Trump, Musk say media trying to drive them apart

President Trump and Elon Musk, one of his top allies, argued that the mainstream media is trying to drive a wedge between them and stymie the president's agenda.

"That's true," Trump responded when Fox News host Sean Hannity told the president leading outlets like the New York Times and Washington Post "threw everything they had at you."

"They want a divorce," Hannity said during the joint interview with Trump and Musk, which will air on Fox Tuesday evening. "They want you to start hating each other."

"Oh, I see it all the time. They tried it, then they stopped. That was, they have many different things, hatred," Trump agreed.

Musk during the interview mentioned that he "used to be adored by the left" but after he voiced his support for Trump at a party with friends before the election it was like he "got shot with a dart in the jugular that contained methamphetamine and rabies."

Musk called Trump recently, the president said, after seeing news coverage of his efforts to reform the federal government.

"He said, 'You know, they're trying to drive us apart.' I said, 'Absolutely.' You know, they said, we have breaking news. Donald Trump has ceded control of the presidency to Elon Musk," Trump scoffed. "And I say it's just so obvious. They’re so bad at it. I used to think they were good at it. They're actually bad at it because if they were good at it, I'd never be president because I think nobody in history has ever gotten more bad publicity than me."

Trump and Musk have in recent weeks ratcheted up their attacks on major newspapers and broadcast networks over coverage of Trump's first weeks in office and Musk's role as the head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Musk this week suggested journalists at CBS News be jailed for how the network handled a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Harris while Trump has routinely suggested other broadcasters lose their licenses over coverage that is not favorable to him.

Topics

Trump accuses media of trying to drive him and Musk apart

President Trump and Elon Musk are expected to discuss the new Department of Government Efficiency and its controversy in their first joint interview. The president also accused media outlets of ...
CBS News - 2d
USDA says it accidentally fired officials working on bird flu and is now trying to rehire them

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday said it accidentally fired "several" employees to combat the bird flu and is working to rehire them.
NBC News - 1d
Will a Time Magazine Cover Drive a Wedge Between Trump and Musk?

The cover of the venerable newsweekly, long an object of fixation for the president, put Elon Musk behind the Resolute Desk.
The New York Times - Feb. 8
Trump and Musk Attack Journalists by Name in Social Media Posts

Since his inauguration, the president has been quick to demonize what he calls “the fake news media.” On Friday, both men demanded that individuals be fired.
The New York Times - Feb. 8
Iran's president says Trump is trying to bring Iran "to its knees"

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that President Trump is aiming to bring Iran to its knees during remarks Monday at Iran's celebration marking the 46th anniversary of the Islamic revolution. ...
CBS News - Feb. 10
Trump Media sues Brazil Supreme Court judge who battled Elon Musk

The Truth Social parent company, along with fellow right-leaning platform Rumble, accused the justice of attempted censorship.
NBC News - 1d
Love, rockets and media attacks: Trump and Musk bring their toxic bromance to Fox News

Sitting side by side like a couple announcing their engagement, the world’s most powerful man and Donald Trump gushed about their relationship to Sean Hannity. The British dancer Debbie McGee was ...
The Guardian - 1d
Trump Media sues Brazil Supreme Court justice who once crossed Musk

Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes is alleged to have been targeted for death in a plot that included former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro.
CNBC - 1d
Trillions of Viruses Live in Your Body. A.I. Is Trying to Find Them.

The Human Virome Program will analyze samples from thousands of volunteers in an effort to understand how viruses affect health.
The New York Times - 1d