Trump and Musk's separation turns sour, leading to a battle of nasty remarks against each other.
Elon Musk Slams Trump Over Political Disagreements
- President Trump expresses disappointment towards Elon Musk, accusing him of ingratitude.
- Musk responds, claiming responsibility for Trump’s 2024 election triumph and suggesting unflattering secrets about Trump.
WASHINGTON - It seems the bromance between President Donald Trump and tech tycoon Elon Musk has reached its end. The friendship that once fueled Trump’s campaign with record donations and served side by side in the White House is now reduced to a heated public feud.
It all started when Musk spoke out against the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" for its projected impact on the national debt. On Wednesday, he called for the bill to be scrapped, leading Trump to respond in kind from the Oval Office.
"Elon and I had a great relationship -- I don't know if we will anymore," Trump said on Thursday, echoing sentiments of disappointment. Musk, reacting on his social media platform, X, took credit for Trump's election victory.
"Without me, Trump would have lost the election. Dems would control the House, and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," Musk wrote. "Such ingratitude."
Things escalated as the day progressed. After meeting with the German chancellor, Trump suggested terminating Musk's government subsidies and contracts on social media. Musk retaliated, claiming Trump was withholding FBI files on Jeffrey Epstein, the late child sex offender, because they would implicate the president himself.
"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 wrote.
The feud between the two men had been simmering for weeks out of public view. In private, Musk expressed concerns over the bill to the president, as well as disagreements with other policies, including the establishment of an artificial intelligence campus in the Middle East and global tariffs.
"I agree with much of what the administration does, but we have differences of opinion," Musk said in a more muted tone last week, speaking in an interview with CBS. "It's difficult for me to bring that up in an interview because it creates a bone of contention."
In the Oval Office, Trump stated that Musk had turned against him after he rejected Musk’s recommendation for the head of NASA, a position that could benefit SpaceX, Musk’s spaceship company. He also claimed that Musk opposed provisions of Trump’s megabill that would phase out tax credits for electric vehicles.
"Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here. He knew everything about it - he had no problem with it. All of a sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate, because that's billions and billions of dollars," Trump said.
"People leave my administration and they love us, and at some point, they miss it so badly, and some of them become hostile," Trump added. "I don't know what it is."
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Musk denied being shown the bill, responding that he wouldn't mind if the EV provisions remained in the text so long as others, which he said would balloon annual deficits, are cut. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, and result in millions of Americans losing health insurance coverage.
More to Read
- The heated public feud between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, once allies in both business and politics, has reached new heights, threatening to derail the tech tycoon's business ventures.
- In the wake of Musk's criticism of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," the tech mogul found himself at odds with President Trump, potentially damaging SpaceX's government contracts and subsidies.
- Amidst the fallout, Musk took to his social media platform to claim credit for Trump's election triumph, implying the president's ingratitude towards him.
- As Musk's focus shifts back to his businesses, he faces significant hurdles reviving Tesla, particularly in light of his public feud with the sitting president.
- Musk's opposition to the president's policies, such as the establishment of an artificial intelligence campus in the Middle East and global tariffs, may have contributed to the dissolution of their friendship.
- In a recent interview, Musk revealed that his disagreements with the administration extended beyond the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," creating a potential rift that may have lasting consequences on both business and political landscapes.
