Ask A Genius 1418: Trump-Musk Rift, DeSantis Fallout, and GOP Tax Bill
Author(s): Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/06/09
Rick Rosner is an accomplished television writer with credits on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Crank Yankers, and The Man Show. Over his career, he has earned multiple Writers Guild Award nominations—winning one—and an Emmy nomination. Rosner holds a broad academic background, graduating with the equivalent of eight majors. Based in Los Angeles, he continues to write and develop ideas while spending time with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Further Inquiry, and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner analyze the Trump-Musk feud, Ron DeSantis’s positioning, and political backlash. Rosner discusses growing public resistance to Trump, economic fallout, and the GOP’s proposed tax bill, which favors the ultra-wealthy at the expense of low-income Americans and Medicare recipients. The conversation reflects rising skepticism and political stakes.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So anyway—Ron DeSantis, Trump, Musk… What do you think of the fallout so far? Every time something like that happens, people who do not like Trump tend to get optimistic. Perhaps this will finally give the opposition a foothold. What does that foothold look like? I do not know.
Rick Rosner: Who is the big white guy on The Daily Show–Jordan Klepper? Anyway, either he or Michael Kosta—or maybe it was Ronny Chieng, the correspondent from Malaysia—one of them said something like they are starting to sense that people are becoming “vaccinated” against Trump’s bullshit. That there is some shift happening. They did not specify what form the resistance would take, but they sense it is starting to bubble up. I do not know. I mean, I am not sure what can even be done between now and the midterm elections next November—they are still, what, seventeen months away?
However, anything that dents Trump’s brand or makes people more skeptical of him, I welcome. People have had a couple of days now to decide where they stand in this whole Musk vs. Trump thing—assuming they feel they have to choose. Some folks are saying, “Just makeup, you guys,” but I think a lot of the MAGA crowd has already taken Trump’s side. Again.
Jacobsen: Do you think this will damage Trump at all?
Rosner: It might damage him, but the main casualties in the short term are probably going to be the American economy and our international image. Just the impact on Musk’s companies alone—Tesla stock took a hit, something like 14% or 15%, depending on the day.
As for the Republican budget bill—the tax cut bill—I am unsure whether it will pass through the Senate. It still might squeak by. The damage from the fallout between Trump and Musk may be temporary. If the MAGA base holds steady, that might be enough to intimidate enough Republican senators into voting for this terrible legislation.
The bill, if it passes, would take money out of the pockets of the poorest 40% of Americans and give a nearly $400,000 annual tax cut to the wealthiest 0.1%. It would add an estimated $3 to $4 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade. It would also eliminate coverage for 13 million people on Medicare. So, yeah—it would be great if this mess somehow derails the bill.
Last updated May 3, 2025. These terms govern all In Sight Publishing content—past, present, and future—and supersede any prior notices. In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons BY‑NC‑ND 4.0; © In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen 2012–Present. All trademarks, performances, databases & branding are owned by their rights holders; no use without permission. Unauthorized copying, modification, framing or public communication is prohibited. External links are not endorsed. Cookies & tracking require consent, and data processing complies with PIPEDA & GDPR; no data from children < 13 (COPPA). Content meets WCAG 2.1 AA under the Accessible Canada Act & is preserved in open archival formats with backups. Excerpts & links require full credit & hyperlink; limited quoting under fair-dealing & fair-use. All content is informational; no liability for errors or omissions: Feedback welcome, and verified errors corrected promptly. For permissions or DMCA notices, email: scott.jacobsen2025@gmail.com. Site use is governed by BC laws; content is “as‑is,” liability limited, users indemnify us; moral, performers’ & database sui generis rights reserved.
In-Sight Publishing 