Trump and Musk trade barbs as alliance ruptures – DW – 06/05/2025
Since Elon Musk left his role at DOGE, disagreement over a budget bill has spilled over. "Without me, Trump would have lost," he posted on X. The US president meanwhile, has threatened to cut Musk's government contracts.
There's been a very public falling out recently between US President Donald Trump and his former adviser, Elon Musk.
On Thursday, as the US president hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office, Trump expressed his "disappointment" with the billionaire over his public criticism of Trump's tax and spending bill that is up for approval by the Senate.
Trump-Musk relationship unravels
Trump said he didn't know if his "great relationship" with Musk would remain the same after the billionaire slammed the bill on social media as "a disgusting abomination."
"Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore. I was surprised," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump claimed Musk's opposition was driven by the bill's elimination of EV tax credits, which would potentially hurt Tesla.
Musk, however, has said he opposes the bill because it would increase federal deficits.
Elon Musk sported a black eye he said came from his son as his time as special adviser President Trump wrapped up Image: Nathan Howard/REUTERS
It wasn't long before Musk's followers on X began expressing themselves and Musk himself did not hesitate to make his feelings known as he launched a barrage of sniping posts.
"Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," Musk said in response to one post.
"Such ingratitude," Musk said in a follow-up.
Trump threatens to cut Musk's government contracts
Not long after, Trump threatened to cut Musk's government contracts in a post on his Truth Social platform.
"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!" Trump said.
"Elon was "wearing thin," Trump posted.
"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 in another post.
Musk spent at least $250 million backing Trump's bid to return to the White House and was tasked with heading up the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Just under a week ago, Trump gave Musk a sendoff in the Oval Office in which Musk appeared with a visible black eye, he said came from his young son.
Edited by: Wesley Rahn
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