Elon Musk refers to President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” as a “disgusting abomination.” And he’s not wrong. What else would you call a fiscal package that steals health care from tens of millions of average Americans to give tax breaks to billionaires, throwing budget deficits permanently out of whack? But an equally disgusting abomination was the unholy alliance of Trump and Musk to decimate the American government, with both of them benefiting as the American people suffered from the cuts to essential services to kids, seniors, vets and all of us.

The Trump-Musk relationship, and their joint demolition project, officially ended in a blaze of social media glory this week. And despite all of the other democracy storylines—from Trump’s latest attack on Harvard and the immediate TRO that followed to the compelled return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and the suspicious indictment against him—the Trump-Musk breakup was the story of the week.

That’s true not just because of the high drama and the low comedy it occasioned, with Musk and Trump descending into name-calling and hair-pulling like on a spicy episode of “The Real Housewives.” One of my colleagues called it “The Real Billionaire Bros of Washington” (though personally, I thought it was more like professional wrestling). There was also a set of profound policy consequences, as I explained to Jen Psaki on her show the day that the fireworks exploded.

First, the fracas came against the backdrop of Musk’s extraordinary entanglements as a senior government official who was simultaneously doing business with that very same government through his companies. As we at Democracy Defenders Fund explained in a new report, profound conflict questions are raised by Musk’s SpaceX, Starlink, X, XAi, Tesla, and his many other business contracts and contacts with the federal government. The report details all of that, and we followed it up with a complaint to the Office of Government Ethics demanding an investigation.

Second, while Musk has benefited mightily from his government contracts and relationships, they now create huge risk for him. “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. That’s no idle threat. The president has proved again and again that he’s willing to abuse the powers of the government to go after his perceived adversaries. After Musk attacked him over the “disgusting abomination,” Trump's ties to sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein and more, revenge by Trump can hardly be ruled out.

Third, that sword cuts the other way as well. Musk’s businesses are intertwined with the federal government in so many critical areas that there is also risk for Trump if he goes to war with the billionaire. To take only one example, if SpaceX stops providing services, it could critically wound many of our space operations. Then there’s the fact that Musk is extremely litigious and certainly has the resources to take on Trump and his administration. Musk would be building on a series of precedents in other cases of Trump abuses that have restrained the president, holding that he can’t punish people for exercising their First Amendment rights and cannot violate the Administrative Procedures Act with arbitrary and capricious retaliation.

It’s the ultimate two-edged sword, with Musk’s possibly-conflicted business and government entanglements either cutting against him or against Trump, depending on how they are wielded. We covered all that and so much more in another scintillating week at The Contrarian, and as always, I break it all down for you below. It’s the best bargain in American journalism: a daily supply of cutting-edge law, politics, economics, culture, humor, even cooking and pets. And, because we’re owned by no one, all profits from your paid subscription go to support pro-democracy litigation—like our many cases against these two battling billionaire bros.

The Inmates Are Running the Asylum

Trump and his crew are nuts

Jen Rubin kicked off the week with a reality check: Trump and his unstable circle of ketamine-addled billionaires, misfits, cranks, neo-Nazi sympathizers, demagogues, anti-constitutionalists, and habitual liars are simply not rational actors. “Sane-washing” is no way to move forward; we must focus on building a coalition to kick out the crazy.

It's Taco Tuesday Every Day

Sen. Barbara Boxer, Mara Liasson, and Stuart Stevens joined Harry Litman on this week’s Talking Feds to take on the abrupt end of the Musk Era of government—and the ongoing legacy of DOGE’s slash-and-burn tactics, Trump’s no-holds-barred war against Harvard, and the moving target of Trump's TACO tariffs.

A court blows the whistle on a fake ‘emergency’

In this week’s column on the Words & Phrases We Could Do Without, Jen Rubin spotlighted Trump’s use of “emergency” for anything but: his trade war, his border obsession—any new grab for power he wants to juice by crying wolf. Meanwhile, he looks away from the real emergencies all around.

Musk Turned a Government Role into a Profit Machine: Ginny Canter on Musk's Conflicts of Interest

Ginny Canter, former White House adviser and the Anticorruption and Ethics Chief Counsel & Director at Democracy Defenders Fund, joined Jen to discuss her breaking report with Norm and other experts investigating conflict-of-interest questions about Musk during his time as a special government employee. A preview: Musk's wealth increased by an “estimated $140 billion since Inauguration Day.”

For Trump, ‘The state is me’

Max Stier explained Trump’s plan for restaffing the civil service his lackeys have spent the last several months dismantling: a new spoils system, in which loyalty to one man (guess who) is the only test that matters.

Flop shot

Michael de Adder gave us a cartoon on Trump and Musk’s race to the bottom.

The Tea with April Ryan, ft. Chioma Chukwu and Jonathan Capehart

This week April sat down with journalist Jonathan Capehart and American Oversight interim Executive Director Chioma Chukwu for an unfiltered discussion of the piping-hot Musk/Trump feud: The Epstein tweet! The impeachment tweet! Kanye tweeting?

Ukraine’s Successful Surprise

Where in the World is Tim Mak? Jen and Tim on the Success of Ukraine's Operation Spider’s Web

Tim Mak joined Jen from Kyiv to discuss the surprising success of Operation Spider's Web, by which Ukraine stealthily deployed drones thousands of miles behind enemy lines to destroy Russian aircraft. “You’ve just got to find that David slingshot move. The right shot from an unexpected place can really make a big difference.”

Lunch by drone

“Take out” has more than one meaning in Nick Anderson’s latest cartoon on Russia and Ukraine.

Ukraine has lessons for beating bullies

Jen wrote on Ukraine’s recent demonstration of the power of going on offense against bullies—and what it can teach us by analogy about our nonviolent but vigorous domestic court battles for democracy. “Not all the legal missiles will land on target, but enough will knock holes in Trump’s legal armor to rattle MAGA Republicans, bolster elected Democrats, and dispel lingering paralysis and defeatism out in the country.”

No Permission Asked. None Required.

Brian O’Neill wrote on how Ukraine’s drone strike reminded allies, enemies, and the president what leadership really looks like. “Ukraine struck at least four Russian airfields. But the real target wasn’t logistical. It was moral. And it hit.”

A Donald-driven downturn

Is the hard economic data beginning to reflect Trumpian chaos?

Jared Bernstein took a close look at current economic data, which is showing signs of catching up to the sour consumer vibes of Trump’s tariff chaos—otherwise known as “the most reckless economic agenda we’ve ever seen.”

Justin Wolfers on the Crisis of Competence

Following a new report projecting a significant drop in global economic growth, Jen was joined by leading economist Justin Wolfers to discuss the implications of continued economic deceleration, the chances of a bond market crisis in the U.S, and how the “crisis of competence” at the White House is set to worsen living standards around the globe.

Let’s do Lunch! 06/03

Jared Bernstein and Stanford economist Neale Mahoney took a lunchtime dive into how today’s economy affects your bottom line.

Slashing Care to Cut Taxes: David Madland on the GOP’s War on Working America

David Madland, senior adviser to the American Worker Project at the Center for American Progress, joined Jen to discuss how Trump’s immigration agenda threatens American workers and why real economic security depends on pro-worker reforms rooted in the rule of law. “Our lives are really at stake here, and they're doing it to cut taxes on the rich.”

The “Big Ugly Bill” and healthcare jeopardy

Republicans Have No Good Options on the Budget

Jen Rubin wrote on the “big, beautiful” mess the GOP’s gotten itself into by forcing Trump’s MAGA tax-and-slash budget through the House. “If Republicans pass this nightmarish bill, their own constituents will suffer from severe Medicaid, SNAP, and green energy cuts, setting them up for defeat in 2026. If they don’t pass it, the Trump tax cuts will expire, the MAGA base will be in an uproar, and Trump’s presidency will be in tatters.”

The GOP is lying to hide Medicaid cuts: Neera Tanden on the horrors of Trump's Big Beautiful Bill

Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden joined Jen to discuss what is actually at stake if Trump’s Reconciliation Bill gets passed. “The facts are that millions of people will lose healthcare because they take almost a trillion dollars out of the Medicaid program.”

Kennedy and MAHA are a disaster for America

This week saw the advent of RFK’s latest public relations disaster—a Make America Healthy Again commission scientific report that cited non-existent studies to support conclusions that appear to have been written by artificial intelligence. Jeff Nesbit wrote on how Kennedy’s pet anti-science theories are now jeopardizing the core health and science missions of Health and Human Services.

RFK Jr. doesn't know what he's doing: Katherine Eban on the world of ‘Make America Healthy Again’

Katherine Eban joined Jen to discuss the curious case of Calley Means, a top adviser to RFK Jr. and MAHA evangelist, and the general erosion of the Department of Health and Human Services under their leadership. “They're purging data sets that are absolutely vital to scientific and public health research.”

Canceled bird flu research is a recipe for disaster

Jeff Nesbit sounded the alarm on the Trump administration’s latest erosion of national disaster readiness: the cancellation of Moderna’s $600M bird flu vaccine plan, gutting Biden’s pandemic prep.

Cancer research is too crucial to be a partisan issue

Carron J. Phillips wrote on the disgrace of the administration’s cuts to vital cancer research, through the decimations of DOGE, defunding the NIH, Trump’s ongoing attacks on higher ed and more.

Court craziness

Trump slams Leonard Leo and the Federalist Society

Alex Aronson wrote on the just deserts of Leonard Leo, the “dark-money impresario” and architect of the current right-wing judiciary now experiencing what it’s like when Trump bites the hand that patted and fed him. As real as the schadenfreude is, “the blaze Leo set is still spreading, and unless the people mobilize to reclaim our constitutional house, we’ll all be left in ashes.”

SCOTUS Wants to Expand the Second Amendment. Why?

Eliza Orlins explained how and why the Supreme Court is gearing up to expand the Second Amendment even further.

Bigotry runs amok—Pride fights back

Dear Bill Maher: Please shut up

Meredith Blake had an overdue message for The Real Time host: stop talking about things you don’t understand, which apparently includes why domestic abuse victims don't “just leave” their partners (because that would require critical thinking, empathy, and roughly two seconds of Googling). Maybe he should think before he speaks?

Targeting Jews because you don’t like Israel is antisemitism

Mimi Rocah wrote on the rising pattern of antisemitic violence disguised as political protest, as Jews in America have been firebombed, shot, and terrorized—not for what they’ve done but for who they are, in misguided alignments of identity with the actions of the Israeli government.

When so-called adults bully a child for political points

Shalise Manza Young wrote on how a California high school athlete has become a right-wing target, with big wins at the California state track meet followed by adults changing the rules to erase her accomplishments—all in the service of culture war point-scoring.

Not Just a Joke: Understanding & Preventing Gender- & Sexuality-based Bigotry

Pasha Dashtgard, Director of Research for the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL), brought us a primer on how adults can intervene to protect young men from the pervasive, insidious messaging of the “manosphere,” before they start echoing its darkest corners.

Target takes a bland, beige approach to Pride this year

As Pride Month begins, Contrarian culture writer Meredith Blake reflected on how Target is again playing the corporate trendsetter, this time with a sad, beige masterclass in retreat disguised as neutrality. “Perhaps it’s time for Lady Gaga to summon the little monsters once again.”

The WNBA does not need a white knight

Megan Armstrong wrote on the troubling, bigoted valences of some myth-making around WNBA star Caitlin Clark—who, though she is a generational talent, is not the league itself. “The women of the WNBA do not need to prove anything to you. Hell, Caitlin Clark doesn’t even need you.”

Split Screen: Michelle Wu, mayorhood and motherhood

In this week’s Split Screen column, Azza Cohen analyzed how women politicians are treated differently through the prism of pregnancy and motherhood. When Boston Mayor Michelle Wu gave birth, the Boston Globe ran a photo showing her seated and listening rather than leading, in a tired visual framing of an old message: power isn’t pregnant.

50 years ago, two Black coaches faced off in a historic NBA Finals

Fred Frommer wrote on the 50-year anniversary of a welcome milestone in NBA history, when two Black coaches—K.C. Jones and Al Attles—faced off in the league finals. They led from the front in a league finally opening doors while baseball and football were still decades behind.

When women wield power to do harm

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf wrote on Sen. Joni Ernst’s bizarre non-apology to Iowans worried about Medicaid cuts thanks to Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which saw her break the news that “we’re all going to die” (in a cemetery, no less) and suggest that viewers find Jesus. Not all representation is progress, when it comes to women in government; “Ernst’s callousness is a direct reflection of her party line and, to that extent, totally on brand.”

D-Day rallies and veterans’ issues

Veterans’ D-Day rally is a chance to set the media straight

Josh Levs set his sights on the coming spectacle of Trump’s $45 million military birthday parade—which, he argued, needn’t be unfiltered propaganda if the media does its job right. Coverage should focus on the veterans rallying to set the record straight: “We fought for democracy, not this.”

Trump Betrays Veterans: Paul Rieckhoff on June 6 Veterans Protest and Standing Up for Americans Who Served

Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Independent Veterans for America, joined Jen to discuss the D-Day veterans’ protests demanding the defense of the benefits, jobs, and dignity every generation of veterans has earned, and how Trump’s despotic visions are “tested, refined and scaled at the Pentagon.” “One out of every three federal workers that have been fired is a veteran.”

Fighting back for democracy

The Contrarian covers the Democracy Movement

The Democracy Movement has many fronts, and so does this week’s coverage. On Thursday we saw ICE protests in Massachusetts, Oregon, and Minnesota, including a bold stand by hundreds of high schoolers walking out of class after ICE illegally detained their classmate; we saw over 200 protests nationwide for D-Day on June 6; action ramped up for Pride Month, as citizens honored the movement’s protests roots in defiance of cowardly corporate sponsors; more Tesla takedowns; continuing planning for No Kings Day; and more.

Get involved! Find protests in your area at mobilize.us, and send us your protest photos at submit@contrariannews.org. Check here to find a town hall in your area. Call your members of Congress to tell them how bad the budget bill is at (202) 224-3121. And find a June 14 No Kings Day protest in your area here.

Undaunted: A new South Korean president

For this week’s Undaunted column, Jen highted South Korea’s newly elected president, Lee Jae–Myung. His improbable, inspiring rise to power was capped by a defiance of authoritarianism that make him a model for democratic movements across backsliding nations.

At Columbia Graduation Event, Student Voices Rose

Sofia Matson, a 2025 Columbia graduate, brought us eyewitness reporting from this year’s graduation ceremonies, which included a lot of student “feedback” directed at President Claire Shipman, the architect of the university’s capitulations to the Trump administration. “For Shipman, boos and bravos were one and the same shouts for Columbia, a show of institutional loyalty…. But the Class of 2025 refused to pretend.”

Trump is punishing dissent: Miles Taylor speaks on Trump accusing him of treason

National security expert and ex-DHS official Miles Taylor joined Jen to discuss a recent presidential memorandum accusing him of treason–courtesy of an op-ed criticizing Trump and his agenda–and his swift legal response. “If folks are quiet and they don't talk about that, it makes it so much easier for those bullies to come out of the woodwork and ruin people's lives.”

And just for fun…

Tom the Dancing Bug

This week, Ruben Bolling gave us a look at another transformed corner of Trump’s America: the airport.

Summer Jelly Roll (le gâteau roulé)

Jamie Schler leavened a “particularly bad news week” with a delicious recipe for a Parisian summer jelly roll—and a little revolutionary café culture on the side.

The Bongino files

Michael de Adder gave us a portrait of what happens when the (wildly unqualified) dog catches the (FBI-shaped) car.

There you have it Contrarians. Another wild week and we helped you make sense of it all. What will next week bring? We’ll break it all down for you at 9:15 AM ET on Monday on Coffee with the Contrarians! In the meantime have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly, Norm