Tensions between US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk reached a breaking point after a flurry of online posts from both sides. President Trump took to Truth Social, writing two posts targeting Musk.
“Elon was wearing thin, I asked him to leave, I took away his EV mandate that forced everyone to buy electric cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” Trump wrote.
He then added that the “easiest way to save money” through his signature tax bill was to “terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.”
Meanwhile, Musk intensified his attacks on X, claiming that Trump “is in the Epstein files,” referencing government documents related to the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “That is the real reason they have not been made public,” Musk wrote. In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi had announced the release of the “first phase” of declassified Epstein documents, though much of the information had already been public.
Time to drop the really big bomb:@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.
Have a nice day, DJT!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
Musk also launched a poll on X, asking his followers if there should be a “new political party” representing “the 80 percent in the middle.” The billionaire, who had often portrayed himself as a centrist despite frequent engagement with global right-wing leaders, had previously pledged $100 million to Trump-aligned groups—but had not delivered. Observers speculated he could redirect his vast resources into launching a new political project.
‘Very disappointed’ vs ‘ingratitude’
The public feud on Thursday, erupted after the President said he was “very disappointed” by the former adviser’s opposition to his top legislative priority, prompting Musk to fire back that Trump would not have won the election without his financial support.
The falling-out came just days after Musk stepped down as head of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) and pivoted to attacking the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, a sweeping piece of legislation that aimed to extend tax cuts, fund stricter immigration enforcement, and impose new work requirements for federal safety net recipients.
While Musk focused his criticism on the bill’s cost—which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade—Trump accused him of opposing it due to provisions eliminating incentives for electric vehicle purchases.
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“I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot,” Trump said, adding, “he knew every aspect of this bill. He knew it better than almost anybody, and he never had a problem until right after he left.”
“Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will any more,” the president added.
Musk responded almost immediately on X, calling the president’s comment “false” and stating, “this bill was never shown to me even once.” He then turned to personal attacks, despite having praised Trump in an Oval Office appearance just days earlier marking the end of his Doge tenure.
“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 in response to a video of Trump’s remarks. “Such ingratitude.”
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Musk’s criticism emerged as the latest obstacle for the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, which narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month by a single vote.
The Senate began debating the bill this week, as Musk escalated his public campaign against its cost, warning that it would undo the savings generated under Doge, which he claimed could cut spending by $1 trillion. However, Doge’s own dashboard showed that it had saved less than 20 per cent of that amount since Trump took office.
