You might call it one of the most powerful partnerships in American politics—until recently. Billionaire Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, who once seemed to be joined at the hip politically and financially, are now warring in a bitter and highly publicized feud. What began as a minor policy disagreement blossomed into an online exchange, where the two men traded insults, accusations, and even conspiracy theories.
“Kill the bill”: Musk defies Trump
It all came undone shortly after Musk began to publicly criticize the Trump administration’s ambitious new bill, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Musk threatened that the bill would dramatically inflate the national debt and called on lawmakers to “kill the bill.” Trump didn’t appreciate it.
Talking from the Oval Office, Trump sounded let down. “Elon and I had a fantastic relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” he said. “I’m extremely disappointed in Elon.”
Musk fires back: “Such ingratitude”
Musk wasn’t shy. On his social platform X, he reminded everyone how much he’d done to elect Trump. “Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” he said, going on to say he gave over $280 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign and to other Republicans. He deemed Trump’s response “such ingratitude.”
Accusations and escalation
It soon got dirty. After a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Trump hinted at the government canceling Musk’s federal subsidies and contracts. Musk responded, “Make my day.” Subsequently, he dropped what he called the “really big bomb.”
In a shocking tweet, Musk charged Trump with being named in FBI documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, stating that’s why the documents have yet to be made public. “Trump is in the Epstein files,” Musk asserted. “Have a nice day, DJT!”
Behind the scenes tension
Behind all this drama is a months-long build-up. Musk had already expressed frustration about Trump’s global tariff plans and the proposed AI campus in the Middle East. In a CBS interview last week, he admitted he didn’t want to be seen as responsible for everything the Trump administration does. “I’m a little stuck in a bind,” he said.
Trump responds by stating that he believes Musk became adversarial after his choice for NASA administrator was rejected and when he learned the bill would kill tax credits for electric vehicles—a blow directly to Tesla.
“Elon knew the bill better than nearly anybody,” Trump explained. “But when he discovered we were repealing the EV mandate, he suddenly had an issue.”
The fallout and the future
Musk says he never even glanced at the bill, calling it rushed and full of “disgusting pork.” While he says he’s fine with EV incentives being reduced, he’s outraged that subsidies for oil and gas aren’t reduced.
The Congressional Budget Office confirms Musk’s worst nightmares: the bill could increase the deficit by $2.4 trillion and cost 10.9 million Americans their health insurance.
As Musk steps down from the helm of the Bloomberg Department of Government Efficiency, he seems destined to burn his bridge. He posted old Trump footage cautioning against debt and asked, “Where is this guy today?”
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