Trump-Musk alliance implodes in public clash over debt and spending bill

 


Trump-Musk Alliance Implodes in Public Clash Over Debt and Spending Bill



President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk have publicly severed ties, ending a once-powerful political alliance amid a heated dispute over Trump’s hallmark legislation, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The rupture followed days of mounting tension, with Musk repeatedly criticizing the bill’s projected impact on the national debt. His calls to “kill the bill” triggered a swift and pointed response from Trump, who addressed the feud during a press briefing in the Oval Office on Thursday.

“Elon and I had a great relationship — I don’t know if we will anymore,” Trump said. “He hasn’t attacked me personally yet, but I’m sure that’s coming. I’m very disappointed in Elon.”

The  President’s remarks came after Musk, on his social media platform X, took a swipe at Trump’s leadership and claimed credit for Trump’s election victory. Musk also suggested that Trump’s alleged involvement in the Epstein scandal may be behind his reluctance to release certain files.

“Without me, Trump would have lost. The Democrats would control the House, and the Senate would be 51-49,” Musk posted. “Such ingratitude.”

The clash marks the culmination of a behind-the-scenes fallout that had reportedly been brewing for weeks. According to the Los Angeles Times, Musk had privately expressed concerns about the bill’s contents and other policy directions, including the proposed creation of a U.S.-funded artificial intelligence campus in the Middle East and sweeping new global tariffs.

Trump claimed the real turning point came when he declined to appoint Musk’s pick to lead NASA — a move that would have benefited SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company. He also said Musk’s opposition to the bill coincided with the inclusion of measures that would phase out tax credits for electric vehicles.

“Elon knew this bill inside and out — better than most of the people in this room,” Trump said. “He had no problem with it until we announced cuts to the EV mandate — that’s billions of dollars at stake.”

Trump framed the fallout as a familiar pattern with former allies.

“People leave my administration and most of them miss it, some even embrace it again. But a few become hostile. I don’t know why,” he added.

Musk pushed back, claiming he had never seen the full bill prior to its passage in the House. On X, he criticized the legislative process and the bill’s overall content.

“This bill was never shown to me — not once,” Musk wrote. “It passed in the dead of night so fast that barely anyone in Congress could read it. Keep the EV and solar incentive cuts, fine — but eliminate the mountain of disgusting pork. It’s bankrupting us.”

He also mocked Trump’s past rhetoric about fiscal conservatism, posting archived clips of the former president warning about rising deficits. “Where is this guy today?” Musk wrote. “You either get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful one. Slim and beautiful is the way.”

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill — now awaiting debate in the Senate — would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade and result in an estimated 10.9 million Americans losing health coverage.

Musk’s involvement with the administration had been unusually formal. Early in Trump’s term, he was tapped to lead the DOGE (Deficit Optimization and Government Efficiency) initiative as a special government employee. His tenure ended quietly last week.

What began as a partnership of mutual influence — with Musk reportedly donating nearly $300 million to support Trump’s campaign — has now devolved into a highly public feud, signaling a dramatic shift in the political dynamics between two of the country’s most polarizing figures.


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