Trump vs Musk feud: The billionaire break-up that broke the internet
What began as a policy disagreement quickly turned into digital drama as US President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk engaged in an all-out feud late Thursday.
The high-profile feud between the US President and the world's richest man played out in real time, the fallout of which spawned a wave of memes, mock headlines, and viral one-liners across the internet.
It all began after Musk denounced Trump's domestic 'Big, Beautiful Bill'. On Thursday, Trump fired back from the White House, telling reporters, 'I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot.' Musk, then, took to his platform X (formerly Twitter), starting off a digital war with a barrage of posts.
Social media users, however, wasted no time in branding the episode. On X, one user referred to the spat as the 'billionaire breakup,' while another called it 'an ugly divorce.' Others likened it to the infamous rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Many also casted it in the mould of 'Mean Girls,' with Musk and Trump assuming roles in a passive-aggressive teen drama.
this is like kendrick vs drake but with two drakes
— Fred Delicious 🍆 (@Fred_Delicious) June 5, 2025
'The big beautiful bill led to the big beautiful breakup,' wrote one user, in a pointed nod to Trump's favoured legislative branding.
Another widely circulated meme showed a mock iPhone emergency alert reading, 'THE GIRLS ARE CRASHING OUTTTTT.' Another post riffed on the Musk-Trump dynamic with, 'This is like Kendrick vs Drake but with two Drakes.'
pic.twitter.com/LQhUc36Q19
— Polling USA (@USA_Polling) June 5, 2025
One viral comment declared the feud as 'the truly gayest thing about Pride Month.'
This messy Trump-Musk breakup is truly the gayest thing about pride month
— Josh Sorbe (@joshsorbe) June 5, 2025
The international community wasn't spared from the meme-makers' imagination. One X user doctored an image of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korea's Kim Jong-un, styled as though they were on a conference call reacting to the Musk-Trump implosion.
Seems like a great time to pull out this meme again 🤣 #muskvstrump pic.twitter.com/w0mV7Q2Vc4
— Deb🐝 🇸🇬 (@intjgamergirl) June 5, 2025
Then came a parody diplomatic intervention. An account named @Abhishekkkk10, which describes itself as a satire of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, posted: 'After a long night of talks mediated by India, I am pleased to announce that Donald Trump & Elon Musk have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both individuals on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!'
After a long night of talks mediated by India, I am pleased to announce that Donald Trump & Elon Musk have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.
Congratulations to both individuals on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
— Narendra Modi (@Abhishekkkk10) June 5, 2025
This came amid Trump's claim of brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
Back home, too, political figures got in on the commentary. Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi posted a screenshot of Musk's tweet saying Trump was 'in the Epstein files.' Her caption was simple: 'SOS: call for ceasefire!!'
SOS: call for ceasefire !! pic.twitter.com/Wp2JeqHAJA
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) June 5, 2025
While the humour served to diffuse the tension for many, the underlying clash continues to remain a serious one. Musk's tweet alleging Trump's name appears in sealed records related to Jeffrey Epstein marked a sharp escalation. Trump, for his part, threatened to cut off billions in government contracts to Musk's companies, SpaceX and Starlink.
However, what the feud has done is turned the drama into a pop-cultural event, reshaped in viral posts and sarcastic memes.
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