
After Trump and Bannon, Musk's friendship with Stephen Miller turns nasty as the Tesla CEO walks away with his wife
Elon Musk and Stephen Miller, once allies, are now feuding. The clash involves policy disagreements over Donald Trump's bill. Miller criticized Musk's "pork-filled" comment on Fox Business. Rumors suggest a personal conflict involving Miller's wife, Katie. Katie Miller reportedly left her job and marriage to work for Musk. The former allies have unfollowed each other amid the fallout.
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What triggered the political clash between Musk and Miller?
What happened during Stephen Miller's Fox Business interview?
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Did Miller respond directly to Musk's criticism?
How did Katie Miller get involved in the fallout?
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What began as a political alliance between Elon Musk and top Trump adviser Stephen Miller has unraveled both professionally and personally. The drama now includes heated policy disagreements and tensions are escalating online.Without specifically naming the billionaire, Stephen Miller responded to Elon Musk's criticism of Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill."Stephen Miller slammed Elon Musk in the Fox Business interview while defending Trump's contentious bill, which Musk called "pork-filled." Beyond politics, their feud has taken a personal turn, as per a report by the Daily Beast.The fallout is messy, and the former allies have unfollowed one another. Rumors of a personal dispute between Miller and Musk are still circulating at the time of the interview.Stephen Miller lamented, "Tax cuts and reforms. American energy independence. Full, complete, permanent border security and the largest welfare reform in American history.' 'That's not pork. That's not waste. That's not new spending. That is the most conservative piece of legislation in my lifetime,' as quoted in a report by the Daily Beast.His remarks were a clear jab at Musk, who has called the bill a "disgusting abomination" and "pork-filled." The tech billionaire's criticisms have sparked a contentious split with Trump, with the two titans trading barbs on social media.Miller responded to a critique of the formerly Musk-led organization where his wife worked by saying, "There's this myth out there that we could do the DOGE cuts in this bill." "But that's a different procedure."Miller didn't directly mention Musk, but host Larry Kudlow, a Trump ally, assisted him in drawing this connection.In reference to the intricacies of the law, Kudlow stated, "I don't think Elon understood that. "I prefer not to discuss that stuff. Okay, so he has $180 billion listed on his website. May he be blessed by God for that. He's been really helpful with that.' Miller grinned but remained silent.Rumor has it that Elon Musk fled the White House with Miller's wife, Katie. Katie has left Stephen Miller and her job to apparently work for Musk after serving as a top aide at Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, as per a report.During his time in government, Musk developed a close relationship with the Millers. Katie Miller was with Musk "all the time," according to the Wall Street Journal, before she followed him out the door. Even outside of work, Musk reportedly spent time with the couple.According to Miller's X post this week, the only "new" expenditure in the bill is to defend the homeland and deport illegals, with increased visa fees covering the costs."All the other provisions? Massive spending cuts. There is no 'pork' in the bill. Just campaign promises.'This comes as a blow to Musk's relationship with Katie Miller's husband.They're at odds over Trump's latest bill, and rumors of a personal feud involving Miller's wife have added fuel to the fire.Katie Miller reportedly left her government position and marriage to continue working for Musk, sparking widespread speculation.

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Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025 Others pointed to Trump's proposed removal of the tax credit for owners of electric vehicles, or the political backlash in Washington over Space X's potential involvement in Trump's proposed " golden dome" anti-missile defence system. However, according to former White House strategist Steve Bannon, what really caused the crash was when the president refused to show Musk the Pentagon's attack plans for any possible war with China. There's only so far being the president's best buddy can get you. Bannon is reported as saying: "You could feel it. Everything changed." That, according to Bannon, was the beginning of the end. So now we watch Trump and Musk stumbling away from the crash scene. One minute Trump is putting on a show for the cameras. He's beaming away and introducing the " big, beautiful bill", a budget reconciliation bill that rolls together hundreds of controversial proposals. Next, he is accusing Musk of " going crazy" and talking about withdrawing government contracts from the Musk empire. Musk is unhappy too. "I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination," he wrote on X. "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong." Rejection and repositioning He says he's disgusted by the bill. Disgust is one of the most primitive of all the emotions. A survival mechanism - you must avoid what disgusts you. He's social signalling here, alerting others, warning them that there's something disgusting in the camp. Musk is highly attuned to public perception, perhaps even more so than Trump (which is saying something). 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(Author: Geoff Beattie, Professor of Psychology, Edge Hill University) (Disclosure Statement: Geoff Beattie does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.)


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