Musk says Trump would have lost election without him
Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday said President Trump would have lost the 2024 presidential race if it were not for him, escalating a feud that erupted earlier that day between the two former allies.
'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 on X.
'Such ingratitude,' he added.
Musk spent millions of dollars backing Trump's election in 2024 and appeared alongside the president on the campaign trail during its final weeks. He then led the Department of Government Efficiency with the goal of cost-cutting efforts and overhauling the federal government; his last day in the administration was on Friday.
Musk's comments came amid an influx of posts on his social media platform X, in which he called for the Trump-backed 'big, beautiful bill' to be killed in Congress. The Tesla CEO, who was a near-constant presence at the side of the president until last week, continued to share old posts on X from Trump talking about the debt and the need for a balanced budget.
The president had moments before said in the Oval Office that he was 'very surprised' and 'disappointed' by Musk's harsh criticism of the legislation and said he was uncertain about the future of their relationship.
'I've always liked Elon. And so I was very surprised. You saw the words he had for me, and he hasn't said anything about me that's bad. I'd rather have him criticize me than the bill. Because the bill is incredible,' Trump said during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will any more,' Trump added.
Musk responded on X after Trump's remarks, repeating his assertion that a bill cannot be 'both big and beautiful.'
Musk first railed against the 'big, beautiful bill' earlier this week, calling it 'an abomination' and 'pork-filled' due to its effects on federal deficits.
'In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,' he wrote in a separate post, while sharing another that highlighted criticisms of Republican lawmakers.
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