Elon Musk and Donald Trump fight in public, talk of ingratitude and Epstein files: Full story in 10 points
What began as one of the most high-profile alliances in American politics and business has now exploded into a bitter public feud. Elon Musk and Donald Trump, have gone from being vocal admirers of each other to trading personal attacks and explosive allegations across their social media platforms. The fallout began after Musk denounced Trump's flagship spending bill as a 'disgusting abomination,' prompting Trump to accuse the billionaire of 'betrayal' and 'ingratitude'.advertisementBut the drama didn't end there – Musk hit back with claims that Trump owes him for winning the election, and then dropped a bombshell allegation about Trump's name being in the sealed Epstein files. Trump, in turn, threatened to revoke federal contracts from Musk's companies, which also caused Tesla shares to nosedive. The whole event has now turned into one of the most public political clashes in recent memory – with real-world consequences for Washington, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley.In this story, we will break down the big, big fight into quick 10-points.1. Once allies, now bitter foes
From being the most popular political partners in the world just months ago, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are now fighting, and it is very public. Musk has been supporting Trump and working closely with him through his short stint as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk even declared: 'I love @realDonaldTrump as much as a straight man can love another man.' But on Thursday, the alliance crumbled dramatically, as both men launched personal attacks against one another across their social media platforms – Truth Social and X.
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2. Fallout over a 'disgusting' billThe fight was sparked by Musk's sharp criticism of Trump's key domestic policy – the 'One Big Beautiful Bill', a tax and spending proposal currently awaiting Senate approval. Musk labelled the bill a 'disgusting abomination' on X, slamming it for being bloated with 'pork' (a US political term for wasteful spending) and for adding to national debt. 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' he wrote, urging citizens to call their lawmakers and oppose it.
3. Trump publicly expresses disappointmentAt a news conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump responded: 'I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot,' he said. Trump suggested Musk only turned against the bill when it became clear that subsidies and mandates for electric vehicles – critical to Tesla's business – were being cut. 'He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden, he had a problem,' Trump added.
4. Musk says he never saw the bill, blames 'pork'Musk pushed back, saying he never even saw the bill before it passed and insisted his criticism had nothing to do with Tesla subsidies. 'Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK,' he wrote. He argued oil and gas subsidies were untouched while clean energy support was removed, calling it 'very unfair!!'
5. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election'Musk claimed Trump is being ungrateful, especially considering Musk's financial backing and endorsement during last year's elections. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,' Musk wrote. He said he spent around $277 million to support Trump and other Republicans. 'Such ingratitude,' he added.
advertisement6. Epstein files bombshellThings escalated when Musk accused Trump of being mentioned in unreleased documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. '@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!' Musk posted on X, without providing evidence. The White House called the claim 'an unfortunate episode.' Trump previously admitted he had known Epstein but claimed they had a 'falling out a long time ago.'
7. Trump hits back with threatsIn response, Trump attacked Musk on Truth Social, accusing him of having 'gone CRAZY' and being 'ungrateful.' He claimed he asked Musk to leave the administration and threatened to cancel his companies' government contracts. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' Trump wrote. Shares of Tesla dropped by up to 18 per cent following the threat.
advertisement8. Musk retaliates with drastic moves – then backtracksMusk replied on X that SpaceX would start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft, used by NASA to transport astronauts. But hours later, he reversed course, writing, 'Good advice. Ok, we won't decommission Dragon.' The move reflected rising tensions, and how the feud was beginning to affect not just politics but key business operations tied to government partnerships.
9. Musk suggests forming a new political partyFrustrated with both Trump and traditional party lines, Musk floated the idea of starting a new political party. He ran a poll asking if it's time for a party that 'actually represents the 80 per cent in the middle.' He also endorsed a post suggesting Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance. This marked a significant shift from Musk's previous support and hints at a deeper rift within conservative politics.
10. Political and financial consequencesThe feud has exposed cracks between Silicon Valley's technocrats and Trump's populist base. Tesla investors voiced concerns, with former Musk supporter Ross Gerber writing: 'Can someone please take the phone away from him! wtf! Tesla is getting destroyed.' Others feared long-term damage to Musk's businesses and credibility. Meanwhile, Trump's meme coin also dropped in value, showing how the personal feud may have wider repercussions across politics, tech, and finance.Tune In
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