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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Elon Musk announced plans to significantly reduce his political spending in the future, citing that he believes he has “done enough.”
👥 Who’s Involved: Elon Musk, President Donald J. Trump, Musk’s companies (Tesla, SpaceX, xAI), and an anonymous Musk adviser.
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📍 Where & When: Qatar Economic Forum, Tuesday.
💬 Key Quote: “I think in terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future. I think I’ve done enough,” Musk said.
⚠️ Impact: Musk’s decision may alter his role in political campaigns, though his influence is expected to remain significant through quieter contributions.
IN FULL:
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and a key supporter of President Donald J. Trump during his 2024 re-election campaign, announced plans to scale back his political spending. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday, Musk stated, “I think in terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future. I think I’ve done enough.”
Musk, who contributed over $250 million to a super PAC supporting Trump last year, expressed ambivalence about future political commitments. He added, “Well, if I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I don’t currently see a reason.”
An adviser to Musk, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that the billionaire’s reduced public political profile would not diminish his influence. “Musk scaling back his public profile does not diminish his influence. I think it can actually sharpen it,” the adviser said. They noted that Musk could still quietly back causes he supports without generating “unnecessary noise.”
Musk played a prominent role in the latter part of Trump’s campaign, having initially badmouthed him and supported Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the Republican primary. Following Trump’s re-election, Musk was appointed to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), focusing on restructuring federal agencies and workforce reductions.
Musk initially claimed DOGE would save the U.S. taxpayer over $2 trillion. That number was quickly revised to $1 trillion and then again to just $150 billion. It is unclear at this point if any money has been saved at all through his work, as billions in claimed savings have now disappeared from the DOGE website.
Earlier this year, Musk invested heavily in a Wisconsin state Supreme Court race, supporting a conservative candidate who ultimately lost in April. His political vehicle, America PAC, is run by former DeSantis staffers Generra Peck and Phil Cox, the latter of whom is linked to Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and even George Soros operatives.
PULSE POINTS:
What Happened: Hugo Monteiro, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Brazil, was briefly detained by ICE outside Cambridge District Court in Medford due to a mix-up, but was released after officers confirmed his identity.
Who’s Involved: Hugo Monteiro, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and President Donald J. Trump’s administration.
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Where & When: Medford, Massachusetts, outside Cambridge District Court, on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Key Quote: “Unfortunately, they called the wrong person, but I still support whatever they’re doing,” Monteiro said. “I voted for Trump.”
Impact: Monteiro’s support for ICE and Trump’s immigration crackdown, despite his mistaken detention, underscores public backing for America First policies to secure the border and deport illegal aliens.
IN FULL:
Naturalized U.S. citizen Hugo Monteiro has brushed off his brief detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside Cambridge District Court in Medford, Massachusetts, on May 16, 2025, affirming his support for the agency’s mission. The 31-year-old Brazilian-American, mistaken for an illegal immigrant, was quickly released after proving his citizenship and stood firm in backing Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Monteiro, who had just left the courthouse after assisting a client, was approached by four plainclothes ICE officers around 9:15 AM. “They were telling me I was under arrest, that I was in trouble,” he recalled. Handcuffed and escorted to a car, officers soon verified Monteiro’s identity, confirmed their error, and released him by 9:30 AM.
“They explained to me they wanted to make sure they had the correct person,” Monteiro said, noting the officers mentioned prior arrests near the Medford courthouse. Despite the ordeal, he harbored no resentment. “Unfortunately, they called the wrong person, but I still support whatever they’re doing,” he said. “I voted for Trump. There are a lot of bad people in this country, to be honest with you, [and they] don’t deserve to be here. No hard feelings.”
Monteiro’s detention comes amid a surge in ICE operations under Trump’s administration, which reversed a Biden-era policy banning routine courthouse arrests. Trump policy mandates coordination with court security, but Monteiro’s arrest on a public sidewalk suggests operational hiccups, as court security was unaware of the action.
Monteiro’s unwavering support highlights the public’s broad approval of Trump’s robust immigration enforcement.
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English (US) ·