted praise for renewable energy initiatives
13:12
in Europe, shared a photo of Tesla solar installation in
13:15
Puerto Rico, and promoted an LGBTQ friendly hiring campaign
13:20
at a Tesla plant in Nevada. Those posts are part of what
13:23
some inside the company to describe as a coordinated effort
13:27
to rebalance his image. Still, Tesla employees remain
13:31
skeptical. Several said that unless Musk
13:34
offers a direct public apology or makes a clean break from
13:37
Trump, the damage may already be done.
13:39
Others within the company fear that Musk's political ambitions
13:42
will resurface after the immediate backlash fades.
13:46
And at a June meeting, one director proposed setting up a
13:49
formal political conduct clause and Musk's executive agreement,
13:53
an unprecedented move at Tesla. And that proposal has not yet
13:56
been approved. But its existence signals just
13:59
how seriously the company now views the situation.
14:03
And for Elon Musk, the tension between personal freedom and
14:06
corporate leadership is becoming harder to manage.
14:08
Built Tesla on the back of a progressive consumer base and
14:12
that finds themselves at odds with much of his user base.
14:18
That same community that built Tesla and made him so rich, they
14:23
feel like he has turned his back on them.
14:26
And now he's on a public campaign to wash away everything
14:30
that he did with Donald Trump, all the negative things that he
14:34
said about the community, everything he said about people.
14:40
He's trying to wash that all away.
14:41
That's what these people think. And it's public turn toward hard
14:45
right politics alienated a segment of the market that I
14:48
made Tesla one of the most admired brands in the entire
14:51
world. Now, if Musk doesn't make a more
14:54
explicit public correction, the company may face deeper
14:58
problems. Now, we all know if you've been
15:02
following this, that Elon Musk had broken ties with Trump on X,
15:09
therefore he thinks that does the company well.
15:13
I'm sure the shareholders found that good and people inside the
15:17
company were impressed by that. But he also just said I may have
15:23
taken things too far. He didn't say he disagreed or he
15:27
is completely cutting ties with President Donald Trump.
15:30
He's just said that he may have taken his actions a little bit
15:35
too far, which if you know the policies in Tesla right now and
15:42
what they're looking to put on his executive contract in the
15:47
future. I think political leanings for
15:51
Elon Musk or any CEO that may be replacing him, which isn't the
15:54
case at this point, But anybody that may be replacing Elon Musk
15:58
in the future, I think they should be held accountable for
16:03
any political damage that they do to the brand.
16:06
My own personal opinion, I think Elon Musk went wild for a little
16:11
bit there on X and he's pulled back, He's apologized and for
16:19
most of the people that used to support Elon Musk, they believe
16:23
this is APR campaign. He doesn't really feel this way.
16:26
Elon Musk is just posting these things on X.
16:29
They even think the break from Donald Trump.
16:32
Some people think the break from Donald Trump.
16:34
Even internal people on the board think the break from
16:37
Donald Trump or know that the break from Donald Trump is
16:40
actually just APR stunt to convince just enough people from
16:48
left-leaning policies, those kind of people to buy Teslas
16:52
again. The stock is dipping, the sales
16:56
are going away, and if you could get even a small margin of those
16:59
people back by pretending to be done with Trump, because Trump,
17:07
as was stated last week by Donald Trump on True Social and
17:11
on X, that the easiest way to save money was to cut Elon
17:16
Musk's contracts with Tesla and SpaceX and Neuralink and all of
17:22
his companies. Donald Trump said that and then
17:25
immediately Elon Musk blew up at him and said they're going to
17:30
stop doing the Dragon spacecraft.
17:32
That's the spacecraft that sends humans to the International
17:35
Space Station and to space. They're going to cut all of that
17:40
funding and stop making new versions of the Dragon.
17:45
They plan that anyway. Elon Musk and SpaceX has been
17:49
planning that for years. They were going to decommission
17:53
the older Dragon spacecrafts and just use the new versions.
17:58
They can't get rid of the Dragon spacecraft.
18:01
They have contracts with NASA, they have contracts with the
18:03
government, they have private contracts that sends people to
18:06
space. They can't decommission the
18:08
whole thing right away, but they are planning to decommission the
18:13
Dragon spacecraft when Starship comes fully online, when they
18:17
can send people to space, to low Earth orbit and to the Moon and
18:21
Mars, etcetera. With Starship, they're going to
18:23
decommission that anyway. So the plan was there to
18:27
decommission it. Elon Musk's didn't state a time
18:30
frame. He said immediately, but who
18:34
knows what crafts he was talking about.
18:38
And this is because I have covered SpaceX for the last five
18:41
years and know the insurance and outs of the company.
18:43
And you know what they're what the briefing briefings are and
18:46
what has been talked about the Dragon spacecraft, the newer
18:49
versions will stick around. The older versions
18:51
decommissioned. So maybe Elon Musk was talking
18:55
about that. And maybe this was what some
18:57
people feel internally at Tesla. They feel that this was all
19:03
smoke and mirrors to get Elon's companies back on track.
19:10
Let me know what you think in the comments.
19:12
If you have comments on your podcast platform, I'd greatly
19:15
appreciate the community that we're building here and the
19:18
family that we're building around these new stories.
19:21
So please hit us, hit the subscribe button or the follow
19:23
button on your podcast platform right now on your app because
19:26
that really helps us out too. That's all I'm going to ask for
19:29
you. Just one second of your time to
19:31
hit follow. I'm going to give you 5 more
19:33
years of this podcast. I've already given you 5, I've
19:36
given you 800 plus almost 900 episodes now, something like
19:40
that, almost 1000 episodes. We're coming up on 1000 soon.
19:43
So I want to say thank you so much for being here today and
19:48
take care of yourselves. Elon Musk helped finance Donald
19:52
Trump's return to power with nearly $288 million in
19:56
donations. Now, less than six months later,
19:59
Musk is watching then investment destabilize his whole empire.
20:03
Now the alliance between the two men began as a mutual beneficial
20:07
transaction. Musk funneled money into
20:10
Republican campaigns and super PAC's, betting on Trump's re
20:13
election to secure policy advantages and also business
20:17
leverage. Tesla stocks surged after
20:19
Trump's victory in November, SpaceX faced fewer regulatory
20:23
hurdles, and Musk's influence in Washington reached a new peak.
20:27
Now, after a sudden and ugly public fallout, the billionaire
20:31
is totally exposed. Trump threatened to cancel
20:34
federal contracts tied to Musk's companies.
20:37
That threat carries real consequences because Musk relies
20:40
heavily on government funding and Trump has the tools to
20:44
interfere. Now, the White House holds
20:47
discretionary control over billions in federal contracts
20:50
and tax credits. Trump reminded Musk of that
20:53
power in a statement last week, warning of very serious
20:56
consequences if Musk supported Democrats.
20:59
Now, Musk hasn't endorsed anyone for 2028, but he has hinted at
21:05
starting his own third party. But the comment, according to
21:09
sources close to the administration, irritated Donald
21:12
Trump, who views political loyalty as transactional.
21:16
Musk tried to dial things down over the weekend but deleted a
21:18
series of attacks he posted about Trump on X.
21:22
But the damage has already been spreading across Musk's business
21:25
empire. SpaceX, Tesla all feeling it.
21:29
But Tesla lost $34 billion in market value after the feud
21:33
became public, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.
21:38
The loss is the second biggest single week decline in the
21:41
index's history. The sell off erased months of
21:44
gains and rattled Tesla shareholders, many of whom have
21:47
grown frustrated with Musk's political distractions.
21:50
And Tesla shares are down more than 20% this year, and it's
21:54
quarterly profits fell 71% compared to the same period last
21:57
year. Analysts traced the slide to
22:00
slumping EV demand and political backlash.
22:02
And Trump's new tax plan aims to eliminate the $7500 EV credit,
22:08
which is a move that could cost Tesla $1.2 billion in annual
22:13
revenues, according to JP Morgan.
22:16
Tesla's financial downturn comes as Musk faces mounting federal
22:20
scrutiny. The National Highway Traffic
22:22
Safety Administration recently asked Tesla to provide detailed
22:26
plans for its robo taxi launch, citing safety concerns.
22:30
Now, the company has several active investigations related to
22:33
its Autopilot and Full Self Driving software going on.
22:36
And these probes began under the Biden administration but also
22:40
remain ongoing under Trump. And if Trump decides to increase
22:45
pressure, he has tools to stall permits or ramp up regulatory
22:49
reviews. That creates more unnecessary
22:53
uncertainty for Tesla at a moment when investors are
22:56
already uneasy. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is
22:58
attempting to shift public focus back to the product side.
23:02
Tesla's preferring to unveil his robotaxi in Austin this week.
23:06
And Musk has teased this event on X, claiming the company is
23:09
now testing self driving. Model Y is in the streets.
23:13
He hopes the launch will improve sentiment around Tesla and
23:16
rebuild investor confidence, but internal pressure is mounting.
23:20
A coalition of activist shareholders sent a letter last
23:23
week to Tesla's board chair demanding that must commit at
23:26
least 40 hours per week to Tesla alone, and the group accused him
23:30
of neglecting his duties while chasing political ambitions and
23:34
running unrelated businesses. Brad Lander, who overseas the
23:37
New York City public pension system, criticized Musk's recent
23:41
actions after Thursday's Tesla stock drop.
23:44
The pension fund, which holds more than 3,000,000 Tesla
23:47
shares, lost over $150 million in one day.
23:52
Lander, who is also running for New York City mayor, called the
23:55
feud a disaster and said Musk's political obsession has created
23:59
direct financial harm to many investors.
24:03
His comments reflect growing discontent among institutional
24:06
shareholders, who once praised Musk's risk taking but now see
24:10
it as erratic and also see him as a reckless individual.
24:16
And beyond Tesla, Musk's other companies face similar threats
24:19
from Donald Trump. SpaceX relies on federal
24:22
contracts to launch NASA astronauts and Pentagon
24:24
satellites. Trump's threat to cancel those
24:26
contracts sent a chill through SpaceX.
24:30
Officials at NASA and the Department of Defense privately
24:33
acknowledged that terminating existing SpaceX deals would be
24:37
logistically difficult. Still, they have started urging
24:40
competitors to accelerate development as a hedge.
24:44
SpaceX remains the only active U.S. company with the ability to
24:48
launch humans into space, but officials say they do not want
24:52
to be held hostage by 1 supplier Now.
24:56
Analyst Ross Gerber, a longtime Musk supporter turned critic,
25:00
estimates that SpaceX would lose half its valuation if it lost
25:04
access to federal money. The company has built a
25:06
lucrative commercial business, but it's more consistent and
25:09
high paying client is still the US government.
25:12
Any disruption in those contracts would ripple through
25:16
Musk's entire operation from Starlink expansion to Starship
25:21
development. Gerber also warned that Musk's
25:24
current behavior is damaging relationships with regulators
25:28
and customers. He reduced his Tesla stake last
25:30
week. Suddenly that he called Musk
25:32
self-destructive leadership style.
25:35
And I don't know if you remember this, but at the beginning of
25:38
Starship development, the FAA and SpaceX were always kind of
25:43
at odds. SpaceX would be done with a part
25:47
of the mission so they could fly the actual ship, but it would
25:50
take the FAA months to regulate that one launch and they went
25:56
through numerous cycles of a Starship in one go from the FAA.
26:02
So if anything happens with this administration to slow down
26:07
Starship development, that means that SpaceX and NASA won't be
26:10
getting astronauts to the moon anytime soon if they delay
26:16
Starships. Now, let me let me back this up
26:20
a little bit. SpaceX will need to test 100
26:24
Starships before they get to the moon.
26:26
They need to be able to refuel in orbit.
26:28
They need to be able to orbit the Earth properly.
26:31
They need to be able to get a Starship to the moon, land it on
26:34
the moon, and then take off from the moon into lunar orbit, where
26:39
they will meet up with another craft and that craft will take
26:44
the astronauts back down to Earth.
26:46
Now, if they're slowed down Spacex's Lander, the lunar
26:50
Starship, the HLS contract Starship is slowed down a
26:54
development cycle. This means that SpaceX probably
26:57
won't get to the moon in the next 6-7 years, and that's not a
27:05
good thing. SpaceX is on flight 10, next of
27:10
Starship. The last three flights have been
27:12
a disaster. There has been explosions of the
27:15
ship for the last three ship flights.
27:17
The booster exploded last time because they were pushing it
27:20
towards its limits and they pushed it past the limits, which
27:23
was kind of expected. But the ship, they thought they
27:26
had everything fixed, but apparently either something else
27:30
was wrong or they didn't have the same problem fixed and the
27:34
thing exploded. So right now SpaceX is trying to
27:41
get back into the cycle of actually testing the ships in
27:46
orbit so they can eventually send it or sorry sorry to
27:51
orbital velocity until someday they will make Starship in
27:55
orbit, place it in orbit and they'll orbit the earth a few
27:58
times and come back down in the ocean probably.
28:01
So if they can succeed in the next few missions, I can see
28:05
that happening in the next within the next 5 missions.
28:08
They are also want to do a star link drop off in space and if
28:15
they get that done, that's a huge step as well because then
28:19
they can launch Starships and Starlinks at the same time, make
28:22
money from the Starlinks and also test Starships at the same
28:25
time. So when SpaceX is going to do
28:30
the next round of testing after ship, after the flight 10,
28:35
flight 11, flight 12, flight 13, we're expecting bigger things
28:39
from them, more kind of experimental things from them,
28:44
because right now they just have to make it to orbital velocity
28:46
and make it back down to the Indian Ocean.
28:49
But you know, it's not just about SpaceX or Tesla must has a
28:53
hands and a lot of things, XAI and brain tech from Neuralink
28:59
also depend on clear pathways through highly regulated,
29:02
regulated sectors. X AI competes directly with Open
29:06
AI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind, and all of which have
29:10
relationships in Washington and teams focused on policy
29:12
compliance. All of those people in those
29:15
companies, they're kind of quiet, unlike Elon Musk who
29:19
likes to speak his mind and likes to be a free speech
29:22
absolutist. Of course, on X, where he can
29:24
say anything he wants without repercussions until there are
29:28
repercussions. And Neuralink, which works on
29:32
brain computer interfaces, must secure approvals from the Food
29:36
and Drug Administration and maintain trust with medical
29:38
institutions. Any perception of political
29:41
instability at the top of Musk's empire could delay approvals or
29:46
dry up strategic partnerships. Now, as those sectors mature,
29:49
though, policy risks will rise because they're going to be
29:53
doing more invasive and higher tier things, so the policy risks
30:03
will not fall. And Trump's campaign aligned
30:06
closely with Musk throughout 2023 and early 2024.
30:10
And Trump appointed Musk to Lee Doge, which is an economic
30:15
advisory panel, and he's invited him to many of his events,
30:19
invited him to Mar a Lago. Tesla was featured prominently
30:23
during a March White House event celebrating electric vehicles.
30:26
Trump personally test drove one of the company's red model wise,
30:29
and he still has it at the White House.
30:30
He says he's not getting rid of it.
30:32
The public embrace stood in stark contrast to the Biden
30:35
administration, which consistently excluded Tesla from
30:38
clean energy events. Now, the change gave Musk and
30:42
his company's rear inside track. But that track now looks far
30:45
more precarious. But it also looks like Elon and
30:49
Trump may be making up. We're going to keep you abreast
30:53
of that situation in the few days coming forward.
30:56
And Musk's original plan was to gain access, reduce regulation
31:00
and redirect subsidies towards his businesses.
31:03
And that that unraveled current public feud has not only raised
31:07
billions in market value for harder hard working people that
31:12
earn that money to invest in his companies and invest in Elon.
31:17
Now this is the person that once walked into Washington as a
31:21
kingmaker. And now he faces potential
31:23
retaliation from the same system that he tried to game Elon Musk
31:30
skewed with Donald Trump. And his abrupt exit from federal
31:33
government role has not slowed down the protest campaign aimed
31:36
directly at his influence. A Protesters linked to the Tesla
31:40
takedown movement returned to Tesla showrooms across the
31:43
country this weekend, continuing their pressure campaign.
31:46
Despite Musk's withdrawal from the Department of Government
31:48
efficiency in his fallout with Trump over a massive tax and
31:53
spending proposal, the central question that keeps fueling this
31:56
campaign remains clear. Will direct action against Elon
31:59
Musk's influence affect Tesla's future and public trust and
32:03
billionaire backed policy now? Musk left DOGE days before
32:07
calling Trump's tax and domestic agenda a disgusting abomination.
32:12
Now, despite having donated $288,000,000 to Trump's 2024
32:16
campaign, that is now. That reversal triggered a public
32:19
confrontation with Trump threatening to cancel government
32:22
contracts with SpaceX, Tesla, and other Musk companies.
32:26
Now, Musk escalated the feud by claiming that Trump wouldn't
32:30
have won without him. This fight spilled into the
32:33
streets, where protesters continued targeting Musk's
32:36
economic and political entanglements.
32:39
On Saturday, organizers scheduled 60 separate
32:42
demonstrations under the Tesla takedown banner.
32:45
The campaign, launched in February during Musk's tenure at
32:48
DOGE, urges Tesla owners to sell their vehicles and shareholders
32:52
to liquidate their stakes. Demonstrations happened in
32:55
cities from Florida to Kentucky to Georgia, each one demanding
32:59
public accountability and rejection of what organizers
33:02
call Musk's grip on policy and technology.
33:06
Now, a protest outside of Tesla showroom in Washington, DC's
33:10
Georgetown neighborhood drew about 30 participants despite
33:13
rain in competition from Pride Month events.
33:16
Organizers attributed the lower turn out to weather, noting that
33:20
the previous weekend's event in Rockville, MD, brought in about
33:23
200 people. They insisted the message still
33:27
matters even when numbers fluctuate.
33:30
Protesters claim Musk's departure from DOGE changes
33:32
nothing above his overall influence.
33:36
Melissa Nutsen said that Musk going home with his tail between
33:40
his legs doesn't alter their goal.
33:43
She repeated the group SCORE message.
33:45
People should sell their Teslas, divest their stock in protest
33:49
until Musk no longer holds any public power.
33:54
Now, they claim that opposing Musk is necessary to protect
33:57
democratic systems and public well-being.
34:01
Tesla's financial performance added momentum to this campaign,
34:04
and the company reported a 13% drop in vehicle deliveries in
34:08
Q1, which is the worst in its history.
34:11
Tesla stock fell 14% this week and remains 47% below is
34:15
December high. Now, these protesters have said
34:19
that seeing the stock fall boosted the morale at the
34:22
Israelis, reinforcing their belief that this kind of public
34:26
pressure is effective against Elon.
34:30
Now, Musk attributed the drop in sales to weak consumer
34:32
confidence in a macroeconomic factors, but industry data shows
34:37
that other EV makers increased deliveries during the same
34:40
period. That contradiction strengthened
34:43
the resolve among demonstrators who blame Elon Musk's leadership
34:47
and behavior for Tesla struggles.
34:50
Organizers used Musk's departure from Doe's to launch another
34:53
protest push on social media. They announced that June 28th,
34:57
which is Elon Musk's birthday, they'll mark another day of
35:00
protests. They call the upcoming date a
35:02
recommitment and encourage people to rally even harder.
35:07
They reiterated that the movement is against the
35:10
consolidation of political and economic power in the hands of
35:13
just a few billionaires. Protesters also urged large
35:17
investment funds to drop Tesla shares.
35:19
Some cited a May letter from institutional investors to
35:23
Tesla's board that criticized management decisions and
35:26
corporate governance. Now these public and private
35:29
efforts from A2 pronged strategy, eternal pressure and
35:34
internal financial disruption. Now that's to reduce Elon Musk's
35:38
overall influence. Longtime protesters say they see
35:43
no reason to back down. Jean Faris, who's attended her
35:46
fifth Tesla protest, believes Musk's influence remains strong
35:51
even without Doge. James Deckard said the
35:53
gatherings create a sense of motivation and community among
35:56
critics who want to resist what they see as Musk's control over
36:00
public priorities. Some see the Musk Trump conflict
36:04
as irrelevant to the broader protest school.
36:07
Donna Powell, who has participated in up to 60 anti
36:11
Trump rallies, described Musk and Trump as quote, billionaire
36:15
brats having a tiff quote. She dismissed the idea that
36:19
Trump supporters would shift their stance to join the
36:21
protests against Musk, suggesting the president's base
36:25
remains unmoved. Now, her husband, Don Powell,
36:30
argued that the rivalry between Trump and Musk won't last.
36:34
They predicted that both men will eventually reconcile
36:37
because their interests align. Protesters on the ground believe
36:41
that the underlying structures keeping people like Musk in
36:43
positions of power have not changed, even as political
36:48
alliances will shift. Some people think that the rift
36:53
between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump is simply a
36:58
distraction from something that's going on deeper in the
37:01
government. Is there something that they're
37:03
hiding? We don't really know, but that's
37:07
what some protesters believe. Maybe there's something going on
37:09
with DOGE that we shouldn't know about now.
37:12
Musk has not responded to inquiries about the protests or
37:15
his exit from DOGE from this podcast.
37:18
Neither has Tesla nor early Tesla takedown organizers now.
37:22
That silence has not stopped the movement, though.
37:25
Organizers say they are already planning the next round of
37:28
demonstrations and encourage supporters to take more
37:31
aggressive action before the next corporate earnings report.
37:35
Will you be there at the protests?
37:37
Let me know what you think. If your podcast platform has
37:40
comments, I want to hear it. Let's have a discussion about
37:43
this. Want to know what you think
37:45
about Elon Musk and if you have soured on the idea of Elon Musk,
37:51
That's a great conversation to have.
37:53
I know a lot of people have in my circle, and some people,
37:56
they're completely behind the guy.
37:59
So let me know what you think in the comments on whatever podcast
38:02
platform you're on right now. Now the Tesla takedown protests
38:06
continue despite leadership changes and political infighting
38:10
because organizers believe that Musk's influence still poses the
38:15
huge direct threat to democratic policy and also market
38:21
integrity. What will happen at the next
38:24
Musk protest on his birthday? Will it be peaceful?
38:29
Will there be Tesla showrooms caught on fire again?
38:34
Just have to wait and find out. June 28th, Musk's birthday.
38:39
Also on your podcast platform right now, I want you to take a
38:42
second and hit the subscribe or follow button.
38:44
And also, if you have a like button, that'd be great.
38:47
And also, if you've been listening for a long time and
38:50
you haven't given us a review, I'd really appreciate it if you
38:54
reviewed the podcast. Give us a good review.
38:57
You know, if you like the show, give us a good review.
38:59
I'd really appreciate it. We really need that right now.
39:02
The president of the United States has just threatened a
39:06
private citizen. Donald Trump told Elon Musk to
39:09
expect very serious consequences if he funds political candidates
39:15
that Trump poses. Now, this threat didn't come
39:18
through a leak or some sort of back channel message.
39:22
It came directly from the president himself during a phone
39:25
interview with NB CS Kristen Welker.
39:27
Now, that message followed a series of public jabs between
39:30
the two men revealing a larger question.
39:33
What happens when the President Donald Trump threatens to
39:36
retaliate against a private citizen for political donations?
39:41
Trump's threat wasn't vague, though.
39:43
In a Thursday post, he suggested cutting off federal contracts
39:46
and subsidies to Musk's companies as a budget saving
39:50
measure. That post followed Musk's public
39:53
criticism of the GOP's latest budget legislation and his call
39:57
to vote out incumbents in 2026. Elon also followed the idea of
40:01
launching a new political party to represent the 80% in the
40:04
middle. Trump responded within days,
40:06
warning that if Musk backs Democratic candidates in the
40:08
midterms, he'll suffer unspecified consequences now.
40:13
The president didn't explain what those would be, but
40:15
insisted they'd be very serious. Now, Musk donated at least
40:19
$288,000,000 to support Trump and other Republicans during the
40:23
2024 election cycle, according to campaign finance reports that
40:28
some made him the most influential financial backer in
40:31
GOP circles last year. Now his abrupt threat to
40:35
redirect support away from the party or possibly fund third
40:39
party or Democratic candidates has triggered Donald Trump's
40:42
escalated warnings. Now, the message that Donald
40:45
Trump is sending is that loyalty is transactional, and switching
40:50
sides comes with penalties. Trump's tactics have created
40:54
unease even among some of his political allies.
40:57
Federal subsidies have played a major role in sustaining Musk's
41:01
companies. SpaceX receives billions through
41:04
NASA contracts, and Tesla benefits from energy credits and
41:08
tax incentives tied to its EVs. Now, cutting those off would
41:12
have tangible effects on operations, investors and jobs.
41:16
The threat was targeted directly to Elon Musk and his finances
41:21
and his businesses. In a private discussions with
41:24
donors, Trump has emphasized his preference for transactional
41:27
politics. Sources familiar with the
41:30
situation say that Trump views financial loyalty as a
41:33
cornerstone of his political machine.
41:36
That makes Musk's dissent unusually dangerous, in Trump's
41:40
view. Musk, who once boasted of being
41:42
a free speech absolutist, has found herself caught between
41:46
asserting political independence and preserving access to
41:49
government resources for him and also his companies.
41:54
Now the dynamic matters to everybody.
41:57
Beyond personal grudges. Tech, CE, OS and federal
42:00
officials are always navigating a new era of policy influence
42:04
right now, where access and funding increasingly depend on
42:07
personal relationships rather than traditional lobbying or
42:11
merit. It looks like handshake deals
42:12
are happening throughout Trump's administration.
42:15
Musk had enjoyed a period of influence under Trump, including
42:19
friendly meetings and favorable public comments staying at
42:23
Trump's estates. Now that influence is completely
42:26
gone. It's evaporated.
42:28
Other tech leaders see this as an opportunity to fill the void,
42:31
though. Executives of companies like
42:33
Palantir and Andrill, both heavily defense focused, see a
42:38
pathway to gain favor with the administration.
42:41
Industry sources say these firms are already increasing the
42:43
federal lobbying efforts, giving more and more money, and
42:46
positioning themselves as alternative to Elon Musk.
42:50
Now. Mehta's leadership has also
42:52
shifted its political tone, aligning more closely with
42:54
Trump's rhetoric in recent months.
42:56
Musk's misstep could create room for new favourites of Trump to
43:01
emerge now. Musk, standing at Silicon
43:03
Valley, had already begun to erode due to his erratic
43:06
published statements and inconsistent business focuses
43:08
recently. And while respected for
43:10
engineering successes and managing Tesla and SpaceX, he's
43:14
frustrated partners and investors with unpredictable
43:17
behavior and unkept promises. And losing Trump's favor could
43:22
further isolate him, especially if his corporate empire becomes
43:25
the target of scrutiny for Trump's administration.
43:29
One consequence of this view is the potential change in US space
43:32
policy. SpaceX currently dominates
43:35
government satellite launches and space logistics, and federal
43:38
agencies begin to shift contracts toward Blue Origin.
43:41
Who's Jeff Bezos? His space venture.
43:43
He could benefit handsomely. Sources familiar with NASA's
43:47
current contract review process say the agency exploring ways to
43:51
diversify launch providers and light of political risk
43:54
associated with single vendor dependency, such as SpaceX, now
43:58
open AI, who of course Elon has been warring with for a while.
44:03
Sam Altman stands to benefit from the political fallout as
44:06
well. Although Altman has his own
44:08
ongoing feud with Elon Musk, he has navigated the post election
44:12
power structure with more discretion.
44:15
He repurposed a large scale data center initiative as a federal
44:18
infrastructure project and secured a White House photo op
44:21
shortly after Trump's inauguration.
44:23
His strategy earned him credibility inside the
44:25
administration without attracting Musk style
44:28
controversy. Now, the silence from other tech
44:33
leaders speaks volumes. Here, most prefer to avoid
44:37
choosing sides in the political feud that could affect federal
44:40
contracts and our trust actions or export licenses.
44:43
Many executives are quietly hopeful the Musk's departure
44:47
from Trump's inner circle will ease policy negotiations and
44:50
create a more predictable business environment for their
44:53
companies. Now the administration's
44:55
treatment of Musk reveals how Trump views power and loyalty,
44:59
sees wealth and influence as useful tools when they serve his
45:02
political goals, and his liabilities when they don't
45:05
serve him anymore. Musk helped fuel the Republican
45:09
campaign in 2024, but in 2026, that might not be enough to
45:15
shield him from Donald Trump's retribution.
45:19
Trump's message is very blunt. You can fund the opposition, but
45:26
it will cost you. What happens when the personal
45:29
feud between AUS president and the world's most powerful
45:33
private space executive threatens the stability of
45:36
American space infrastructure? That question now looms over the
45:40
relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
45:44
Tensions escalated after Trump publicly criticized Musk,
45:48
calling him a disappointment despite claiming he had helped
45:51
him significantly. Musk responded by threatening to
45:54
pull Spacex's Dragon spacecraft from NASA service, an abrupt
45:58
move that could have impacted core US space missions.
46:01
Even though Musk walked back the threat within hours, the damage
46:04
had already been done. Both NASA and the White House
46:07
now face new uncertainty over one of their most vital private
46:10
sector partnerships. SpaceX is not just a contractor
46:14
for NASA, it is the only company currently transporting
46:17
astronauts to and from the International Space Station
46:21
using US based infrastructure. The Dragon spacecraft has become
46:25
essential to America's human spaceflight capability.
46:28
Since the retirement of the space shuttle, NASA has relied
46:31
on Spacex's vehicles to carry US and Allied astronauts into low
46:35
Earth orbit. No other American company offers
46:38
this service at the same frequency, reliability and cost.
46:43
Pulling Dragon out of the lineup, even temporarily, would
46:46
leave a major gap in crew transport capabilities.
46:49
After years of using a monopoly provider, United Launch
46:52
Alliance, a Boeing and Lockheed Martin merger, NASA opened up
46:55
competition to reduce costs and attract innovation.
46:59
SpaceX quickly underbid its rivals by reducing launch and
47:02
spacecraft development costs. The Dragon capsule alone came in
47:06
under budget, falling from initial billion dollar estimates
47:09
to hundreds of millions. That allowed NASA to shift to a
47:12
pay for service model, outsourcing missions to private
47:15
companies rather than managing the entire stack internally.
47:19
Over time, NASA funneled more money into SpaceX projects.
47:23
Since 2008, U.S. government agencies have awarded SpaceX
47:27
over $20 billion in contracts. Of that, NASA accounts for more
47:32
than $15 billion, including $2.9 billion for developing a human
47:37
landing system for the Artemis moon missions and another $4.9
47:42
billion for ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS.
47:46
The financial arrangement is mutually beneficial.
47:49
Musk recently stated that SpaceX will generate $1.1 billion in
47:53
revenue from NASA this year alone.
47:56
SpaceX has also stepped in when other government contractors
47:59
failed. Last year, NASA selected SpaceX
48:02
to retrieve 2 stranded astronauts from the ISS after
48:06
Boeing's Starliner capsule encountered delays and technical
48:09
issues. The decision signaled more than
48:11
just confidence in SpaceX. It reinforced NASA's practical
48:15
reliance on Musk's company to keep key missions operational.
48:18
That kind of trust doesn't emerge overnight.
48:21
It reflects years of successful launches and dependable delivery
48:24
on complex missions. Spacex's role extends far beyond
48:28
human spaceflight. The company is conducting more
48:30
launches per year than any other private or government player.
48:33
In the last 12 months, SpaceX launched nearly twice as many
48:37
missions as the next three most active launch providers
48:40
combined. Those missions support
48:42
commercial satellite clients, internal Starlink deployments
48:45
and military payloads. The volume of flights ensures
48:49
SpaceX dominates launch cadence, giving it logistical leverage
48:52
unmatched by competitors. The Starlink satellite Internet
48:56
network adds a second layer of strategic value.
48:59
Starlink connects everything from remote government sites to
49:02
active military zones. One of its most visible uses has
49:05
been in Ukraine, where defense officials have relied on
49:08
Starlink to maintain communications amid Russian
49:11
attacks on infrastructure. That application turned Starlink
49:14
into a high interest asset for the Pentagon and other NATO
49:17
partners. Beyond defense consulting firm
49:20
Quilty Space projects that Starlink will generate $12.3
49:24
billion in revenue for SpaceX this year, making it a financial
49:28
cornerstone that doesn't depend on federal budgets.
49:32
Spacex's footprint across federal agencies keeps
49:34
expanding. The company is integrated into
49:37
planning for future Department of Defense missions with a $6
49:39
billion contract awarded in April 2025 for satellite
49:43
launches. NASA also selected SpaceX to
49:46
deorbit the ISS at the end of its operational life in 20-30.
49:50
Meanwhile, the Trump administration considered a
49:52
SpaceX proposal for a missile defense system nicknamed Golden
49:56
Dome, which would combine ground based interceptors with
50:00
satellite capabilities. The proposal hasn't been
50:02
finalized, but national security officials believe SpaceX is a
50:06
likely partner because of its unmatched launch capacity and
50:09
ongoing development of Starship, a heavy lift vehicle built for
50:13
large scale missions. The idea of Musk pulling SpaceX
50:17
out of U.S. government work over political tensions isn't just
50:20
unlikely, it would also run counter to his business goals.
50:23
SpaceX is deeply embedded in the architectures of future American
50:26
space exploration and defense operations.
50:29
Unwinding that integration would disrupt multiple long term
50:32
projects including Mars related missions, commercial lunar
50:36
contracts, and military communications satellites.
50:39
Musk continues to promote a long term goal of making humanity a
50:42
multi planetary species, which aligns with Spacex's deep
50:46
government ties. NASA officials believe a total
50:49
severing of ties is improbable. While increasing competition
50:53
remains a long term objective, few companies are positioned to
50:57
compete with SpaceX on price, speed, and scale.
51:01
Even Musk acknowledges the need for rivals, but those rivals
51:05
will take years to match his lead.
51:08
Until then, NASA and the Department of Defense will
51:11
continue relying on SpaceX for the missions they cannot yet
51:15
outsource to others. A NASA spokesperson stated that
51:18
the agency will continue fulfilling the president's
51:20
objectives in space by partnering with private
51:23
industry, including SpaceX. That statement affirms that
51:26
despite any political friction, the agency sees no short term
51:30
alternatives to its collaboration with Musk's
51:32
company.