Trump and Musk Feud Publicly Over Policy and Allegations

Former President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk engaged in a heated public dispute following Musk’s criticism of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” escalating into personal attacks and market repercussions.

The clash unfolded across their respective social media platforms, X and Truth Social, marking a rupture in their political alliance.

Musk condemned the spending package as a “disgusting abomination” laden with “pork,” arguing it would inflate national debt by $2.4 trillion. Trump retaliated by threatening to revoke government subsidies and contracts for Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, stating: “Terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies—easiest way to save billions.” Musk initially threatened to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft—critical for International Space Station missions—but retracted hours later after urging to “cool off.”

The conflict intensified with Musk claiming credit for Trump’s 2024 election victory: “Without me, Trump would have lost,” while reviving unsubstantiated claims about Trump’s appearance in Jeffrey Epstein-related documents. The White House dismissed the allegations as “an unfortunate episode,” linking Musk’s stance to policy disagreements.

Tesla’s stock slumped 14% amid the feud, reflecting investor anxiety over regulatory fallout. The dispute traces to Musk’s departure as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), where he pursued aggressive spending cuts but fell short of his $2 trillion reduction goal.

As both sides tentatively explore reconciliation, the clash underscores the fragility of billionaire-political alliances and their tangible economic impacts.