Canada’s Ontario on Monday banned US firms from government contracts in a move that will scrap $100-million deal with Elon Musk‘s Starlink. Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, said the ban would persist unless the Trump administration lifts recently imposed tariffs on Canada. Last year, the Doug dispensation had inked an agreement with Musk, who is a key part of the Trump government, to deliver high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario. “Every year, the Ontario government and its agencies spend $30 billion on procurement, alongside our $200 billion plan to build Ontario. US-based businesses will now lose out on tens of billions of dollars in new revenues. They only have President Trump to blame. We’re going one step further. We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy. Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it,” the Ontario premier wrote on X.
Earlier, Ford announced that his officials would soon be removing American products from provincial liquor store shelves. His statement came a day after British Columbia Premier David Eby announced that the local authority will stop buying liquor from US Republican states. Canada’s move is in retaliation to Trump’s sweeping new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China, a move that has triggered sharp reactions from global leaders and financial markets. The tariffs, which Trump says are aimed at protecting American workers and industries, have sparked fears of economic retaliation from affected countries. Meanwhile, Trump said that he would talk to Trudeau at 3.00 PM about drug pouring through the borders of Canada. “Canada doesn’t even allow U.S. Banks to open or do business there. What’s that all about? Many such things, but it’s also a DRUG WAR, and hundreds of thousands of people have died in the U.S. from drugs pouring through the Borders of Mexico and Canada. Just spoke to Justin Trudeau. Will be speaking to him again at 3:00 PM,” Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social.
In response to President Trump’s recent tariffs on Canadian goods, the province of Ontario has announced a ban on all US-based companies and has decided to cut ties with Elon Musk’s Starlink project. This move comes as a retaliation to the escalating trade war between the two countries, with Ontario officials citing the need to protect their own economy and interests.
The decision to ban US firms and sever ties with Starlink has sparked controversy and debate within the province, with some critics claiming that the move will only serve to further damage the already strained relationship between Canada and the US. However, Ontario officials have stood by their decision, stating that they will not stand idly by while their economy suffers as a result of Trump’s tariffs.
The trade war between the US and Canada shows no signs of slowing down, and Ontario’s bold stance against US companies is just the latest development in what could be a long and tumultuous battle. As tensions continue to rise, it remains to be seen how this trade war will ultimately impact both countries and the global economy as a whole.
The leader of Canada’s most populous province of Ontario says he’s ripping up a contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink internet services in response to Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Canada, as well as banning American companies from provincial contracts
TORONTO — The leader of Canada’s most populous province of Ontario said Monday he’s ripping up a contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink internet services in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said he is also banning American companies from provincial contracts, signed a $100-million Canadian (US$68 million) with Musk’s company in November to deliver high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario.
“We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy,” Ford said in a post on X.
Ford said starting Tuesday and until U.S. tariffs are removed, Ontario will ban American companies from provincial contracts.
“Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it,” said Ford, who called an election for his province last week.
In a bold move, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced today that he will be “ripping up” the contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service in response to new tariffs imposed on Canadian exports.
The decision comes as a response to the recent announcement by the United States to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum products, a move that has sparked outrage and concern among Canadian politicians and industry leaders.
Premier Ford stated that the tariffs are “unfair and unjust” and that he will not stand idly by while Ontario businesses and workers are harmed by these punitive measures. He also emphasized that he will not allow Musk’s company to profit off the backs of hardworking Ontarians while their livelihoods are threatened by the tariffs.
The decision to terminate the contract with Starlink is sure to have far-reaching consequences, as the satellite internet service was seen as a potential solution to rural connectivity issues in the province. However, Premier Ford remains steadfast in his commitment to defending Ontario’s interests and standing up to what he sees as unjust trade practices.
This move is just the latest in a series of aggressive actions taken by the Ontario government in response to the tariffs, and it is unclear what the future holds for the province’s relationship with Musk’s company. Only time will tell how this decision will impact Ontario’s internet infrastructure and the broader economic implications of the tariffs.
Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is “ripping up” Ontario’s nearly $100 million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink in the wake of U.S. tariffs on virtually all Canadian goods, he said in a statement Monday.
The contract, signed in November, was meant to provide high-speed internet access through Starlink’s satellite service to 15,000 eligible homes and businesses in rural, remote and northern communities by June of this year.
“Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy,” Ford said in the statement.
Ford said Ontario will ban American companies from provincial contracts until U.S. tariffs are removed.
“U.S.-based businesses will now lose out on tens of billions of dollars in new revenues. They only have President Trump to blame,” he said.
On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on virtually all goods from Canada and a lower 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy products
Musk, an adviser to Trump, is overseeing the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in co-operation with the president’s administration.
Ford has faced criticism for the contract, with Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie calling on him to end the deal last week.
“If he were serious about standing up to Trump, he would cancel his sweetheart deal with Elon Musk,” Crombie previously said in a news release.
Ford defended the contract at the time, saying there was a transparent bidding process and it was part of the government’s plan to get everyone in the province high-speed internet.
Starlink growing quickly in Canada
According to a news release from Infrastructure Ontario in January 2024, only two satellite internet service providers could meet the province’s needs.
Those were Musk’s SpaceX, which runs Starlink, and Xplore Inc., a Canadian rural internet service provider. Both providers were invited to participate in a bidding process, the release said, with SpaceX ultimately winning out.
Starlink surpassed Xplornet, operated by Xplore Inc., as the leading satellite-based provider of rural and remote internet access service in Canada in 2022, according to a report by the Global Media and Internet Concentration Project in December.
As of 2024, Starlink has around 400,000 subscribers in Canada, the report said.
In a shocking turn of events, Ford announced today that they will be “ripping up” their $100 million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink in Ontario. This decision comes in the wake of new U.S. tariffs that have significantly increased the cost of importing Starlink’s satellite technology.
The contract, which was originally signed in hopes of providing high-speed internet to rural areas in Ontario, has now become financially unfeasible for Ford due to the added costs of the tariffs. In a statement released by the company, Ford expressed their disappointment in having to cancel the contract, but emphasized that they must prioritize the financial well-being of their business.
This move is sure to have significant implications for both Ford and Starlink, as they now must find alternative solutions to provide internet access to underserved communities in Ontario. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact the future of Elon Musk’s ambitious satellite internet project.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
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Ontario contract cancellation with Elon Musk’s Starlink
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Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world
Canada’s former finance minister Chrystia Freeland has said Ottawa should retaliate to any US tariffs by adding huge levies on Tesla vehicles to punish Elon Musk, one of Donald Trump’s “billionaire buddies”.
Freeland, who is running to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister, called for a swift, punitive reaction by Ottawa if the US president follows through on his threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting this weekend.
“Canada must threaten to impose a 100 per cent tariff on all Tesla vehicles and a 100 per cent tariff on US wine, beer and spirits if unfair tariffs are imposed on Canadians,” Freeland said on Friday.
The comments from one of Canada’s most important politicians mark a sharp escalation in the trade dispute with Washington, which blew into the open after Trump said he would impose tariffs on the US’s two biggest trading partners from February 1.
The White House on Friday reiterated its plan to impose the tariffs starting on Saturday.
Trudeau also on Friday said Canada was ready to retaliate against the US: “We’re ready with a response — a purposeful, forceful but reasonable, immediate response,” he said, as he warned Canadians, “our nation could be facing difficult times in the coming days and weeks”.
Freeland, who was part of the Canadian team that negotiated the US-Mexico-Canada trade deal signed by Trump during his first presidency, said releasing a targeted list of potential retaliatory tariffs on $200bn worth of American imports would show where “we can hit Trump where it hurts”.
“By targeting products from Republican states that voted for Trump and products made by his billionaire buddies, Canada can exert unavoidable political pressure on the White House,” she said.
Canada previously imposed 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports, in a move that followed similar levies on Chinese EVs announced by Joe Biden’s administration.
Freeland’s comments also came as Mélanie Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, held last-gasp talks in Washington to try to avert Trump’s tariffs.
Joly used a Financial Times interview on Friday to warn the US that any disruption to energy flows between Canada and its southern neighbours triggered by a trade war would leave American oil refiners dependent on alternative heat oil supplies from Venezuela.
Joly also vowed Canada would never become a “colony”, in a reference to Trump’s claims that Canadians would like to join the US and his repeated goading of Trudeau, who he has called a “governor” of the “51st state”.
Canada and Mexico have drawn up lists of “tit for tat” tariffs to issue against the US as soon as Trump imposes tariffs.
Mexico’s left-wing president Claudia Sheinbaum said earlier this week that she did not think the 25 per cent tariffs would happen on Saturday, but on Friday said the government was planning for different scenarios.
“We have a plan A, plan B and a plan C, whatever the United States government decides,” she said on Friday morning.
Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said a tariff war would be a huge concern for small Canadian businesses as more than half their members import goods from the US.
“Trump’s new best friend is Elon and targeting these type of people close to the president might add pressure but, overall we are urging caution with retaliatory measures,” he said.
Tiff Macklem, governor of the Bank of Canada, on Wednesday said US tariffs would likely put Canada in a recession and also raise consumer prices in the US.
The Canadian dollar and Mexican peso rose against the US dollar on Friday after reports that Trump may push back the implementation of any new tariffs to March.
Additional reporting by Christine Murray in Mexico City
In response to recent trade tensions with the United States, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland, has suggested that Canada should retaliate with tariffs on Elon Musk’s Teslas.
Freeland argues that Canada cannot stand idly by while the US imposes tariffs on Canadian goods, and that targeting Tesla, a prominent American company, would send a strong message to the Trump administration.
While some may argue that such a move could harm Canadian consumers who are interested in purchasing electric vehicles, Freeland believes that it is necessary to stand up for Canadian interests in the face of unfair trade practices.
As tensions continue to rise between the two countries, it remains to be seen whether Canada will follow through with tariffs on Teslas. But one thing is clear: Freeland is not backing down in the face of pressure from the US.
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Canada, Trump, tariffs, Musk, Tesla, Freeland, trade war, response, economic policy, international relations
The tariff standoff between the US and Canada is heating up, and Tesla finds itself squarely in the crosshairs. Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s former finance minister and current Liberal Party leadership contender, has proposed a bold countermeasure: slapping 100% tariffs on select American goods, including Teslas, in direct response to President Trump’s threatened tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Freeland made her intentions clear. “We need to be very targeted, very surgical, very precise,” she said. The strategy isn’t just about economic retaliation — it’s personal. Tesla’s inclusion stems from CEO Elon Musk’s financial and operational backing of Trump, which Freeland didn’t shy away from addressing. “We need to look through and say who is supporting Trump and how can we make them pay a price for a tariff attack on Canada.”
Tesla’s electric vehicles sold in Canada are primarily manufactured in the US and China. Imposing tariffs would inevitably hike their prices, potentially steering Canadian EV buyers toward other automakers. This could be a significant blow to Tesla, which dominates Canada’s EV market with its Model Y and Model 3 leading in sales.
Freeland, who resigned from her finance minister post last year partly over disagreements on handling Trump’s economic threats, is now using this issue to define her leadership campaign. “One of the characteristics of the Trump administration is they like to traffic in uncertainty,” she remarked. “There are lots of reports about there being internal debates in the US (administration), so let’s use that to our advantage. And let’s put some cards on the table and be very clear that if they hit us, we will hit them back.”
The stakes are high. Canada’s EV adoption rate is outpacing that of the US, with nearly 17% of new cars sold in the third quarter of 2024 being fully electric, compared to just 8% in the US. Quebec’s aggressive EV incentives have fueled this growth, making Tesla’s dominance even more pronounced — and vulnerable.
As Trump’s policies ripple across borders, Canada’s response is no longer confined to diplomatic channels. It’s taking direct aim at the businesses tied to his political machinery, and Tesla is at the forefront of that retaliation.
In a bold move, Canada has decided to target Tesla, the electric car company owned by Elon Musk, in the ongoing tariff war with the United States. This decision comes as retaliation against the Trump administration’s recent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.
Elon Musk, often referred to as President Trump’s ‘first friend’ in the business world, has been a vocal supporter of the current administration’s policies. However, this alliance seems to have backfired as Canada aims to make Tesla pay for the trade tensions created by the US government.
The Canadian government has announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on all Tesla vehicles imported into the country, a move that is sure to hit Musk’s company hard. This decision is seen as a way to send a strong message to both Tesla and the Trump administration that Canada will not back down in the face of unfair trade practices.
As the tariff war between the US and Canada continues to escalate, it remains to be seen how this will impact Tesla’s bottom line and Musk’s relationship with the Trump administration. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story. #MakeThemPay #TariffWar #CanadaVsTesla
Elon Musk’s social media platform X may not only be getting more interest from e-commerce giant Amazon.
As per a recent report, tech giant Apple may also be pondering a return to the social media platform.
X controversies:
Apple, together with several high-profile advertisers, pulled its ads from X in late 2023 following a report from Media Matters of America, which claimed that the tech giant’s ads were appearing alongside extremist content.
X has responded by suing Media Matters, arguing that the watchdog used deceiving tactics to give the impression that advertisements from major corporations were appearing alongside controversial content.
In a recent report, The Wall Street Journal noted that Amazon was increasing its ad spend on X.
The publication, citing a source reportedly familiar with the matter, stated that in recent weeks, Apple has also had discussions about testing out ads on X.
“Apple, which pulled all of its ad dollars from X in late 2023, in recent weeks has had discussions about testing out ads on the platform, according to a person familiar with the situation,” the WSJ report noted.
X after Musk:
Following Musk’s controversial takeover of X, the company’s ad revenue saw a steep drop.
X, however, has since launched several initiatives aimed at gaining more revenue and attracting more users to the platform.
These include the launch of a monetization program for creators, as well as upcoming services like X Money, which was recently announced by the company.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Apple in discussions to test out ads on Elon Musk’s X: report
According to a recent report, Apple is in discussions to test out ads on Elon Musk’s X. This potential partnership could bring a new revenue stream for both companies and provide an innovative advertising platform for Apple. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting development! #Apple #ElonMusk #Advertising #Innovation #Partnership
The Trump administration pushed out a top Treasury Department official this week after he refused to give Elon Musk’s cost-cutting team access to the government’s vast payment system, part of a bid by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to choke off federal funding.
David Lebryk, a career civil servant who oversaw the more than one billion payments that the federal government makes every year, was placed on administrative leave this week after resisting requests from Mr. Musk’s lieutenants, according to people familiar with the circumstances, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive internal dynamics.
On Friday, Mr. Lebryk — who had briefly served as acting Treasury secretary until the confirmation of Scott Bessent this week — told colleagues that he would retire after more than 35 years of working for the government.
Mr. Lebryk’s abrupt departure raises questions about whether Mr. Musk will now gain control of the payment system — and, if so, how he could use it. His exit also underscores the extraordinary amount of power that Mr. Musk, whose current employment status inside the federal government remains unclear, is accumulating at the opening of the second Trump administration.
Mr. Musk, a billionaire, has dispatched aides across the bureaucracy to try to radically reduce spending. He has told Trump administration officials that he aims to take control of the Treasury computers used to complete payments in order to identify fraud and abuse, according to three people familiar with his remarks.
The Treasury Department executes payments on behalf of agencies across the government, disbursing $5.4 trillion, or 88 percent of all federal payments, in the last fiscal year. The system is run out of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, a little-known but critical office that is responsible for getting money to Social Security recipients, government employees, contractors and others.
Former Treasury officials said they were not aware of a political appointee ever seeking access to details of the payment system, which includes reams of sensitive personal information about American citizens. Control of the system could give Mr. Musk’s allies the ability to unilaterally cut off money intended for federal workers, bondholders and companies, and open a new front in the Trump administration’s efforts to halt federal payments.
“The fiscal service performs some of the most vital functions in government,” Mr. Lebryk wrote to his colleagues in an email announcing his retirement on Friday, according to a copy of the email viewed by The New York Times. “Our work may be unknown to most of the public, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t exceptionally important.” He did not respond to requests for comment.
The White House and a representative of Mr. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency did not return requests for comment.
A spokesman for the Treasury Department declined to comment.
The departure of Mr. Lebryk, which was reported earlier by The Washington Post, and the potential for interference with the nation’s payment systems comes at a precarious moment for the U.S. economy. The Treasury Department had to begin using so-called extraordinary measures last week to prevent a government default after a suspension of the debt limit expired. The ability to use those accounting tools could expire as soon as this summer, and it will be critical for the department to accurately track federal expenditures.
Mr. Musk has told senior administration officials that he believes the federal government is sending out hundreds of billions to people who either do not exist or are fraudsters, according to people familiar with his remarks. The Government Accountability Office estimated in a report that the government made $236 billion in improper payments — three-quarters of which were overpayments — across 71 federal programs during the 2023 fiscal year.
Mr. Musk has been fixated on the Treasury system as a key to cutting federal spending. Representatives from his government efficiency initiative began asking Mr. Lebryk about source code information related to the nation’s payment system during the presidential transition in December, according to three people familiar with the conversations.
Mr. Lebryk raised the request to Treasury officials at the time, noting that it was the type of proprietary information that should not be shared with people who did not work for the federal government. Members of the departing Biden administration were alarmed by the request, according to people familiar with their thinking. The people making the requests were on the Trump landing team at the Treasury Department, according to a current White House official.
The inquiries into the Treasury Department’s payment processes have been led by the Musk allies Baris Akis and Tom Krause. Mr. Akis, a relative newcomer to Mr. Musk’s circle, is a venture capitalist who during the transition has focused on the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service.
Last weekend, Mr. Krause, the chief executive of a Silicon Valley company, Cloud Software Group, again pressed Mr. Lebryk for access to the system, according to two people familiar with the request. Mr. Lebryk declined, the people said.
Mr. Akis and Mr. Krause did not respond to requests for comment.
After the request, Mr. Lebryk sought meetings with Mr. Bessent, the agency’s new secretary, and the Treasury Department’s new chief of staff, Dan Katz, to discuss the situation, according to the people familiar with the matter.
After meetings with Mr. Katz and Mr. Bessent, Mr. Lebryk was placed on administrative leave, two people said. Other career officials will oversee the payment processes after Mr. Lebryk’s departure.
“For many years, Dave Lebryk’s leadership has helped to make our payment systems reliable and trusted at home and abroad,” said Jacob Lew, a Treasury secretary under President Barack Obama. “The American people should not have to worry about political interference when it comes to receiving Social Security and other payments the fiscal service makes.”
Mr. Akis has made similar inquiries at the I.R.S. about its information technology as part of an effort to automate tax collection, according to people familiar with the matter. During the transition, Mr. Akis asked to visit a major fiscal service center in Kansas City, but was rejected by agency officials, one of the people said.
It is not clear if Mr. Akis has an official government role.
Mr. Krause is now working at the Treasury Department and has an employee badge, according to three people familiar with the matter. Mr. Krause has also led interviews of current U.S. Digital Service employees, many of whom are expecting to be laid off after the technology unit was renamed the U.S. DOGE Service.
The decision by Mr. Musk’s efficiency team to integrate into the federal government, rather than set up an outside body, has been driven by its view that burrowing into the existing U.S. Digital Service will give it greater visibility into federal spending. That, Mr. Musk’s team believes, could give it the ability to take drastic action over spending by giving it access to computer systems across the government.
During last year’s presidential campaign, Mr. Musk pledged to secure about $2 trillion in spending cuts. More recently, he has halved that goal. On Thursday evening, Mr. Musk claimed on X that cutting $1 trillion “would mean no inflation” because of anticipated economic growth. “Super big deal,” he said.
In a surprising turn of events, a high-ranking Treasury official has resigned after reportedly refusing to comply with Elon Musk’s requests for certain payments. The official, who has not been named publicly, was said to have clashed with the Tesla CEO over financial transactions that Musk was pushing for.
The details of the dispute between the Treasury official and Musk have not been disclosed, but sources close to the situation have indicated that the official felt uncomfortable with the nature of the payments being requested. Musk, known for his bold and sometimes controversial decisions, may have been pushing for certain financial transactions that the official deemed inappropriate or unethical.
The resignation of the Treasury official has raised questions about the extent of Musk’s influence and power in the business world. As the CEO of multiple companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has been known to shake up industries and challenge traditional norms. However, this incident highlights the potential consequences of going against his wishes.
It remains to be seen how this development will impact Musk and his businesses in the long term. The resignation of a high-ranking government official over financial matters is sure to raise eyebrows and spark speculation. As more details emerge, it will be interesting to see how this story unfolds and what repercussions it may have for all parties involved.
A Michigan priest had his license revoked by the Anglican Catholic Church after he mimicked a straight-arm gesture performed by Elon Musk during a speech earlier this month that some have interpreted as a Nazi salute.
Calvin Robinson, who is listed as the priest-in-charge of St. Paul’s Anglican Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, performed the gesture at the end of a Jan. 25 speech at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, D.C.
On Wednesday, the Anglican Catholic Church posted a statement that said Robinson’s “license in this Church has been revoked” after he made a “gesture that many have interpreted as a pro-Nazi salute.”
“While we cannot say what was in Mr. Robinson’s heart when he did this, his action appears to have been an attempt to curry favor with certain elements of the American political right by provoking its opposition,” the statement read. “Mr. Robinson had been warned that online trolling and other such actions (whether in service of the left or right) are incompatible with a priestly vocation and was told to desist. Clearly, he has not, and as such, his license in this Church has been revoked. He is no longer serving as a priest in the ACC.
“Furthermore, we understand that this is not just an administrative matter. The Holocaust was an episode of unspeakable horror, enacted by a regime of evil men. We condemn Nazi ideology and anti-Semitism in all its forms. And we believe that those who mimic the Nazi salute, even as a joke or an attempt to troll their opponents, trivialize the horror of the Holocaust and diminish the sacrifice of those who fought against its perpetrators. Such actions are harmful, divisive, and contrary to the tenets of Christian charity.”
Musk’s gesture that Robinson was mimicking came in a Jan. 20 speech during celebrations of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. Musk slapped his hand on his chest, extended his arm straight out and up with his palm facing down and said, “My heart goes out to you.”
At the close of Robinson’s Jan. 25 speech, he quoted Musk, saying “my heart goes out to you,” before mimicking his straight-arm motion.
In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Robinson said “in case it needs saying: I am not a Nazi,” and that the gesture was a “joke.”
Robinson is from England and in the past has been outspoken about his conservative views, according to a biography on St. Paul’s Anglican Catholic Church’s website.
In a shocking turn of events, a Michigan priest has been defrocked by the church after mimicking Elon Musk’s controversial straight-arm gesture during a recent sermon.
The priest, whose name has not been released by the church, was captured on video making the gesture while speaking to his congregation. The gesture, which has been associated with white supremacy and neo-Nazi ideologies, was met with outrage and condemnation from both parishioners and church officials.
In a statement released by the church, they expressed their deep disappointment in the priest’s actions and emphasized that his behavior was not in line with the teachings of the church. They announced that he had been immediately defrocked and would no longer be serving as a priest.
This incident serves as a reminder of the power and responsibility that comes with being a religious leader. It also highlights the importance of upholding the values of love, acceptance, and inclusion in all aspects of life, especially within the church.
As the community grapples with this shocking revelation, it is crucial to remember that no one is above reproach and that actions have consequences. Let this serve as a lesson to us all to always strive to do better and be better in our words and actions.
The chairman of Israel’s official Holocaust memorial has accused Elon Musk of insulting the victims of Nazism and endangering Germany’s democratic future after the billionaire addressed a rally for Germany’s far-right party on Saturday.
Musk, the world’s richest man, made a surprise virtual appearance at a campaign event for Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party on Saturday, doubling down on his support for the group he has said can “save Germany” ahead of snap elections in February.
In an apparent reference to Germany’s Nazi history, the head of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, whose smiling face was projected onto a vast screen, told a roaring crowd that “children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents.”
“There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that,” he added at the rally in the eastern German city of Halle.
Musk’s remarks, which came the same week that he faced criticism for a gesture during a speech in Washington that many people said resembled a Nazi salute, came two days before world leaders are due to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
“The remembrance and acknowledgement of the dark past of the country and its people should be central in shaping the German society,” said Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, in a post on X.
“Failing to do so is an insult to the victims of Nazism and a clear danger to the democratic future of Germany,” he added.
Musk has openly supported numerous hard-right causes in Europe, including the anti-immigrant AfD, which last year became the first far-right party to win a state election in Germany since World War II.
Moving past guilt over the atrocities of Germany’s Nazi era is a key pillar of the AfD’s platform.
In echoing the party’s attitude to Germany’s past — a point of view that has drawn outrage inside Germany and abroad — the tech billionaire threw his support behind a party whose co-founder Alexander Gauland once dismissed the Nazi era as “just a speck of bird’s muck in more than 1,000 years of successful German history.”
The AfD denies being extremist, although its leaders have said that Germany should stop apologizing for the Holocaust and the Third Reich.
Musk greets Donald Trump at the launch of the SpaceX Starship rocket in Texas in November.Brandon Bell / Getty Images
The timing of Musk’s appearance at the AfD rally was also notable in that it came just days after he made a gesture in Washington that sparked widespread condemnation.
Abraham Foxman, the former director of the Anti-Defamation League, said on X that Musk’s appearance in and comments at the rally, just days after his speech in Washington, “help place the hand gesture in perspective.”
Foxman’s comments on Musk’s actions came in contrast to those of the ADL’s current leadership.
The ADL defended Musk after the gesture, suggesting on X — the social media platform that Musk owns — that the billionaire had made an “awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute.”
“In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath,” it said.
In his own attempt to downplay the allegations, Musk posted a joke referencing names of prominent Nazi leaders on X, also sparking a backlash.
The ADL’s chief executive, Jonathan Greenblatt, responded on the same platform saying that “the Holocaust is not a joke.”
Musk’s comments at the AfD’s rally also played into familiar AfD talking points on national identity and immigration.
Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, in Berlin before a live discussion with Elon Musk on X on Jan. 9.Kay Nietfeld / AFP – Getty Images
“It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,” Musk said.
The AfD has successfully used Germany’s debate over immigration to bolster its popularity. The party adopted an explicitly anti-Islam policy in May 2016, and its 2017 election manifesto included a section on why “Islam does not belong to Germany.”
The topic of immigration was one of many Musk discussed during an X broadcast earlier this month in which he spent more than an hour speaking with AfD co-leader Alice Weidel.
As he has become increasingly vocal about his apparent move to the right of the political spectrum, Musk has thrown his support behind numerous right-wing causes, including the United Kingdom’s hard-right Reform UK party and Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, calling her a “precious genius.”
But his most zealous support has been for the AfD, which heads into February’s elections polling in second place after the collapse of Germany’s left-led coalition government.
While other German political parties have refused to join coalitions with the AfD due to its extreme positions, Musk has given the group a significant boost, most notably — before Saturday at least — with his X interview with Weidel.
In the conversation, Weidel said that AfD is “exactly the opposite” of Adolf Hitler’s party, adding that it’s Europe’s left-wing political parties who are antisemitic.
“We are wrongly framed the entire time,” she said.
Elon Musk’s recent comments calling for Germany to “move beyond” its guilt over the Holocaust have sparked outrage and condemnation from Holocaust memorial chairpersons and historians. In a series of tweets, the Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder suggested that Germany should not dwell on its past atrocities and instead focus on building a better future.
These remarks have been met with fierce criticism, with many arguing that they trivialize the horrors of the Holocaust and demonstrate a lack of understanding of the importance of remembering and acknowledging the past. Dr. Charlotte Knobloch, the chair of the Munich Jewish community and former president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, called Musk’s comments “dangerous and deeply troubling.”
Knobloch emphasized the need for Germany to continue to confront its history and ensure that the memory of the Holocaust is preserved for future generations. She warned against attempts to downplay or dismiss the atrocities of the past, stating that doing so could pave the way for history to repeat itself.
Musk’s remarks have also been criticized for their insensitivity and lack of empathy towards the millions of victims of the Holocaust. Many have pointed out that Germany’s commitment to remembering and learning from its past is crucial in preventing similar atrocities from happening in the future.
In light of the backlash, Musk has since clarified his comments, stating that he was not trying to minimize the significance of the Holocaust but rather advocating for a focus on progress and innovation. However, his initial remarks continue to be seen as problematic and divisive.
Overall, Musk’s call for Germany to “move beyond” its Nazi guilt has ignited a heated debate about the importance of remembering and learning from history, and the dangers of forgetting the past. It serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing need to confront the atrocities of the past and ensure that they are never repeated.
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Elon Musk, Germany, Nazi guilt, Holocaust memorial, dangerous statement, Holocaust remembrance, historical responsibility, Elon Musk controversy, Holocaust education, anti-Semitism, Nazi atrocities, historical memory, Holocaust survivors, Elon Musk comments, World War II atrocities, German history, Holocaust denial, Nazi regime, historical accountability.
President Donald Trump on Thursday shrugged off an ugly back-and-forth between tech CEOs Elon Musk and Sam Altman that pitted one of Trump’s most visible lieutenants against a key participant in a massive $500 billion AI project Trump announced Tuesday.
Musk had undercut Trump’s Tuesday Oval Office AI announcement, casting doubt on his X social media platform that any of the participating companies had the money to fund it. But Trump Thursday told reporters at the White House that Musk’s commentary was just a case of bad blood, because he “hates one of the people in the deal” – not an indictment of the viability of the deal he had announced.
“No, he hates one of the people,” Trump said, in an apparent reference to Altman. “I’ve spoken to Elon, but—spoken to all of them, actually. The people in the deal are very, very smart people– but Elon, one of the people he happens to hate. But I have certain hatreds of people too.”
Shortly after Trump announced the new massive AI infrastructure investment between Altman’s OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank, Musk wrote on his social media platform X, “They don’t actually have the money. SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.”
Pressed on Musk’s comments Thursday, Trump told reporters, “I don’t know if they do, but you know, they’re putting up the money– the government’s not putting up anything, they’re putting up money. They’re very rich people, so I hope they do.”
Trump had announced the investment will create a new company, called Stargate, to grow artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States. The leaders of SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle stood alongside Trump during the announcement. Their respective companies will invest $100 billion in total for the project to start, with plans to pour up to $500 billion into Stargate in the coming years.
Asked in a follow-up exchange if he was frustrated with Musk’s very public criticism of the AI announcement he helped broker, Trump demurred Thursday.
Musk’s barbs represented a notable takedown of a major White House project from someone that is in Trump’s innermost circle. As a sign of how involved Musk is in the first days of the administration, Musk said he was in the Oval Office on Tuesday as Trump signed a pardon for Ross William Ulbricht, founder of the dark web marketplace SilkRoad. Musk had also dispatched a top staffer from his SpaceX and X companies to help ensure the release of convicted January 6 rioters after Trump signed a blanket pardon.
But perhaps it should not be a surprise that Musk is going after an OpenAI initiative. Musk is in an ongoing lawsuit with OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, who was at the White House for the announcement. Musk, who has said he “doesn’t trust” Altman, claims in the lawsuit the ChatGPT has abandoned its original nonprofit mission by reserving some of its most advanced AI technology for private customers.
The companies involved in Stargate have not publicly disclosed how they will contribute the funds, but they don’t necessarily need the money in the bank to support it — they could raise debt or sign on other equity investors.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday rebuffed Musk’s comments, saying in a Fox News interview, “the American people should take President Trump and those CEOs’ words for it.”
CNN’s Hadas Gold contributed to this report
President Trump has responded to criticism from Tesla CEO Elon Musk regarding his recent announcement on artificial intelligence (AI), stating that Musk’s disapproval stems from personal bias.
In a recent interview, Musk expressed his skepticism about the effectiveness of Trump’s AI initiative, stating that he believes the president lacks a comprehensive understanding of the technology. Trump, however, brushed off Musk’s comments, suggesting that the billionaire entrepreneur simply “hates one of the people” involved in the project.
Despite Musk’s concerns, Trump remains confident in his administration’s approach to AI development. The president has emphasized the importance of prioritizing American innovation and technological advancement in order to maintain a competitive edge on the global stage.
As tensions between the two high-profile figures continue to escalate, it remains to be seen how their differing perspectives on AI will impact future collaborations in the tech industry. Stay tuned for updates on this ongoing feud.
