Key Points Summary โ Trump Fires Back At Musk
- Trump says his friendship with Musk may be over
- Musk slammed Republicansโ spending bill on X
- Trump hints Musk is angry over EV cuts and NASA snub
- Billionaire says bill was passed in secret, without his knowledge
- Musk calls GOP bill full of โdisgusting porkโ
- Trump claims Musk previously praised him
- Public and political reaction fuels growing rift
Muskโs Criticism Sets Trump Off
Donald Trump hinted on Thursday that his bromance with Elon Musk might be done for good. Musk had launched a flurry of social media attacks against the Republicansโ massive new spending bill. His posts resurfaced old Trump tweets criticizing debt hikes and demanding balanced budgets.
As Trump met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office, reporters asked if heโd seen Muskโs latest online jabs. The president didnโt hold back.
โElon and I had a great relationship,โ Trump said. โI donโt know if we will anymore. I was surprised.โ
The Real Reason? EVs And NASA Picks
Trump believes Muskโs sudden fury has little to do with policy. Instead, he claims itโs personal.
โHeโs upset because we took the EV mandate,โ Trump said, referring to the rollback of electric vehicle subsidies that had benefited Tesla. Trump also pulled the plug on Jared Isaacmanโs nomination to head NASA. Isaacman is a Musk ally from SpaceX.
โWe won. We get certain privileges,โ Trump continued. โAnd one of those is we donโt have to appoint a Democrat.โ
Musk Hits Back In Real-Time
As Trump answered questions, Musk was already firing back. โWhatever,โ he posted on X, followed by a fiery list of grievances. He slammed the bill for cutting clean energy incentives while keeping oil and gas subsidies.
โDitch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK,โ Musk wrote.
He mocked the GOPโs claim that the bill was โbig and beautiful.โ
โEveryone knows this!โ Musk posted. โEither you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill.โ
Trump Doubles Down
Trump defended the bill, claiming Musk knew what was in it before it passed the House. He said Musk had been involved, even calling him more informed than most lawmakers.
โHe knew every aspect,โ Trump insisted. โNever had a problem with it until he left.โ
But Musk wasnโt having it. He reposted Trumpโs comments and flatly denied them. โFalse,โ he wrote. โThis bill was never shown to me.โ
Social Media Turns Up The Heat
The war of words exploded across social media. Musk pinned an old Trump tweet from 2013: โI cannot believe the Republicans are extending the debt ceilingโI am a Republican & I am embarrassed!โ He labeled it โWise words.โ
The irony wasnโt lost on observers. Less than a week earlier, Musk had stood beside Trump in the Oval Office, receiving a send-off for his work as a special government advisor.
From Hug To Humiliation
Trump reminded reporters of that moment. โHe said the most beautiful things about me,โ Trump claimed.
He added that Musk hadnโt directly attacked him yet. โBut Iโm sure that will be next.โ
Trump said heโs disappointed in Musk. โIโve helped Elon a lot.โ
Fallout And Outlook
Trump suggested Muskโs frustrations might stem from no longer being in the spotlight. โAll of a sudden he wasnโt in this beautiful office,โ Trump said.
He even recalled joking with Musk about his bruised eye at the Oval farewell. โDo you want a little makeup?โ he asked. Musk declined. โHe wants to be who he is.โ
This feud is far from over. With Republicans pushing the bill to the Senate, and Muskโs X feed blazing with rage, the political storm has only begun. Allies are picking sides. Critics are pouncing. The bromance may be over, but the drama is just heating up.