Is Elon Musk finally coming down to Earth? The billionaire advisor to President Donald Trump started to see some pushback to his chainsaw-wielding attacks on the federal workforce. In a meeting Thursday, Trump told members of his Cabinet that they — and not Musk — are in charge of decisions to cut spending and staffing in their agencies, while the Supreme Court undermined his criticism of a federal judge. Meantime, Tesla's stock continued to slide amid international protests, a candidate for Canadian prime minister called for 100% tariffs on its cars and another SpaceX rocket exploded. Still, Musk remains the putative head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and even got a shout-out from Trump in his joint address to Congress.
During that speech, Trump exaggerated and lied about his record, making false claims about the economy, immigration and foreign policy. He also used a phrase coined by an MSNBC host who takes exception to how he's using it. But one of his most memorable lines may have come in an awkward moment with Chief Justice John Roberts after the speech. For their part, Democrats wore pink and Rep. Al Green got kicked out — and later censured — for loudly interrupting Trump. Rep. Elissa Slotkin gave some tips on how Americans can organize in the Democratic response, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez zeroed in on Trump's weaknesses, especially Medicaid.
House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a short-term funding bill Saturday as Republicans attempt to avert a government shutdown at the end of the week. Top Democrats were quick to slam the plan, and it's unclear whether Johnson can pass it without their help. Johnson has said he plans to put the bill up for a vote early this week.
In other news, the cast of "Hamilton" has pulled out of a scheduled run at the Kennedy Center, critics argue that Trump's proposal for a strategic cryptocurrency reserve would be a massive giveaway for tech billionaires and his recent comments about Social Security fraud may be a harbinger of future cuts. Plus, the hidden message in the Oscars' best picture winner.
Missed something? Don't worry. Here are our select columns and videos from the week. And don't forget to check out MSNBC.com for more.
