Reviewing Trump-Musk split, banning fluoride will make us healthy?

Reviewing Trump-Musk split

The marriage between greed and ego has ended, and it has ended badly, as many of us knew it would [“Trump: Musk could face ‘consequences’ if he backs Democrats,” News, June 6].

If this were simply a battle between two corporate titans, it would be entertaining. But the reality is that Musk is trying to destroy a presidency that should have never happened. It is all about greed. Musk paid good money for Trump, and he foolishly expected something in return.

Nobody donates $270 million to Trump without expecting something in return. Musk wanted final approval of the “Big Beautiful Bill” to include the electric vehicles component added to it for his company. MAGA and Trump are no fans of EVs, and those voters are far more important to Trump than loyalty. How did Musk, the self-professed genius, not learn that with Trump, loyalty is a one-way street?

Trump might be the easiest politician to be bought, but in Musk’s case, giving something back for those millions would be Trump admitting that Musk did something for him. And Trump can’t live with that.

 — Robert Broder, Stony Brook

We’re now learning that Elon Musk, perhaps the apotheosis of someone “most worthy of contempt,” has expressed nothing but contempt for Donald Trump’s tariffs and his “Big Beautiful Bill.” Who knew? Unfortunately, however, we haven’t learned exactly what Musk’s specific concerns are.

Yet whatever one may think of Musk, one of the BBB’s provisions is particularly worthy of alarm and disdain — namely, the attempt to include a measure to prohibit any federal court from spending any funds appropriated to its use to pay for enforcing any of the court’s orders, including naturally, any court order holding executive branch officials in contempt.

We all should recall the Trump administration’s recent response to several court orders, all of which call into question our complacent reliance on our vaunted “checks and balances.”

Under current circumstances, we can’t be sure that such an unconstitutional measure won’t survive. We need, in self-defense, to inform ourselves of the specifics of the BBB and express in any way we can, our strong opposition to this and other provisions in this proposed legislation.

Please, no more focusing on personality clashes, however entertaining they may be.

— Stewart Ronk, Garden City

The Donald Trump-Elon Musk bromance breakup makes big splashy headlines, but we need to remember that our federal government is not a reality TV show. What has been overlooked in all the news and social media coverage is the dangerous and inappropriate behavior of the president, who is acting like the federal government is his government to do with whatever he wishes.

Trump is acting like a crime boss threatening severe punishment for anyone who doesn’t obey. But Musk is an American citizen. He has a right to speak his mind. And Trump has no right to threaten an American citizen for exercising his right of free speech.

Besides, the contracts that Musk’s companies have with the federal government are legally binding and not for Trump to cancel or revoke because Trump is having a temper tantrum and wants revenge. We still live in a democracy governed by the rule of laws (I hope).

— Gerry Ring, Old Bethpage

Isn’t it strange that so many people who have worked with or for Donald Trump suddenly realize he is a real danger to democracy. From Gens. John Kelly and James Mattis to dozens of Cabinet and congressional officials and now his adviser and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, all have warned us that Trump is unhinged and a real threat to our country.

And how do Trump’s MAGA supporters react to these warnings? By calling these former White House staffers disgruntled employees or even say, “So what?”

But this time, Trump seems to have met his match. The richest man in the world can try to expose Trump for the person he really is.

It’s well past time that Republicans take back from Donald Trump the party of Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.

 — Jim Kiernan, Holbrook 

So, banning fluoride will make us healthy?

So now the feds want to restrict the use of fluoride, which is proven to prevent tooth decay, and allow higher levels for some types of PFAS, which are forever chemicals and known carcinogens, in our water supply [“LI tooth troubles under fed fluoride crackdown,” News, June 9].

What a great way to make America healthy again.

— Tom Prasso, Bellerose