The general public feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk over the GOP’s “One Huge Lovely Invoice Act” has Republicans scrambling—however civil rights and different advocates warn that the drama might function a smokescreen, drawing consideration away from dangerous insurance policies disproportionately concentrating on Black People.
After Musk blasted the invoice as a “disgusting abomination” that provides to the nationwide debt, Trump fired again, accusing Musk of selfishness over misplaced electrical automobile subsidies and threatening to terminate his authorities contracts.
In the meantime, Home Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Musk’s posts as “shocking and disappointing,” and the White Home dismissed Musk’s allegations linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.
Whereas the headlines give attention to private assaults, the Congressional Funds Workplace experiences that the GOP invoice will add $2.4 trillion to the nationwide debt and depart almost 11 million individuals with out medical health insurance. On the similar time, the Trump administration has renewed journey bans concentrating on majority-Black nations, slashed federal company budgets, gutted DEI efforts and superior fossil gasoline tasks in Black communities.
The Congressional Black Caucus and others warn that these insurance policies quantity to a deliberate assault on marginalized teams below the guise of fiscal reform, whereas the general public stays fixated on billionaire infighting.
High 5 causes Black People ought to pay shut consideration:
Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare might depart hundreds of thousands, together with a disproportionate variety of Black People, with out well being protection.
Mass layoffs in federal companies threaten jobs closely held by Black employees.
New journey bans goal Black and brown nations, breaking households and stoking racism.
Environmental deregulation fast-tracks poisonous tasks by Black communities.
Voter suppression efforts and authoritarian govt actions threaten Black political energy and civil rights hard-won over a long time.