A once-unlikely alliance between U.S. President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk has imploded in dramatic fashion, with both trading barbed insults across the social media platforms they each own. The fallout centers on Trump’s flagship tax and spending bill, which Musk has fiercely opposed.
The feud erupted Thursday when Trump expressed disappointment with Musk’s scathing critique of the bill, hinting it could mark the end of their “great relationship.” Musk hit back swiftly, accusing Trump of “ingratitude” and claiming that without his support and $290 million campaign backing, Trump wouldn’t have won the presidency.
The bill—passed by the House and awaiting Senate approval—seeks sweeping budget changes but has been labelled a “disgusting abomination” by Musk, who used his platform X to urge Americans to call their representatives in protest. Musk has objected to what he called a “MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK,” pointing out that while subsidies for electric vehicles and solar energy were cut, fossil fuel subsidies remained untouched.
Trump, speaking during a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, defended the bill and suggested Musk’s criticism stemmed from financial interests linked to Tesla. Musk denied this, maintaining his opposition was based on fiscal responsibility.
The spat escalated with Musk reposting calls for Trump to resign and suggesting, without evidence, that Trump may appear in sealed Jeffrey Epstein files. The White House condemned Musk’s claims, branding them “unfortunate.”
On his Truth Social platform, Trump retaliated by proposing to cancel all government subsidies and contracts linked to Musk’s companies, including SpaceX, Tesla, and Starlink. Musk responded by announcing plans to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, a key player in NASA missions.
The stock market reacted swiftly, with Tesla shares plummeting 14% within hours.
Musk’s brief 129-day stint at the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) saw mass layoffs and deep cuts to federal agencies, including USAID. Though Doge claims to have saved $180 billion, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will add $2.4 trillion to the national debt and strip health coverage from nearly 11 million Americans.
The public rift underscores deepening divisions within the conservative movement and a potential realignment of political alliances ahead of the next election.
