Has The ‘Big Beautiful Bill' Turned Trump And Musk's Relationship Ugly?
The newly tense relationship between President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk erupted into the peak of a public feud Thursday as Trump responded to Musk's recent criticisms of his 'Big Beautiful Bill.'
Speaking alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, Trump called Musk 'very disappointing,' saying that the Tesla, X, and SpaceX CEO had overseen and previously been involved in shaping parts of the bill. Now, Musk appears to be criticizing the bill in a series of memes online.
'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore,' the President told reporters during a press conference on Thursday.
However, Musk responded quickly to X, saying that it was a lie and that he had never seen the initial framework of the big beautiful bill. As The Dallas Express previously reported, Musk left the White House last week, a weirdly quiet transition from his usually vocal role over at DOGE.
The viral response to the bromance's breakup came after Musk labeled the GOP-backed 'Big Beautiful Bill Act' a 'disgusting abomination' earlier this week in an X post, raising concerns about ballooning deficits and the removal of key incentives for electric vehicles.
Notably, Tesla: America's largest EV manufacturer – has faced a sharp decline in sales amid intensifying global competition, with shares down over 20% this year.
Trump suggested Musk's opposition to the bill came from the removal of tax credits that benefited electric vehicle makers like Tesla.
Musk, who was once a top campaign donor and adviser at DOGE to Trump, didn't hold back in his continued, viral critiques.
Through more X posts, Musk first dismissed the President's comments with a simple 'whatever' before escalating his complaints about the 47th President, claiming that Trump owed him his 2024 election victory.
'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.
This comment from Musk sparked a viral storm, with one responding, 'For the record: this was the moment President Trump won the 2024 election,' adding the following picture:
Musk also echoed the frustration of many centrists in a poll asking whether it was time to form a new political party to represent 'the 80% in the middle.' The result? A resounding 82% of 1.6 million voters said yes (so far).
Previously, the two men often praised each other publicly, with Musk once joking that he was Trump's 'first buddy.'
As recently as February 7, Musk even posted that he loved Trump:
The Republican spending bill causing the apparent relationship strife is one of Trump's top legislative priorities. It aims to extend his 2017 tax cuts, boost defense spending, and expand immigration enforcement, which we've seen growing in impact across America.
The bill also includes cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance. While the 'Big Beautiful Bill' passed the House, its future in the Senate remains uncertain amid divisions within the GOP.
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