A day after the White House held a farewell press conference for SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to highlight his efforts as outgoing leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump suddenly pulled Musk ally Jared Isaacman as his pick for NASA administrator.

While the White House released a May 30 video chronicling Musk’s contributions to DOGE and several X posts thanking him and listing various ‘DOGE wins,’ the gestures were some of the last, final public actions of goodwill between Trump and Musk. 

On Saturday, Trump announced in a social media post he was pulling the nomination for Isaacman, a commercial astronaut and founder and CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments after ‘a thorough review of prior associations.’ 

Trump also said he would unveil a ‘new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.’ 

Isaacman’s affiliations with Musk include being an investor in SpaceX, in addition to leading two private spaceflight missions with SpaceX, including Inspiration4. The 2021 Inspiration4 mission was the first time an all-civilian crew orbited Earth. 

Isaacman addressed his pulled nomination in an episode of the ‘All-In Podcast,’ which is hosted by four venture capitalists and covers business, technology and society, that dropped Wednesday. Specifically, Isaacman said he received a call from the White House May 30 notifying him his nomination wouldn’t advance because the White House had ‘decided to go in a different direction.’ 

Isaacman said he suspected his ties to Musk were part of the decision, noting the call came the same day Musk’s tenure with DOGE concluded. 

‘I don’t need to play dumb on this,’ Isaacman said in the podcast. ‘I don’t think that the timing was much of a coincidence, that there were other changes going on the same day.

‘There were some people that had some axes to grind, I guess, and I was a good, visible target.’ 

Tensions between Musk and Trump continued to escalate after Musk’s departure as a special government employee May 30 and Isaacman’s withdrawn nomination the following day. 

Although Musk previously told CBS News in an interview clip released May 27 that he was disappointed by the House’s passage of Trump’s massive tax and spending package, the ‘big, beautiful bill,’ because it would increase the federal deficit, Musk’s attacks on the measure ramped up exponentially after Trump rescinded Isaacman’s nomination. 

Specifically, on Tuesday, Musk labeled the measure a ‘disgusting abomination’ and followed up by urging the American public to contact lawmakers to ‘KILL the BILL’ in an X post Wednesday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that Trump was aware of Musk’s position on the bill and that it didn’t change the president’s stance on the measure. And Trump did not mince words Thursday as tensions between the two men reached a boiling point. 

Trump said Musk was irritated with provisions in the bill that would cut an electric vehicle tax credit that benefits companies like Tesla. He also suggested Musk may suffer from ‘Trump derangement syndrome,’ a term used to describe deeply negative reactions to the president. 

‘I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, better than you people,’ Trump said in the Oval Office during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. 

‘He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden, he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate because that’s billions and billions of dollars, and it really is unfair.’

Trump also specifically mentioned Isaacman’s nomination, claiming Musk recommended Isaacman for the role. But Trump voiced concern about Isaacman’s ties to the Democratic Party. 

‘He wanted and rightfully, you know, he recommended somebody that he, I guess, knew very well. I’m sure he respected him, but to run NASA,’ Trump told reporters Thursday. ‘And I didn’t think it was appropriate. And he happened to be a Democrat, like, totally Democrat. And I say, you know, look, we won. We get certain privileges. And one of the privileges is we don’t have to appoint a Democrat. NASA is very important.’

Trump then said he ‘understood’ why Musk was upset over the pulled nomination.

The White House directed Fox News Digital to Trump’s comments Thursday and Isaacman’s previous donations to Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. 

Isaacman told the ‘All-In Podcast’ he doesn’t think his past political donations to Democrats were a factor in his pulled nomination, and that he identifies as ‘right-leaning.’ 

Isaacman and Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Trump and Musk continued to trade barbs Thursday. At one point, Musk urged the removal of the ‘disgusting pork’ included in Trump’s tax and spending bill. He also said it was ‘false’ that he was shown the measure ‘even once.’ 

Musk even went so far as to say Trump wouldn’t have won the 2024 election if it weren’t for Musk’s backing. Meanwhile, Trump accused Musk of going ‘CRAZY’ over cuts to the EV credits and said Musk was ‘wearing thin.’ 

Although Politico reported that Trump and Musk were slated to speak Friday over the phone, Trump shut down speculation of a call between the two. 

‘No. I won’t be speaking to him for a while I guess, but I wish him well,’ Trump said, according to CNN. 

 ‘I’m not even thinking about Elon. He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem,’ Trump said.

Despite Musk’s departure, White House officials have said DOGE’s efforts to address waste, fraud and abuse will continue, and Trump and cabinet members will oversee DOGE. The agency is expected to formally shut down July 4, 2026. 

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled the Department of Government Efficiency could access Social Security information.

The ruling blocked a lower court order that kept DOGE from seeking certain sensitive Social Security information. 

The information from the U.S. Social Security Administration includes Social Security numbers, medical information, citizenship records and tax returns. 

Three liberal justices dissented. 

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned some 35 individuals involved in laundering money for Iran on Friday as the administration seeks to make a deal with Iran over its nuclear weapons program.

A State Department spokesperson said in a statement that,’This network has laundered billions of dollars through Iranian exchange houses and foreign front companies to sustain Tehran’s campaigns of terror that undermine international peace and security and line the pockets of regime elites.’

Meanwhile, tensions with Iran continue, with the Associated Press reporting that Western powers are considering a resolution at the IAEA that would formally declare Tehran in non-compliance with its nuclear obligations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the move a ‘strategic mistake’ and accused the U.K., France, and Germany of choosing ‘malign action’ over diplomacy. ‘Mark my words as Europe ponders another major strategic mistake: Iran will react strongly against any violation of its rights,’ he wrote on X.

The draft resolution, expected to be introduced next week, would mark the first time in two decades that Western nations bring such a motion against Iran at the IAEA. 

As U.S. and Iranian negotiators engage in fragile talks, voices from within Iran reveal a grim paradox: while many citizens desperately seek relief from crushing economic hardship, they fear any deal may only tighten the Islamic Republic’s grip on power.

‘Right now, people in Iran do not have any hope for anything,’ said a female journalist in Tehran, who spoke anonymously out of fear for her safety. ‘The economy is collapsing. We sometimes don’t have electricity or water. The value of the rial is falling. Life is becoming unlivable.’

Like many Iranians, she believes an agreement could temporarily ease inflation and halt the country’s economic freefall. But she—and many others—fear the unintended consequences. ‘If the regime reaches a deal, it could become more powerful and more confident in suppressing people. That’s what frightens us the most,’ she said.

Under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran has faced growing unrest at home, triggered by economic pain, political repression, and widespread mistrust. As negotiations proceed, Iranian citizens are watching closely—but not with optimism.

‘People in Iran are caught in a dilemma,’ said another Tehran resident, a man who also requested anonymity. ‘On one hand, they want the regime to fall. On the other, the economic burden is so heavy that any deal offering relief feels like a lifeline. But the truth is, even if a deal is signed, ordinary people won’t benefit. We’ve seen this before.’

He pointed to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Obama-era nuclear agreement that promised economic benefits but, according to many Iranians, never delivered meaningful change for the public. ‘Only those connected to the regime gained anything,’ he said. ‘For the rest of us, life stayed the same.’

While Iranian leaders claim the nuclear program is peaceful, the U.S. and allies remain concerned about uranium enrichment levels nearing weapons-grade levels. Trump has demanded a full halt to enrichment, while Khamenei insists on retaining it. 

‘I’m a journalist, and we work under extreme censorship,’ said the woman in Tehran. ‘We’re not allowed to mention U.S. or Israeli military capabilities. We can’t publish anything about the talks without approval.’

She described a system where state censors dictate what reporters can and cannot say—down to the vocabulary. ‘It’s not just the content—it’s the individual words. And that makes journalism almost impossible.’

In the interviews with Fox News Digital, Iranians expressed deep skepticism that Khamenei would abide by any agreement. ‘He lies,’ the journalist said bluntly. ‘What he says publicly is never what he actually does. He manipulates both the public and foreign governments. No one should trust a dictator like him.’

The man echoed the sentiment. ‘The regime’s survival depends on its hostility toward the U.S. and Israel. If it truly committed to a deal, it would undermine its own ideological foundation. That’s why no one believes it can last.’

Recent months have seen a resurgence of protest activity in Iran, including a growing nationwide strike by truck drivers demanding fair wages and lower fuel prices. Though largely ignored by international media, these strikes follow years of widespread protests—most notably the 2022 ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody. 

That movement, along with economic demonstrations in 2019 and 2021, was met with violent crackdowns, mass arrests, and internet blackouts. The pattern has left Iranians wary that any sign of instability is met with brutal suppression.

An Iranian student pointed to the truckers’ strikes currently roiling parts of Iran as a sign of grassroots unrest. ‘These strikes are a direct message from the people,’ he said. ‘They’ve been largely ignored by the media, but they are powerful and legitimate. This is how change begins—if it’s allowed to.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, his one-time ‘special government employee,’ has brought an ‘unprecedented’ dynamic compared to other famous disputes, long-time Democratic political strategist and Fox News contributor Jacques DeGraff said.

After somewhat muted rumblings from Musk about why he opposed a Trump-endorsed Republican spending package, the DOGE leader launched complaints after Trump began firing back this week, including threats aimed at Musk’s business revenue.

‘It’s unprecedented, but the reality is that what makes it a singular moment in history is that no single figure has ever been able to say, ‘I made a president and then (fell) out with that individual,’ DeGraff told Fox News Digital Friday. 

‘There have been groups, there have been individuals who wanted to pretend that they did, but the record is clear. And, I mean, this man (Elon) brought his son into the Oval Office. He wore a hat and didn’t wear a suit to the Oval Office. He clearly had carte blanche. … The president, in effect, did a Tesla ad in the Rose Garden … and now they’ve fallen out in life.’ 

DeGraffe, who has been a political advocate and strategist for years, quipped that, ordinarily, ‘we would have to go to family court,’ adding ‘what’s the court here?’ 

Trump is no stranger to quarrels with his staff. During his first term, his relationship soured with his National Security Advisor, John Bolton, and his press secretary, Anthony Scaramucci, after they diverged on different issues and publicly criticized Trump. 

But, for DeGraffe at least, this quarrel has ‘distinguished itself from anything in the past.’ 

One major difference he pointed to is the implications for both parties in this spat.

‘Tesla stock has dropped $150 billion, Trump stock has dropped but it also occurs at the same time as this legislation and so that is going to have – no matter how it turns out – it’s going to have massive political and public policy implications for the country,’ DeGraffe said. ‘So this is no small dispute.’ 

DeGraffe also contended that this is ‘the first time’ there has been a major deviation from Trump ‘from the MAGA side of the aisle.’ He suggested the split could be bad news for Trump and others who hope to see the GOP’s budget package pass the finish line in its current form.

‘This major split will allow other players to take positions other than the party line, and it gives them room and comfort and cover in order to do so,’ DeGraffe suggested. ‘Will senators who follow Musk, or, better yet, disagree with Musk, face intensely funded primaries?

‘That’s a consideration that everyone involved will have to take. … As a lifelong Democrat, I’m sitting with my bowl of popcorn saying, ‘Go at it.’ Because anything that slows this horrific legislation has got to be good news to the rest of the country.’

However, while DeGraffe sees the Trump-Musk feud as having wide-ranging and lasting implications, GOP political strategist Dallas Woodhouse says he thinks the feud is unimportant to most Republicans.

‘I am currently at the North Carolina State GOP convention, and this is not a topic of concern among activists,’ Woodhouse said. ‘No doubt it makes for funny and entertaining X posts, but the GOP faithful are laser-focused on growing the new diverse GOP/Trump winning coalition.’

The Transportation Security Administration clarified this week that a Costco membership card is not sufficient to present at airport security. 

‘We love hotdogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not,’ the TSA wrote on Facebook Wednesday. 

The reminder comes less than a month after the U.S. began requiring a REAL ID driver’s license when flying domestically May 7. 

Aside from REAL IDs, which have enhanced federal standards, domestic flyers can also use their passports or another federally-approved form of identification like Defense Department-issued IDs (but not a Costco card). 

‘Department of Defense IDs for active and retired military continue to be an acceptable form of ID at TSA checkpoints following the implementation of REAL ID last month,’ the TSA wrote on Facebook Thursday. 

REAL IDs were available for years before the requirement went into effect after a 2005 law passed based on recommendations from the 9/11 Commission report. 

With many procrastinating until shortly before the deadline, DMV centers were inundated with long lines in April and early May, and there was confusion about what forms of identification, such as a passport, birth certificate or Social Security card, were acceptable at a DMV to secure a REAL ID. 

President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to start sending rare earth minerals to the U.S. after halting the shipments in April.

Trump held a gaggle on the presidential jet Friday evening, and one reporter asked him just before landing if Xi had agreed to restart the flow of rare earth minerals and magnets to the U.S.

‘Yes, he did,’ Trump replied. ‘We’re very far advanced on the China deal.’

The news comes about a month and a half after China effectively halted exports of seven precious minerals, vital for assembling cars, robotics and defense systems, to the U.S. in a direct strike on America’s manufacturing and defense supply chain.

Overseas deliveries of magnets stopped April 4, when new licensing rules took effect, according to The New York Times. Companies are only allowed to export rare earth materials if they obtain special export licenses, which take 45 days to receive.

The halt also threatened to undercut Trump’s tariff strategy because China produces about 60% of the world’s critical mineral supply and processes even more, up to 90%.

China’s mineral halt to the U.S. Defense Department came after Beijing had already imposed sanctions on multiple U.S. military contractors late last year, according to Reuters. Chinese entities were prohibited from engaging or cooperating with them in response to an arms sale to Taiwan, the outlet reported.

Trump and Xi had a lengthy call Thursday amid economic and national security friction regarding trade between the U.S. and China.

‘I just concluded a very good phone call with President Xi, of China, discussing some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal,’ Trump said Thursday in a Truth Social post. ‘The call lasted approximately one and a half hours and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries.’

Trump said the conversation focused mostly on trade.

The call came nearly a week after Trump condemned China for violating an initial trade agreement that the U.S. and China hashed out in May and a day after Trump said Xi was ‘extremely hard to make a deal with’ in a Truth Social post. 

Fox News’ Diana Stancy, Bonny Chu, Danielle Wallace, Morgan Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report.