🌅 Washingtonian Today: Trump Joins Ranks of Americans Who Can’t Unload Their Teslas

Good morning. Hot with increasing humidity today and a high around 86. Showers are possible after 2 PM. More rain possible overnight, with a low near 67.

Sports this weekend: The Nationals will host the Texas Rangers all weekend. D.C. United will get a visit from the Chicago Fire Saturday. Loudoun United FC will host Louisville City FC Saturday. Old Glory DC will visit the San Diego Legion Saturday for their regular season finale. The Mystics will host the Connecticut Sun on Sunday.

You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below. Thanks for reading Washingtonian Today. If someone forwarded you this email, you can get your own free subscription here.

I can’t stop listening to:

The Blackbyrds, “Rock Creek Park.” One of my favorite DC songs ever! As drummer Keith Killgo once told us, “It doesn’t take a soliloquy to get the point across.” The Blackbyrds play Merriweather Post Pavilion Sunday as part of the Capital Jazz Fest.

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I’ve made a playlist on Spotify and on Apple Music of my daily music recommendations this year. (I'll update it with recent picks later today.)

Here’s some administration news you might not have blocked out:

“The girls are fighting, aren’t they?” President Trump and Elon Musk broke up with each other in a respectful, private manner Thursday afternoon that was completely non-enjoyable to watch—haha no. So much happened during their relationship’s rapid unscheduled disassembly Thursday afternoon that Washingtonian Today has decided to dedicate this roundup to the feud and divide it into several segments for easier schadenfreude.

Let’s begin with the lede-alls: “Mr. Trump not only must confront the choking-off of election support; he now must contend with the wrath of an ally-turned-foe who appears determined to undermine his standing on the right.” (NYT) Trump threatened to cut off federal subsidies to Musk’s businesses; in return, the billionaire “floated starting a new political party, suggested that Trump should be impeached, argued that Trump’s tariffs would trigger a recession and pledged to decommission a valuable piece of space equipment on which the government relies.” (WSJ) Musk also suggested Trump was “in the Epstein files,” referring to “a point of fixation for Trump, his allies and right-wing media figures.” (Washington Post)

Moving on to collateral damage: Tesla had a “market-value decline of around $152.4 billion, its biggest one-day slide on record.” (WSJ) House speaker Mike Johnson, a chief mover of Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” faces a new dynamic where “Musk is only emboldening potential holdouts” among Republicans who, like Musk, are concerned about its cost. (Politico) Nevertheless, most GOP lawmakers backed Trump over Musk. (WSJ)

The analyses: Eight ways that Trump and Musk could hurt each other. (NYT) The Pentagon and intelligence agencies could be left “in a lurch” if Trump cancels Musk’s companies’ contracts. (Washington Post) In this fight, “No one has more to lose than” VP JD Vance. (The Bulwark)

The popcorn: We’re popping bottles tonight”: MAGA machers at Butterworth’s said they thought the fracas was overdue. (Washington Post) The rift is near-existential for Trump adviser Stephen Miller and his wife, Katie Miller, who left a gig with Musk’s DOGE project and went back to the private sector with Musk. (Daily Mail) White House adviser Sergio Gor is “a major force behind” the feud. (Axios) A helpful timeline of the implosion. (Washington Post) Congressional Democrats have asked the Justice Department to provide more information about Musk’s Epstein files allegation. (Axios) Boo! “Signs of a truce” began to emerge later on Thursday. (Politico) “Oh, man, the girls are fighting, aren’t they?” US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “said with an all-timer of a grin.” (Mediaite)

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• It’s Hot List o’clock! These are the restaurants our food team is most excited about this month.
• Tommy McFly told us about the time he “almost came out” to Sara Bareilles.
• Ryan Lambert added a 51st star to a giant flag he sung on one side of a building he owns in downtown DC to reflect his hope that Greenland may become a state.
• The DC Council is poised to name a high school for John R. Thompson Jr.
• Jonathan Capehart, Mari Andrew, Damon Young: A lot of fascinating author events are on their way this summer.
• They love Halloween. So naturally the escort card display at this couple’s wedding featured skeletons.

Local news links:

• The park at Dupont Circle will remain closed after all. Despite a request from DC police to rescind their request to close the park during this weekend’s pride events, the National Park Service and the US Park Police have decided to go through with it. (NBC4 Washington) Programming note: Washingtonian Today just got some Park Service documents in the matter and will publish them in a blog post after he finishes this roundup.
• Flights at National Airport will be halted during the military parade on Trump’s birthday next weekend. (Washington Post) Some Congressional Republicans are getting antsy about the cost of the affair. (Politico)
Important abandoned casket mystery news: Navy Yard resident Juliana Holland recognized the casket found by the side of the road in Prince George’s County last week: It was apparently found in a vacant apartment in her building and placed on the loading dock for disposal. How it got to Upper Marlboro remains unclear. (WUSA9)
• The Commanders are looking for an architect for their new stadium. (My brother might be available—call me for details, folks.) (WBJ)
• Wait times for concealed carry permits in DC have shrunk thanks to a Trump order. (Washington Times)
• DC is considering “public-private partnership to fund construction” of a new jail. (WAMU)
• DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has “proposed shifting millions of dollars from a special fund created to boost tourism marketing efforts into a separate pool to fuel the mayor’s economic development priorities.” (WBJ)
• DC’s MAGA men are visiting plastic surgeons to achieve stronger jawlines. (Politico)