The long-standing, albeit sometimes uneasy, alliance between tech magnate Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly fractured, culminating in a heated exchange on Thursday, June 5. The escalating war of words began with Musk's persistent criticism of Trump's "big, beautiful bill," a signature economic initiative. Responding bluntly to the President's public questioning of their relationship, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO launched an all-out attack, asserting that without his support, Trump would have lost the election.
In a post on X, Musk declared, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," later adding a pointed "Such ingratitude" in the comments section. This fiery retort came after Trump expressed disappointment to reporters in the Oval Office, stating, "Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore." The President acknowledged that Musk hadn't "said bad about me personally, but I’m sure that’ll be next," while also claiming to have "helped Elon a lot."
Trump expressed surprise at Musk's ongoing criticism, noting that the billionaire hadn't criticized him personally but adding he'd prefer criticism of himself over the bill. The President speculated that Musk's displeasure stemmed from the legislation's proposed cut to the electric vehicle (EV) tax credit. Musk quickly countered this, stating, "False.
This bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!" He further expressed his frustration, posting, "Whatever. Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill." The exchange highlights a deepening rift between the two influential figures, particularly over economic policy and the behind-the-scenes machinations of the legislative process.
