Losing My Perspicacity, June 6, 2025

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Good morning and Happy Free Friday! Thanks for hanging out with me this morning.

If you had “June 5th” as the day the unholy alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk fell apart, congrats! For the rest of you, we have some lovely parting gifts. I thought this thing would start fraying in the fall, so Musk and Trump have surpassed my wildest expectations.

I’m going to try to hit the highlights of this thing, which is getting increasingly difficult because I’m not on Twitter or Truth Social, and people are sharing all the screenshots willy-nilly. Nevertheless, I persist.

Before we get into it, a reminder:

If you missed that delightful post, you can see it here. By the way, all of this is difficult to explain to people who aren’t 1) extremely online or 2) familiar with how NBA beefs unfold on social media.

It all began on Wednesday, when Elon Musk criticized Trump’s “big beautiful bill” as a “disgusting abomination” on X. Things escalated quickly from there. Trump said Musk was just mad about losing out on the EV tax credit, and Musk went on to admit that he bought the election for Trump.

Then yesterday, Trump addressed Musk’s criticism from the Oval Office, at which point Telsa stock started tanking immediately, ending the day by losing $150 billion in market value.

He said all of that with the new German Chancellor sitting three feet away.

Musk responded to Trump’s press conference by tweeting something very level-headed and non-hostile.

Everyone’s favorite rabble-rouser, Steve Bannon, then jumped into the mix, and damn this ridiculous administration for making me side with that lunatic.

I can’t stand Steve Bannon, but I do love this for the rest of us. And let me be clear: I do not support deporting people for political retribution — except in this case. Bannon is also pushing Trump to seize SpaceX.

Then:

As far as I can tell, that’s where we are this morning. Though I hesitate to write that, because between the time I put this newsletter to bed and the time we wake up on Friday morning, these two will probably have done something much more unhinged than they have already.

Accurate.

Today: The lawyers have had enough of Pam Bondi; Howard Lutnick has no idea where bananas come from; Trump’s latest Muslim ban makes an exception for World Cup Athletes; and The High Note.

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Pam Bondi has been cast out by the legal community

Well, she’s been cast out metaphorically, at least. Bondi is now facing a bar complaint, which would result in her losing her law license, were we not currently living in the upside-down.

When you pass the bar and are sworn in as attorneys, you take an oath. It varies from state to state, but they’re all fairly similar. For example, Florida’s oath goes, in part, like this:

It’s that part about supporting the Constitution of the United States where Bondi is in trouble, as she’s dispensed with the idea of due process altogether, and has embraced the falsity that Trump can do whatever he wants.

There’s also this:

I can’t wait to hear how this one turns out.

Where do bananas come from?

If you said Costa Rico, Guatemala, or even Central America, you’re smarter than our Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick.

“We can’t produce bananas in America!”

This is the current level of our national discourse about trade. Here’s a written account of the exchange in case you can’t watch the video.

All of these guys know very well that the cost of tariffs is borne by the American consumer, and they also know that Trump hasn’t made any trade deals of consequence. With a month left in the tariff pause, Trump has resorted to announcing fake deals with China.

Narrator: There was no deal with China. All Trump and Chinese President Xi have agreed to is an in-person meeting, which didn’t stop FOX News from reporting that a trade deal had been reached.

How will the latest Muslim ban affect the upcoming World Cup?

We’re getting closer and closer, I think, to FIFA just taking this thing away from the US. Given the number of people mistakenly arrested by ICE, what country would even let its players leave the hotel? I wouldn’t.

Of the countries Trump included in his most recent (unconstitutional) travel ban, Libya, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Cuba, and Venezuela could qualify for the 2026 World Cup, and Iran has already secured its place in the tournament. Several teams feature players from countries banned by the executive order. However, the EO does contain an exemption for “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State.”

“Hello, Iran! Your country is a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ that ‘regularly fails to cooperate with the United States Government in identifying security risks, is the source of significant terrorism around the world, and has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals.’ Welcome to the World Cup! Have a pleasant stay.”

FIFA has yet to comment. We also don’t know if the exemption in the ban applies to the Club World Cup, which kicks off in the US this month. It’s also worth mentioning that while the EO contains an exemption for players, it doesn’t do so for their fans.

I can’t believe we’re in a position where I’m hoping for FIFA to be the good guys and do the right thing.

The High Note

Each Day, I do my best to leave you with a smile on your face, a song in your heart, and the will to fight another day.

Enough politics for today. Please enjoy this cat, who is having a better time than any of us.

The Traveling Wilburys take us into the weekend.

Survive and advance out there today, don’t let the bastards get you down, and have a great weekend.