CNN’s Smerconish on Trump-Musk Feud: ‘Let’s Get Ready to Rumble’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Sports into ░░░░░░░░ shot Try glide step ░░░░░░░░ cushioning hands free sketcher ░░░░░░░░ Well it was the ░░░░░░░░ that everybody saw coming ░░░░░░░░ no one is ready ░░░░░░░░ to throw in the ░░░░░░░░ A battle royale between ░░░░░░░░ of the most powerful ░░░░░░░░ on the planet arguably ░░░░░░░░ two most powerful men ░░░░░░░░ the planet And maybe ░░░░░░░░ too The only thing ░░░░░░░░ had been missing was ░░░░░░░░ King or Dana White ░░░░░░░░ Michael buffer Let s ░░░░░░░░ ready to rumble in ░░░░░░░░ red corner The president ░░░░░░░░ the United States hailing ░░░░░░░░ queens New York Donald ░░░░░░░░ Trump Fighting in the ░░░░░░░░ corner by way of ░░░░░░░░ Africa Elon Musk Here ░░░░░░░░ the tale of the ░░░░░░░░ Both men are big ░░░░░░░░ stature and reputation Trump ░░░░░░░░ that his height is ░░░░░░░░ three But you remember ░░░░░░░░ old New York driver ░░░░░░░░ license which had him ░░░░░░░░ inch shorter He weighs ░░░░░░░░ at 224 pounds according ░░░░░░░░ an April memo from ░░░░░░░░ White House Doctor who ░░░░░░░░ cited the president s ░░░░░░░░ golf victories as evidence ░░░░░░░░ his robust health Elon ░░░░░░░░ six one and six ░░░░░░░░ approximately 187 pounds though ░░░░░░░░ a previously threatened match ░░░░░░░░ Mark Zuckerberg claimed that ░░░░░░░░ could weigh 300 pounds ░░░░░░░░ have big reach Musk ░░░░░░░░ x formerly Twitter He ░░░░░░░░ got 220 million followers ░░░░░░░░ s a lot of ░░░░░░░░ Meanwhile Trump owns Truth ░░░░░░░░ But more important he ░░░░░░░░ got the bully pulpit ░░░░░░░░ let s face it ░░░░░░░░ has any trouble getting ░░░░░░░░ word out So it ░░░░░░░░ a Wash Trump has ░░░░░░░░ eye of the tiger ░░░░░░░░ ll go after anybody ░░░░░░░░ crosses him He s ░░░░░░░░ been known to deport ░░░░░░░░ born outside the U ░░░░░░░░ Musk isn t afraid ░░░░░░░░ fight He can also ░░░░░░░░ and duck dive dip ░░░░░░░░ doge As an international ░░░░░░░░ He s comfortable all ░░░░░░░░ the world He can ░░░░░░░░ at a moment s ░░░░░░░░ on his jets or ░░░░░░░░ spaceships As for style ░░░░░░░░ are showman Trump like ░░░░░░░░ delights in taunting his ░░░░░░░░ He s previously dispatched ░░░░░░░░ likes of low energy ░░░░░░░░ Bush and little Marco ░░░░░░░░ and sleepy Joe Biden ░░░░░░░░ name a few Musk ░░░░░░░░ unbothered by the inevitability ░░░░░░░░ his own nickname drew ░░░░░░░░ blood just days after ░░░░░░░░ Oval Office sendoff He ░░░░░░░░ Trump s big beautiful ░░░░░░░░ as a disgusting abomination ░░░░░░░░ then went so far ░░░░░░░░ to call for Trump ░░░░░░░░ impeachment Trump initially went ░░░░░░░░ a dope posting only ░░░░░░░░ don t mind Elon ░░░░░░░░ against me but he ░░░░░░░░ have done so months ░░░░░░░░ This is one of ░░░░░░░░ greatest bills ever presented ░░░░░░░░ Congress The clinch followed ░░░░░░░░ both men exchanged body ░░░░░░░░ The president said Musk ░░░░░░░░ Trump derangement syndrome Musk ░░░░░░░░ back posting without me ░░░░░░░░ would have lost the ░░░░░░░░ Dems would control the ░░░░░░░░ and Republicans would be ░░░░░░░░ In the Senate Trump ░░░░░░░░ again Elon was wearing ░░░░░░░░ I asked him to ░░░░░░░░ I took away his ░░░░░░░░ mandate that forced everyone ░░░░░░░░ buy electric cars that ░░░░░░░░ else wanted that he ░░░░░░░░ for months I was ░░░░░░░░ to do and he ░░░░░░░░ went crazy Musk s ░░░░░░░░ there are mountains of ░░░░░░░░ pork in the bill ░░░░░░░░ threw a haymaker The ░░░░░░░░ way to save money ░░░░░░░░ our budgets Billions and ░░░░░░░░ of dollars is to ░░░░░░░░ Elon s government subsidies ░░░░░░░░ contracts I was always ░░░░░░░░ Biden didn t do ░░░░░░░░ Yeah it was a ░░░░░░░░ Judges had it Even ░░░░░░░░ the scorecard By week ░░░░░░░░ end the party seemed ░░░░░░░░ for a truce Perhaps ░░░░░░░░ fighter and their corners ░░░░░░░░ corner crews they all ░░░░░░░░ this was headed for ░░░░░░░░ assured destruction So who ░░░░░░░░ go the distance if ░░░░░░░░ continues Musk is the ░░░░░░░░ man alive on paper ░░░░░░░░ around 375 billion though ░░░░░░░░ number goes up or ░░░░░░░░ several billion based on ░░░░░░░░ market each day Trump ░░░░░░░░ pugnacious He lives for ░░░░░░░░ He commands the U ░░░░░░░░ government the treasury and ░░░░░░░░ edge there for Trump ░░░░░░░░ both have reasons to ░░░░░░░░ their gloves Now First ░░░░░░░░ with a tight Congress ░░░░░░░░ can ill afford to ░░░░░░░░ any Republican votes for ░░░░░░░░ big beautiful bill The ░░░░░░░░ barely passed the house ░░░░░░░░ a straight party vote ░░░░░░░░ that was before the ░░░░░░░░ said that it would ░░░░░░░░ 2 4 trillion to ░░░░░░░░ deficit over the next ░░░░░░░░ If Musk rattles the ░░░░░░░░ of just a few ░░░░░░░░ peers who knows how ░░░░░░░░ will abandon the bill ░░░░░░░░ Musk is an excellent ░░░░░░░░ rattler He was the ░░░░░░░░ Republican donor in the ░░░░░░░░ election cycle spending nearly ░░░░░░░░ million A lot of ░░░░░░░░ of Congress might think ░░░░░░░░ about defying Musk Indeed ░░░░░░░░ s made his threat ░░░░░░░░ clear Quote in November ░░░░░░░░ year we fire all ░░░░░░░░ who betrayed the American ░░░░░░░░ Musk has even floated ░░░░░░░░ idea of starting his ░░░░░░░░ party Such a party ░░░░░░░░ not be a winner ░░░░░░░░ easily be a spoiler ░░░░░░░░ s another factor that ░░░░░░░░ threaten the president Musk ░░░░░░░░ below the belt punch ░░░░░░░░ Time to drop the ░░░░░░░░ big bomb Trump is ░░░░░░░░ the Epstein files That ░░░░░░░░ the real reason they ░░░░░░░░ not been made public ░░░░░░░░ false that s a ░░░░░░░░ of Musk being willing ░░░░░░░░ fight dirty If true ░░░░░░░░ be a knockout Which ░░░░░░░░ not to say that ░░░░░░░░ is the underdog Elon ░░░░░░░░ is himself a flawed ░░░░░░░░ First his business is ░░░░░░░░ decline Tesla shares which ░░░░░░░░ already down in the ░░░░░░░░ six months dropped almost ░░░░░░░░ erasing almost 150 billion ░░░░░░░░ the company on Thursday ░░░░░░░░ day the battle spilled ░░░░░░░░ the public Though the ░░░░░░░░ rebounded a bit on ░░░░░░░░ it s still well ░░░░░░░░ for the week and ░░░░░░░░ he s alienated progressives ░░░░░░░░ getting close to Trump ░░░░░░░░ Republicans have not yet ░░░░░░░░ to electric vehicles the ░░░░░░░░ the Democrats have it ░░░░░░░░ take a while to ░░░░░░░░ off the canvas In ░░░░░░░░ such are the passions ░░░░░░░░ Musk that it was ░░░░░░░░ reported that 50 of ░░░░░░░░ owners have experienced vandalism ░░░░░░░░ their vehicles You ll ░░░░░░░░ Michael Jordan famously said ░░░░░░░░ he wanted to sell ░░░░░░░░ to Republicans too Well ░░░░░░░░ a partisan world who ░░░░░░░░ left to buy teslas ░░░░░░░░ the future here s ░░░░░░░░ Musk vulnerability his business ░░░░░░░░ on the United States ░░░░░░░░ to one estimate when ░░░░░░░░ add up the contracts ░░░░░░░░ loans the other forms ░░░░░░░░ funding through governmental industrial ░░░░░░░░ his companies particularly Tesla ░░░░░░░░ spacex have received 38 ░░░░░░░░ in government largesse Even ░░░░░░░░ man as rich as ░░░░░░░░ would miss that amount ░░░░░░░░ money Moreover while he ░░░░░░░░ used to the world ░░░░░░░░ politics politics is new ░░░░░░░░ him He s never ░░░░░░░░ to worry that much ░░░░░░░░ popularity not even when ░░░░░░░░ was in charge But ░░░░░░░░ politics He needed the ░░░░░░░░ s support Polling shows ░░░░░░░░ s far less popular ░░░░░░░░ Trump For instance according ░░░░░░░░ the latest economist yougov ░░░░░░░░ 49 of Americans disapprove ░░░░░░░░ Trump 45 approve Not ░░░░░░░░ but considerably better than ░░░░░░░░ s numbers He s ░░░░░░░░ dropping in popularity this ░░░░░░░░ and by last month ░░░░░░░░ looked down for the ░░░░░░░░ just 38 favorable 59 ░░░░░░░░ according to a marquette ░░░░░░░░ poll And then there ░░░░░░░░ the personal question that ░░░░░░░░ divided many a fight ░░░░░░░░ s got more grit ░░░░░░░░ what you will about ░░░░░░░░ Trump In fact everything ░░░░░░░░ been said about Donald ░░░░░░░░ But he can take ░░░░░░░░ punch and come back ░░░░░░░░ impeachments Four indictments one ░░░░░░░░ And he s the ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ still don t know ░░░░░░░░ Musk has a glass ░░░░░░░░ especially when taking the ░░░░░░░░ criticism which Trump can ░░░░░░░░ but also deliver If ░░░░░░░░ the greek were alive ░░░░░░░░ not canceled I say ░░░░░░░░ d be laying odds ░░░░░░░░ Trump by 4 to ░░░░░░░░ margin You bet four ░░░░░░░░ Trump You win five ░░░░░░░░ course in this matchup ░░░░░░░░ s this looming intangible ░░░░░░░░ they make up before ░░░░░░░░ next bell sounds Trump ░░░░░░░░ Dana Bash that he ░░░░░░░░ not speaking to or ░░░░░░░░ thinking about Musk right ░░░░░░░░ But when it comes ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump you re ░░░░░░░░ really dead to Trump ░░░░░░░░ you re dead Any ░░░░░░░░ of Trump confidants have ░░░░░░░░ rogue only to return ░░░░░░░░ the fold Meanwhile Democrats ░░░░░░░░ the fight continues Maybe ░░░░░░░░ Russians too so far ░░░░░░░░ Trump saying no to ░░░░░░░░ instead of no moss ░░░░░░░░ re getting