US President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, once allies, are now publicly feuding following disagreements over the government’s new tax bill. The rift, which has played out in a series of increasingly pointed online posts, appears to mark a significant break in their relationship. The spat intensified after Musk vocally criticised the bill, calling it “a disgusting abomination” and urging people to “kill the bill.” In response, Trump hit back on Thursday, expressing “disappointment in Elon” and claiming he had cut Musk out of key government decisions. “Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised,” Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office. Soon after, the president took to Truth Social to assert that he had rescinded Musk’s influence over electric vehicle (EV) policies. “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!” Trump wrote. He also suggested a potential move to cut off Musk’s federal support: “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!”
Musk dismissed Trump’s claims, responding with a curt rebuttal on X: “Such an obvious lie. So sad.” Taking a more light-hearted jab at Trump’s threat to end federal contracts, Musk added, “This just gets better and better 🤣🤣 Go ahead, make my day …”In a separate post, Musk also asserted that Trump’s 2024 election win would not have been possible without his backing. “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” he claimed.Meanwhile, Trump continued to defend the bill saying, “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!”
The fallout is notable given their history. Musk once praised Trump for efforts to reduce bureaucratic red tape and briefly served on the president’s business advisory council in early 2017. However, he stepped down that same year over differences regarding climate policy. In recent months, the two had appeared to reconcile, with Trump lauding Musk’s intellect and Musk supporting Trump’s reinstatement on social media platforms. But their latest exchange suggests the alliance may have once again fractured.