House Democrats are asking the Department of Justice and FBI whether it is true, as Elon Musk now claims, that President Trump is in the Epstein files, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It's the starkest example to date of how the highly public feud between the president and his onetime lieutenant is playing right into the hands of the Trump's political opponents.

• Trump "is in the Epstein files," Musk wrote Thursday in a post on X, adding, "That is the real reason they have not been made public."
• The Tesla CEO also called for Trump to be impeached, a position that even many Democrats are reluctant to take.

Driving the news: In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel first obtained by Axios, Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) asked that they "immediately clarify whether this allegation is true."

• The lawmakers asked for a timeline of the DOJ's declassification and publication of the Epstein files, an explanation for why they haven't turned over any new documents since February.
• And they requested a description of Trump's role in reviewing the files, a list of personnel involved in their release and an answer for why files previously released to Congress contained "significant redactions."
• Lynch is the acting ranking member of the House Oversight Committee and Garcia is the top Democrat on the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets.

State of play: Bondi released more than 100 pages of documents related to the Epstein case in February as part of a Trump administration push to provide more transparency into a wide array of high-profile cases.

• The files were substantially redacted, however, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), the chair of the declassification task force, has accused Bondi of "stonewalling" her demands for more files.
• "We agree with their conclusion that the release of these documents is long overdue," Lynch and Garcia wrote.

What they're saying: Musk's allegation "implies that the President may be involved in determining which files should be released and whether files will be withheld from the public if he personally chooses," the two Democrats wrote.

• They noted that Trump and Epstein's relationship has been well-documented.
• "Any attempts to prevent the appropriate release of the Epstein files to shield the President from truth and accountability merits intense scrutiny by Congress and by the Department of Justice," they added.

The man accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel demonstrators was charged in Colorado state court Thursday with 118 counts, court documents show.

The big picture: Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who was also charged with a federal hate crime, now faces 28 counts of attempted murder.

• The 45-year-old is also facing multiple counts related to the use and attempted use of an explosive/incendiary device and one count of cruelty to animals.
• Soliman is being held in lieu of a $10 million bond.

Zoom in: Sunday's attacked left 15 people injured, the Boulder County District Attorney's office said Thursday.

• All of the victims are expected to survive.

Context: The suspect yelled "Free Palestine!" as he threw the Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel demonstrators on Sunday, an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit.

• The demonstration was organized by Run for Their Lives in support of the hostages as "a peaceful walk to show solidarity with the hostages and their families, and a plea for their release."

Go deeper: Suspect in Boulder Molotov attack faces federal hate crime charge

Elon Musk's bitter public breakup with President Trump has included an undeniable fact: the world's richest man contributed more than any other billionaire donor to support Republicans in 2024 — by a lot.

Why it matters: Musk has said he'd pull back on political spending, after his six months in Washington left him with empty DOGE promises and his companies in turmoil.

• But where he puts his cash has massive potential influence — including toward any future political pursuits.

• In one of his first and most damning swipes at Trump, Musk claimed credit for the president's 2024 victory: "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate." He blasted the "ingratitude."
• While a newer Republican megadonor, Musk joined an existing class funneling millions to Trump in 2024.
• Other top donors included businessman Timothy Mellon and Miriam Adelson, widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson who, with her late husband, was Trump's biggest backer in 2020.

By the numbers: Of the roughly $295 million Musk contributed to Republicans in the 2024 election, the vast majority went to Trump.

Zoom out: The Musk-Trump feud bursted publicly mostly on social media Thursday, beginning with Trump speaking in the Oval Office and Musk rapidly posting on X.

• While the president had offered his former special government employee a warm sendoff Friday, the Tesla CEO this week ratcheted up his attacks on Trump's signature bill. Musk has criticized the bill for its cost: estimates say it could add trillions to the federal deficit.
• On Wednesday, Musk urged his followers on X to call their representatives to "KILL the BILL."

Go deeper: How Trump and Musk went from bromance to bitter dispute

Congressional Republicans are openly attacking Elon Musk like never before after the billionaire Tesla founder claimed President Trump is "in the Epstein files" and even called for him to be impeached.

Why it matters: It's a stunning fall from grace for a man who flexed so much influence over Republican lawmakers just weeks — even days — earlier.

• "This is absolutely childish and ridiculous. Enough of this nonsense," Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) said of Musk's comments, adding that the recently departed Trump lieutenant has "lost some of his gravitas."
• "Nobody elected Elon Musk, and a whole lot of people don't even like him, to be honest with you, even on both sides," said Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.).
• A spokesperson for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Driving the news: Musk initially focused his attacks on the massive GOP tax and spending cut legislation, arguing Tuesday that it doesn't go far enough in cutting the deficit.

• By Thursday, he turned his sights on Trump, claiming Trump is "in the Epstein files" and adding, "The truth will come out."
• He took his boldest step by responding to a post that said "Trump should be impeached and JD Vance should replace him" with a single word: "Yes."

What they're saying: "We're getting people calling our offices 100% in support of President Trump," said Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), a member of House GOP leadership.

• "Every tweet that goes out, people are more lockstep behind President Trump and [Musk is] losing favor," Hern added.
• Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) said Musk is "starting to look a little crazy" and "was always an important voice, but ... it's going to be a lot more people weighing what Trump has to say than what Musk has to say."

Between the lines: Musk's $420 billion net worth and ability to pour millions into any given GOP primary has been something of a Sword of Damocles for congressional Republicans since he entered politics.

• He has even signaled he supports primary challenges against the 215 House Republicans who voted for the bill.
• But now that it's Trump vs. Musk, Republican lawmakers privately say they're far more afraid of a Trump non-endorsement than they are of Musk's money.

What we're hearing: "I would rather have Trump on my side," said one House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity to offer candid thoughts on the electoral side of the Trump-Musk blowup.

• Said another: "On the value of Elon playing against us in primaries compared to Trump endorsing us in primaries, the latter is 100 times more relevant."
• "Elon can burn $5 million in a primary, but if Trump says 'that's the person Republicans should reelect,' it's a wasted $5 million," the lawmaker said.

The intrigue: Even critics of Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" say Musk is undermining the substantive case he and others are trying to make against the legislation in its current form by turning to personal attacks.

• "I think it undermines his effectiveness," said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.). "I would not have recommended that."
• Others said Musk waited too long to weigh in: "It was disappointing to see Elon Musk's outrage, if you will, come when it did. We could've used his voice a couple weeks ago," said Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.).

Yes, but: There remains a small rump caucus of Republicans who are willing to keep saying complimentary things about Musk — even at the risk of alienating Trump.

• Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a steadfast opponent of the bill who Trump has called to primary, said that while he doesn't support impeaching Trump, he still respects Musk.
• "This is the language Trump speaks in. [Musk] is speaking it back to him," Massie said.
• Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) called Musk a "genius" and said "words, to me, don't matter. It's what he does."

The bottom line: Republicans are finally acknowledging that this rift was foreseeable given the big personalities involved.

• "You've got two high-profile, strong leaders. In some ways, this was probably bound to happen," said Norman.
• Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) told Axios: "I think we all kind of knew that it was not going to end great."

Harvard University filed a complaint Thursday challenging President Trump's proclamation a day earlier that ordered the suspension of the entry of international students.

The big picture: Trump's attempt to strip Harvard of its ability to host international students marks an escalation in a weeks-long legal battle between the president and the Ivy League school.

Driving the news: Harvard argued in Thursday's filing, which amends an existing lawsuit, that Trump's proclamation violates the First Amendment.

• The university alleges that the president's actions "are not undertaken to protect the interests of the United States," but instead to pursue a government vendetta against Harvard."
• "With the stroke of a pen, the DHS Secretary and the President have sought to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission and the country," the university's amended complaint states.
• "Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard."

What they're saying: Harvard President Alan Garber said in a message to the campus community that the university is working on contingency plans to ensure international students can continue their work at Harvard.

• "International students and scholars make outstanding contributions inside and outside of our classrooms and laboratories, fulfilling our mission of excellence in countless ways," he said.
• "We will celebrate them, support them, and defend their interests as we continue to assert our Constitutional rights."
• The White House and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Thursday evening.

State of play: Trump suspended the entry of international students to attend Harvard through an executive order on Wednesday.

• He ordered cabinet officials to determine whether international students at Harvard who are in the U.S. should have their student visas revoked.
• The suspension was expected to last at least 90 days, per the order.

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's order to DHS to terminate Harvard's student and exchange visitor program certification has stalled in the courts.

More from Axios:

• Trump suspends entry to Harvard's international students
• Foreign students consider fleeing Harvard after Trump threats, university says
• Trump admin nixes Harvard's ability to enroll international students

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

House Republicans are issuing a subpoena to former President Biden's personal physician Kevin O'Connor as part of their investigation into the ex-president's health.

Why it matters: House Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.) is ramping up the probe after new revelations emerged about Biden's cognitive decline in Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper's new book, "Original Sin."

• In addition to O'Connor, Comer has requested testimony from nine of Biden's former aides including Neera Tanden, Anita Dunn and Ron Klain.

Driving the news: In a letter to O'Connor accompanying the subpoena, Comer wrote that the Biden doctor is compelled to appear at a deposition on June 27.

• Comer wrote that he is investigating whether O'Connor "contributed to an effort to hide former President Biden's fitness to serve from the American people."

Zoom in: O'Connor's attorney cited D.C. statute, the American Medical Association's code of ethics and the principle of physician-patient privilege in refusing to accept Comer's initial request for testimony, Comer wrote.

• Comer called those claims "improper and illegitimate" and said sending written questions "will not satisfy the Committee's legitimate oversight and legislative needs."

The two most powerful people in the U.S. have gone from friends to foes.

Why it matters: Elon Musk and President Trump's (very) public online feud imperils billions of dollars in government contracts for Musk as the former DOGE head continues to go scorched earth against the president.

Driving the news: Musk has spent the past week criticizing Trump's "big, beautiful bill," escalating those attacks on Thursday via X, which he owns, calling for Trump's impeachment and accusing the president of being "in the Epstein files."

Here's a timeline of the key posts from the online implosion:

The bromance of President Trump and Elon Musk appears to be over after a public fracturing on Thursday.

The big picture: The Tesla CEO initially seemed to leave the Trump administration on a good note and was expected to remain one of the president's most influential outside advisers. That no longer appears to be the case.

• While both men are known to go on social media rampages, the president admitted Thursday he was bothered by his former adviser's posts criticizing his "big, beautiful" spending bill.

Here's a look at how the pair's relationship took off and came to an end:

June 5: Trump admits rupture

President Trump said Thursday he doesn't know if he and Musk will still have "a great relationship" after the former DOGE head spent days blasting the spending bill.

• Musk fired back in an X response writing, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate."

June 3: Musk criticizes "One Big, Beautiful Bill"

Musk slammed the bill as a "disgusting abomination," writing in a post on X, "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."

• In another post, Musk responded to a user's criticism of the bill writing, "In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people."

May 30: Trump gives Musk warm public sendoff

Trump during a press conference said Musk is "really not leaving" and was "going to be back and forth."

• Musk said he would continue to visit as a "friend" and adviser to the president.

May 28: Musk confirms he's departing administration

Musk confirmed he is leaving the Trump administration, thanking Trump "for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending."

• The billionaire CEO pivoted to damage control in his final days as a "special government employee," publicly recommitting to Mars, cars and robots after a bruising year in the political limelight.

Feb. 11, 2025: Musk joins Trump in Oval Office

Musk, with his young son in tow, appeared alongside Trump in the Oval Office.

• The pair defended their efforts to enact major changes to the government and to limit spending.

Nov. 12, 2024: DOGE announced

Trump announced that Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would lead a new "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), operating as an independent advisory group to cut government spending and streamline bureaucracy.

Nov. 6, 2024: Election night

Musk was with Trump on election night as the latter was declared the winner of the presidential election.

Oct. 16, 2024: Musk becomes GOP mega-donor

Musk gave nearly $75 million in three months to his pro-Trump America PAC, underscoring his commitment to getting Trump elected.

• He eventually donated more than $250 million to the super PAC during the 2024 election campaign, making Musk Trump's biggest financial booster.

Oct. 5, 2024: "Dark MAGA"

Musk appeared at a Trump rally for the first time since his endorsement, wearing a black "Make America Great Again" cap, and said: "As you can see, I'm not just MAGA — I'm dark MAGA."

Aug. 12, 2024: Musk suggests role in White House

Musk hosted Trump on X for a "conversation" that turned into an extension of a campaign speech, where he suggested that Trump should form a commission focused on "government efficiency" and appoint him to it.

July 13, 2024: Musk endorses Trump

Musk endorsed Trump on X minutes after he was ushered off stage by Secret Service agents at a rally in Pennsylvania when the then-presidential hopeful came under fire.

Go deeper: Republicans scramble to avoid a war with Elon Musk

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional dates.

Elon Musk unleashed a fresh round of tweets late Thursday afternoon, calling for President Trump to be impeached and declaring that SpaceX would begin decommissioning a spacecraft essential to NASA's operation.

Why it matters: Trump's threat to cancel billions of dollars of government contracts with Musk's companies has ignited a new round of escalation in the explosive civil war between the two former allies.

Driving the news: "In light of the President's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately," Musk wrote on X.

• The U.S. has relied on the Dragon spacecraft, both crewed and cargo versions, for years to keep the International Space Station supplied and operating. Shutting them down would leave the ISS reliant on Russia.

The intrigue: Ian Miles Cheong, a prominent Musk supporter and right-wing activist on X, tweeted: "President vs Elon. Who wins? My money's on Elon. Trump should be impeached and JD Vance should replace him."

• Musk responded to Cheong: "Yes."
• When another follower suggested they could finally be honest about the stupidity of Trump's tariffs, Musk posted: "The Trump tariffs will cause a recession in the second half of this year."

Musk, the world's richest man, also spent much of the afternoon tweeting about Trump's alleged ties to notorious sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.

• "Time to drop the really big bomb: Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!" Musk posted.

The big picture: The stunning collapse of the relationship was ostensibly triggered by Musk's scathing criticism of Trump's signature bill, which is projected to add trillions to the national debt.

• Trump suggested that the Tesla CEO was upset about the rollback of electric vehicle credits, and that he — like other disgruntled former officials — was suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
• That's when Musk set the feud on fire — unleashing dozens of tweets highlighting the GOP's hypocrisy on deficits, claiming Trump would have lost in 2024 without him, and floating a new political party.

What to watch: The MAGA coalition is now under massive pressure to pick sides, splintering after six months of a mostly harmonious relationship between the president and the world's richest man.

• Steve Bannon, a prominent MAGA voice who has long despised Musk, called for the South African-born billionaire to be deported in an interview with the New York Times.

Israel has reassured the White House that it won't launch an attack against Iran's nuclear facilities unless President Trump signals negotiations with Iran have failed, two Israeli officials with direct knowledge tell Axios.

Why it matters: The Trump administration has been concerned in recent weeks that Israel is preparing to launch a strike despite the ongoing talks, and President Trump said he cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against making his move while talks are still taking place.

• But Trump also said his stance "could change with a phone call" if he feels the talks with Iran are going nowhere.

Behind the scenes: Israel conveyed the message of reassurance during a visit to Washington last week by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Mossad Director David Barnea and National Security Adviser Tzahi Hanegbi, Israeli officials say.

• One official said the Israelis made it clear to their U.S. counterparts that Israel won't surprise the Trump administration with a military strike on Iran.
• "We calmed the Americans and told them there is no logic in launching an attack if a good diplomatic solution can be found. This is why we are going to give it a chance and wait with any military action until it is clear that negotiations were exhausted and [White House envoy] Steve Witkoff has given up," a second Israeli official said.
• A senior Israeli official said that while the Israel Defense Forces are training all the time for a possible strike against Iran, the U.S. and other countries misread measures the IDF took ahead of strikes against the Houthis in Yemen as preparations for an imminent strike against Iran.

State of play: The White House is still waiting for Iran's response to its proposal for a nuclear deal. Iranian officials said the response is now being drafted.

• Trump accused Iran on Wednesday of "slow-walking their decision" hours after Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei criticized the U.S. offer.
• Trump's two-month deadline for a deal will expire next week, according to the White House's interpretation of that timeline.
• U.S. officials say that for now, a new round of talks between Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is not expected to take place this weekend.

What to watch: Netanyahu told Trump he's skeptical about the chances of a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal, an Israeli official said.

• The Israeli official thinks that, regardless of the gaps in the negotiations with the U.S., the Iranians will make an effort to prevent the talks from collapsing.
• "It could take another several months of negotiations before Trump decides it has failed," one Israeli official said.

Elon Musk posted a poll on X on Thursday asking followers whether they support the idea of a new political party to take on the Republicans and Democrats.

Why it matters: The richest man in the world is publicly feuding with the most powerful man in America, whom he spent record-setting sums to elect. We're about to find out what Musk is prepared to do about it.

Driving the news: Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that he was "disappointed in Elon" for coming out against his "Big Beautiful Bill." Trump speculated it was because the bill slashes electric vehicle credits and because Musk already misses access to the Oval Office.

• Trump said he'd had a good relationship with Elon but made clear he didn't feel like he needed him, either during the election or now.

It appears Musk was watching. He posted a string of tweets opposing the bill, then went for Trump personally for the first time since allying with him last year.

• "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," he tweeted, adding: "Such ingratitude."
• Tesla stock sank Thursday on news of Musk and Trump's falling out.

The other side: Trump hit back later Thursday, saying Musk was "wearing thin."

• "I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!" Trump posted on Truth Social.

The intrigue: Musk had already gone after House Republicans for nearly unanimously approving the bill, but it was unclear if he was going to leverage his fortune or his huge platform against them.

• Then, Musk posted a tweet that will likely send a chill down the spines of Republican operatives, who were thrilled about the big tent coalition they assembled in 2024 with Musk's help.
• "Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?"

Then he followed up in an apparent signal to Republicans deciding whether to back him or the president: "Trump has 3.5 years left as President, but I will be around for 40+ years."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Trump's response.

President Trump gave Republican senators a green light to explore ways to save money on Medicare during a meeting at the White House, senators said Thursday.

Why it matters: Changes to save money on Medicaid have already proven contentious with some Republicans. Medicare could open a new can of worms.

• "The president is willing to eliminate any waste, fraud and abuse anywhere," Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) told Axios about the White House meeting Wednesday night that he attended, "which opens up Medicare, as well," he added.
• "What the president made clear is he does not want to see any cuts to beneficiaries, but to go after... the waste, fraud and abuse," said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), clarifying that Trump opened up Medicare as an option at the meeting.
• Politico first reported on the Medicare discussions.

What to watch: One possibility being floated is a bill from Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), which would get savings from the Medicare Advantage program.

• The measure would crack down on an insurer practice known as "upcoding," where health insurers classify patients as sicker in order to secure higher government payments.
• Cracking down on the practice has some support from Democrats as well, but would be sure to draw the opposition of the health insurance industry.
• Johnson gave support for Cassidy's proposal, saying he thinks it would go after waste, fraud and abuse — and he thinks Trump would support it.

President Trump compared Russia and Ukraine with "children fighting in the park" on Thursday and suggested it might be better to let them keep on fighting for a while.

Why it matters: Trump's remarks were another signal that he thinks Russia and Ukraine aren't ready to make peace, and that he's considering stepping back from his initiative to convince them to do so.

• Ukrainian officials are concerned that retreat from Trump will only serve Russia's interests.
• But Trump said the "bad blood" and deep "hatred" between the sides — combined with Russian President Vladimir Putin's commitment to hitting back hard for the surprise attack inside Russia — would make it hard to reach a ceasefire any time soon.

What he's saying: During his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, Trump said he'd given Putin an analogy during their phone call on Wednesday.

• "Sometimes you see two young children fighting in the park....sometimes you're better off letting them fight more before you pull them apart," Trump said.
• He also compared himself to a hockey referee letting players fight for a bit before putting an end to it.
• When they discussed the Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's strategic air bases, Trump said Putin told him: "'We have no choice but to attack.' It's not gonna be pretty. I told him don't do it," Trump said.

What's next: Trump was asked three times if he would impose new sanctions against Russia or allow the sanctions bill pushed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to pass.

• Trump was non-committal, saying he'd discuss it with Merz but suggesting nothing was imminent. He even suggested he might sanction both Russia and Ukraine because "it takes two to tango."
• "When I see the moment where it's not gonna stop, we will be very tough, and it could be on both countries," Trump said. "If Russia is out of line, you will be amazed how tough (I'll be)."

The other side: Merz politely urged Trump to be tougher on Putin. He said Trump is the one who can end the war by applying pressure.

• "We have a duty to stop it now. We are on the side of Ukraine," Merz said.

President Trump is again prioritizing travel bans, furthering his administration's crackdown on unauthorized immigration.

The big picture: Trump's first term travel bans caused immediate confusion, humanitarian concern and were slammed as discriminatory.

• The bans, announced Wednesday, go into effect on Monday, contrasting with his first administration when they started with minimal notice.

What they're saying: "The restrictions in this proclamation are country specific and include places that lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa overstay rates, or fail to share identity and threat information," Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement.

• The recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, underscored "dangers" of immigrants who overstay visas, Jackson added. Egypt, where suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman is from, was not on the travel ban list.

State of play: Trump fully restricted and limited entry from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

• He also partially restricted and limited entry from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
• "Today's proclamation weaponizes and distorts immigration laws to target people that the president dislikes and disagrees with – and it does so based primarily on racial and religious animus," Stephanie Gee, senior director of U.S. legal services at the International Refugee Assistance Project, said in a statement.

Zoom in: Syria, Iraq, North Korea and Nigeria were included in Trump's first-term travel bans, but excluded so far from this administration's.

• Many of Trump's first-term targets were countries with predominantly Muslim populations. Several on the new list are also Muslim-majority nations, but the administration said this term's bans are based on visa overstay rates.

Yes, but: Trump's list captures some of the most egregious overstay offenders, but omits others, AP reported.

Trump's first-term travel bans

Trump enacted four iterations of travel bans during his first term:

1. In January 2017, Trump banned travel to the U.S. for 90 days for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. He also suspended the resettlement of all Syrian refugees.
2. In March 2017, he rescinded the original ban, taking Iraq off the ban list and lifting the indefinite suspension for Syrian refugees.
3. In September 2017, the third iteration replaced the second one, removing Sudan from the list and barring certain nationals of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen and Somalia. Travel restrictions on Chad were removed the following year.
4. In January 2020, Trump expanded the third ban to include Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania.

The Supreme Court in June 2018 ruled 5-4 to allow a third version of the executive order to go into force.

• It expanded the list of barred travelers to include some Venezuelan and North Korean nationals.

Between the lines: "The travel bans of the Trump administration's first term never demonstrated any meaningful value as a national security tool," Jeremy Robbins, executive director of the American Immigration Council, said.

• "Sweeping national origin bans declare many innocent people to be a threat based on factors they cannot control in their home countries. There is no evidence this is making us safer."

Go deeper: Trump issues travel ban for 12 countries

Tesla shares plunged Thursday as the relationship between Elon Musk and President Trump imploded and Trump suggested canceling Musk's government contracts.

Why it matters: The threat escalates their real-time breakup and threatens to deliver a serious blow to the wealth of the world's richest person.

• Musk and Trump were close political allies for a time, after the Tesla CEO poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Republican campaigns and led the budget-slashing Department of Government of Efficiency.
• Their relationship was seen as a boon to Tesla and Musk's other companies, including government contractor SpaceX.

Zoom in: After saying earlier from the Oval Office that "Elon and I had a great relationship" and "I don't know if we will anymore," Trump went further Thursday in a Truth Social post, threatening that he could "terminate" government contracts with Elon Musk's empire.

• "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Truth said on Truth Social.
• "I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!"
• The comments came after Musk repeatedly assailed Trump's "big, beautiful bill" in recent days, saying it would unacceptably increase the national debt and wipe out DOGE's budget savings.
• On Thursday, Musk began reposting pre-presidency Trump tweets promoting a balanced budget and arguing against a debt ceiling increase.

Threat level: Any move to follow through on the contract termination threat would have the most significant effect on SpaceX, which counts NASA and the Defense Department as major customers.

• For example, NASA has a $4.46 billion contract with SpaceX for the design, development and production of a human landing system.

But the sudden divide between Trump and Musk also dealt a significant blow to Tesla's stock price.

• Shares of Musk's EV company plunged 16% in late trading Thursday, knocking more than $180 billion off of Tesla's market capitalization and costing Musk personally more than $21 billion.
• The downward trajectory suggests that investors are worried that a Musk-Trump breakup could hurt the empire of the world's richest person, which also includes xAI and Neuralink.
• Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Threat level: Tesla investors have been hoping for favorable policies from Washington, including for EVs and self-driving cars.

• But as Musk falls out of favor on Capitol Hill, congressional Republicans will have little political reason to hold back on their war on EVs.

Reality check: Tesla doesn't get significant revenue from federal contracts.

• And Musk's net worth was still $368 billion as of Thursday, down $64 billion for the year but still $100 billion+ more than the nearest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The bottom line: Investors once believed that Musk's association with Trump would deliver huge value to his empire.

• Now it looks like their disassociation is doing the opposite.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with more details throughout.

Elon Musk declared all-out war on President Trump Thursday, writing on X: "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate."

• "Such ingratitude," Musk added.

Why it matters: The public breakup between Trump and Musk — a key adviser who spent nearly $300 million to support the president's campaign and Republicans in 2024 — has escalated dramatically.

• Amid Musk's tirade on X, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the former DOGE head "just went crazy" and threatened to cancel Musk's billions of dollars' worth of government contracts.
• Musk then posted: "Time to drop the really big bomb: Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!"

Context: At the heart of the feud is Trump's signature "One, Big, Beautiful Bill," a massive tax-and-spending package projected to add trillions to national debt over the next 10 years.

• After Musk launched a lobbying campaign to "Kill the Bill" on Wednesday, Trump suggested to reporters that the Tesla CEO was angry about the legislation rolling back electric vehicle tax credits.
• Tesla stock plunged more than 15% as the extraordinary clash unfolded.

What they're saying: "Whatever. Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill," Musk wrote on X.

• As Trump was openly discussing their tense relationship during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office, Musk dug up old tweets of the president railing against deficit spending and increases to the debt limit. "Where is this guy today?" Musk asked.
• Musk also denied Trump's claim that he "knew the inner workings of the bill better than anybody," writing: "False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!"

Between the lines: Democrats and liberal pundits have long speculated that the relationship between Trump and Musk — two huge personalities with strong personal views — would end in disaster.

• But for six months, there was barely any daylight: As recently as last week, Trump honored Musk in the Oval Office and praised him as a "friend" who did excellent work on DOGE.
• Now, with Musk having exited the administration, the relationship is collapsing — spectacularly — in full public view.

What to watch: "Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?" Musk asked in a poll of his millions of loyal X followers.

• He later wrote in response to speculation about who Republicans would choose: "[S]ome food for thought as they ponder this question: Trump has 3.5 years left as President, but I will be around for 40+ years …"

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details.

President Trump suggested he could cancel billions of dollars of government contracts with Elon Musk's companies, accusing his former adviser and biggest political donor of going "crazy."

Why it matters: The close relationship between two of the most powerful men in the world is imploding in real time, triggered by Musk's scathing criticism of Trump's signature legislation.

• Musk escalated the conflict dramatically with a tweet Thursday claiming that "Trump would have lost the election" without him.
• "Such ingratitude," Musk added, before unleashing a barrage of additional tweets insulting Republicans and floating a new political party.

The latest: "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!" Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday afternoon.

• "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!" Trump added.
• "Such an obvious lie. So sad," Musk shot back.

Catch up quick: "Elon and I had a great relationship," Trump told reporters during an Oval Office appearance alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Thursday. "I don't know if we will anymore."

• Asked about Musk's ongoing criticism, Trump said he was "very surprised."
• The president noted that Musk hadn't said anything "about me that's bad" but added he'd rather the billionaire "criticize me than the bill."
• Trump argued Musk was upset because "we took the EV mandate," in reference to the electric vehicle tax credit the legislation would cut.

What he's saying: "I'm very disappointed in Elon," Trump said. "I've helped Elon a lot."

• He said Musk knew the "inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here."
• Trump added he thinks Musk "misses the place."
• "People leave my administration, and they love us, and then at some point they miss it so badly, and some of them embrace it, and some of them actually become hostile," Trump said.

Friction point: While Trump was talking, Musk was posting on X.

• "Whatever," he replied in a post that included a clip of Trump's Oval Office comments. "Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill."
• "Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill," Musk added.
• In a separate post in response to Trump's claim that Musk was very familiar with the bill's details, the SpaceX CEO wrote, "False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!"

Context: The former DOGE head departed the Trump administration in May and has since bashed the "one big, beautiful bill" as a "disgusting abomination."

• Since then, Musk has urged his followers on X to call their representatives to "KILL the BILL."
• Some House Republicans have privately revealed their frustration with Musk, including criticism of his competence in the White House.

Zoom in: As of Tuesday, Musk and Trump remained friends and allies, Axios' Marc Caputo reported, but the president was bothered by his former adviser's social media rampage. 

Go deeper:

• Musk demands do-over on Trump budget bill
• Scoop: Four reasons Musk attacked Trump's "big beautiful bill"
• Republicans scramble to avoid a war with Elon Musk

Editor's note: This story has been updated with comments from Elon Musk.

Researchers published new findings that they fear could be the first evidence of an active spyware campaign targeting iPhones in the U.S. and the European Union.

Why it matters: iPhones tied to people in an EU member state's government, U.S. political campaign, media organizations and an AI company could have all been targeted as part of this operation, according to the report from mobile research company iVerify.

Zoom in: iVerify released a report indicating that the hackers may have targeted six iPhones through the "Nickname" feature in iOS, which sends a notification whenever someone's iCloud photo or name changes.

• Three of the phones showed unusual crashes that iVerify considers potential signs of tampering.
• In one case, a "high-value target in an EU member state" received a threat notification from Apple about a month after such a crash occurred on their device, iVerify COO Rocky Cole told Axios.

Yes, but: Apple has fixed the flaw — which was present in iOS versions through 18.1.1 — but disputes that it was ever used to hack devices.

• "We've thoroughly analyzed the information provided by iVerify, and strongly disagree with the claims of a targeted attack against our users," Ivan Krstić, head of Apple Security Engineering and Architecture, said in a statement.
• Apple confirmed the underlying Nickname bug but said its own field data from iPhones points to it being a "conventional software bug that we identified and fixed in iOS 18.3," Krstić added.
• "iVerify has not responded with meaningful technical evidence supporting their claims, and we are not currently aware of any credible indication that the bug points to an exploitation attempt or active attack," he said. "We are constantly working to stay ahead of new and emerging threats, and will continue to work tirelessly to protect our users."

The intrigue: iVerify has not identified who was behind the activity. But the known potential targets had previously been surveilled or hacked by Chinese state-linked groups, Cole said.

What to watch: iVerify is sharing its findings publicly after consulting with several large tech firms and four EU government entities, and the company hopes their findings will encourage more security researchers to investigate the campaign further.

• "It is a body of circumstantial evidence that is difficult to ignore," Cole said. "For that reason, it merits a public conversation."

The bottom line: iVerify recommends that high-risk users keep their phones updated and turn on Apple's Lockdown Mode, which is designed to guard against spyware. Cole said that it's likely that Lockdown Mode could have prevented these potential infections.

Go deeper: Small spyware companies are a big problem

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke about trade issues for more than an hour Thursday, and Trump said teams from both sides would meet again soon.

Why it matters: Washington and Beijing have accused each other of violating the 90-day trade truce reached three weeks ago, under which both dramatically lowered tariffs and promised further dialogue.

What they're saying: "There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products. Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined," Trump posted on Truth Social.

• Rare earth minerals have been a key sticking point in the fractious relationship.
• China is reportedly withholding exports, angering the Trump administration and potentially compromising high-tech supply chains.

Catch up quick: China's foreign minister claimed this week that the U.S. had "introduced a series of negative measures" since the deal, and that relations were at a "critical juncture."

• A day earlier, a spokesperson for China's Commerce Ministry alleged the U.S. had "seriously undermined" the trade agreement by announcing new AI chip export control guidelines and the revocation of visas for Chinese students. China was prepared to "take resolute and forceful measures," the spokesperson said.
• That came after Trump on Friday claimed China had "totally violated" the tariff pause agreement, and later doubled steel tariffs.
• The escalating rhetoric scared markets, as the tariff pause had contributed directly to a rebound in consumer confidence, CEO confidence and stocks.

State of play: This was first announced call between the two since Jan. 17, three days before Trump took office.

• Trump claimed in April that Xi had called him to discuss tariffs since then, but Beijing denied that.
• As Trump pushed tariffs all the way to 145% in April, Chinese officials suggested Xi was not interested in speaking to Trump unless the U.S. dialed back its aggression both rhetorically and on trade.
• Trump has repeatedly suggested that he and Xi speak directly to work out the trade dispute, and top U.S. officials made clear in recent days that he was itching to get on the phone with Xi.

What to watch: Trump said teams from both sides would meet "shortly," with the U.S. being represented by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

• Bessent and Greer negotiated the May tariff pause; Lutnick has until now publicly deferred to them on China issues.
• Companies with exposure to the rare earth supply chain, including the auto industry, will also be watching closely to see if Trump's assurances turn into an increase in exports.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details from Trump's social media post.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday will enter President Trump's televised Oval Office stage, where world leaders before him have been ambushed, scolded and sent home without lunch.

The big picture: Under Trump 2.0, the Oval Office has become a danger zone for world leaders, who at the very least are subject to a series of on-camera spectacles — and at the worst, a full-blown attack.

• South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's Washington visit took a dark turn when Trump told an aide to dim the lights before presenting a compilation of clips to back the false allegations of a "white genocide" in South Africa.
• Much of what Trump said and showed was inaccurate or debunked, Axios' Russell Contreras reported.

Driving the news: Merz, whose Christian Democratic Union bested the Elon Musk-endorsed far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, will come face-to-face with the president Thursday.

• In a Wednesday statement posted to X, Merz described the U.S. as "an indispensable friend and partner of Germany," per a translation.
• But in February, Merz struck a different tone, saying strengthening Europe was his "absolute priority" in order to "really achieve independence" from the U.S.
• In a Feb. 23 X post, he wrote that his "impression over the last few days is that Russia and America are finding common ground — over the heads of Ukraine, and consequently over those of Europe."
• Those comments followed Vice President JD Vance's stunning Munich Security Conference speech in which he lambasted European allies over so-called censorship and decried the dangers of mass immigration.

Yes, but: Some leaders have walked away from the White House relatively unscathed.

• Canada's Mark Carney experienced some friction — telling Trump Canada is "is not for sale" — but avoiding the public flogging Ramaphosa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received.
• El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele leaned into the show, Axios' Dave Lawler reported, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer came ready with a gift — an embossed letter from King Charles III.
• Merz's conservative immigration approach and business background could help him find common ground with Trump.

Zoom in: A White House official told Axios one likely topic for the meeting with be what the administration perceives as Democratic backsliding, notably over free speech rights.

• Other likely discussion points include defense spending, trade and talks to end the war in Ukraine, the official said.

What we're watching: MAGA world's sympathies toward the anti-immigration AfD party could be one tense undercurrent to the meeting.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month condemned a since-suspended decision from German intelligence to classify AfD as a right-wing extremist organization.
• "What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD—which took second in the recent election—but rather the establishment's deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes," Rubio, who is set to be present at Thursday's meeting, wrote.
• On top of that, the leader of Europe's biggest economy will have to navigate possible strain over NATO, Ukraine and ongoing trade disputes.

Go deeper: German election keeps key climate player in the game