It all started in the Oval Office Thursday during a meeting with Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, when a reporter asked President Trump about Elon Musk’s criticism of his domestic policy bill.
Mr. Trump’s sharp response kicked off a bitter online feud between the once-close allies, who had become more distant in recent weeks. Here are some of their pointed exchanges that played out throughout the day:
President Trump began by saying that he and Mr. Musk “had” a great relationship, speaking in the past tense, and added that he was not sure it would continue.
Mr. Trump said that Mr. Musk, the billionaire leader of Tesla and SpaceX, was “upset” that the pending legislation would roll back subsidies for electric vehicles. Then he got in a particularly sharp jab, asserting he would have won the 2024 election without the millions of dollars Mr. Musk spent to support him.
Mr. Musk was watching. He renewed his attack on the bill on X, his social media platform.
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.
In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful. Everyone knows this!
Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill.
Slim and beautiful is the way.
President Trump also maintained that Mr. Musk knew “every aspect of the bill,” saying that the tech executive did not have a problem with the measure until he left his government post. He said he was “very disappointed in Elon.”
Mr. Musk rejected the assertion that he had known what was going to be in the bill.
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!
And he objected to the idea that Mr. Trump would have won back office without his help.
Replying to @AutismCapital
Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.
Such ingratitude
He also criticized the president for reversing course on his promise to reduce the deficit.
Where is the man who wrote these words?
Was he replaced by a body double!?
Elon Musk reminded President Trump of his own words.
Maybe, Mr. Musk suggested, it was time for a new political party.
Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?
Following his news conference, Mr. Trump turned to his own social media platform, Truth Social, and fired off two posts in response to Mr. Musk’s missives.
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!
The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!
Mr. Musk quickly punched back.
Such an obvious lie. So sad.
Trump fires back at Elon. The online battle begins. 🍿
Twenty minutes later, Mr. Musk claimed there were references to Mr. Trump in unreleased government documents about the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, without offering evidence.
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!
Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.
Mr. Trump responded by defending his domestic policy bill, signing off with his signature catch phrase.
I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It’s a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given. If this Bill doesn’t pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that. I didn’t create this mess, I’m just here to FIX IT. This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Mr. Musk kept up a barrage of attacks, suggesting that his company, SpaceX, would begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft. NASA relies on the spacecraft to carry astronauts, food and other supplies to the International Space Station. (He later indicated that he would hold off on such a move.)
In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately
Two minutes later, he endorsed another user’s post suggesting that President Trump be impeached so Vice President JD Vance could succeed him. He then asserted that the president’s tariff policy would sink the country into a recession.
Yes
President vs Elon. Who wins? My money’s on Elon.
Trump should be impeached and JD Vance should replace him.
The Trump tariffs will cause a recession in the second half of this year
can i finally say that trump’s tariffs are super stupid
As the night grew late, Mr. Musk struck a more conciliatory tone.
I support @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk and they should make peace for the benefit of our great country.
We are much stronger together than apart.
You’re not wrong
