Ocasio-Cortez: Trump, Musk brawl ‘a long time coming'
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that she thinks President Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk's falling out was predictable because of the pair's outsized egos.
'You know, I would say that this was something that was a long time coming, where we've been seeing that these two huge egos were not long for being together in this world as friends,' Ocasio-Cortez told a Spectrum News reporter near the Capitol.
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have been weighing in on the growing feud since it dramatically erupted Thursday.
'Oh, man, the girls are fighting, aren't they?' Ocasio-Cortez said with a broad grin. 'We'll see what the impacts are of it legislatively.'
Trump and Musk have publicly attacked each other throughout the explosive end to their previously close relationship, after fissures began to show in recent days as Musk took aim the House GOP's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act.'
The tax and spending measure — a key component of the president's domestic policy agenda for his second term — narrowly passed the House last month and is currently up for review in the Senate.
Musk, who recently left his role in Trump's administration under the White House's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has argued that the Trump-backed bill doesn't cut spending enough and will increase the federal debt.
Trump, meanwhile, suggested that Musk was upset that the proposal doesn't include subsidies for electric vehicles that would benefit Tesla, the automaker Musk owns.
Musk offered a peace signal late Thursday that the two were better off as allies, but Trump said he was ready to sell or give away his Tesla, seemingly signaling a permanent split.
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Groups affiliated with Musk spent $20 million this spring on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, only for the liberal candidate to win -- signaling to some Republicans the limits of Musk's political pull. While his support may be missed by Republicans next cycle, Trump has continued to raise millions of dollars to support his future political plans, a remarkable sum for a term-limited president that underscores his central role in the party and undisputed kingmaker status. MORE: Trump tells ABC Musk 'lost his mind,' as CEO's dad says 'make sure this fizzles out' Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who is mulling a gubernatorial bid in 2026, downplayed the tensions or political implications, suggesting that reporters "spend way more time worrying about these things than most average people." "I'm sure they will make peace," Lawler told ABC News on Friday. There were some signs of a détente. While Musk continued to hurl insults at Trump ally and critic Steve Bannon, his social media activity appeared to cool off on Friday, and the billionaire said one supporter was "not wrong" for saying Trump and Musk are "much stronger together than apart." Through nearly a decade in politics and three campaigns for the White House, Trump has demonstrated a remarkable ability to move past disputes or disagreements with many intraparty rivals and onetime critics, including some who now serve in his Cabinet. Now, some Republicans left Washington this week asking themselves if Musk is willing to do the same. Could Musk-Trump feud stoke GOP divisions ahead of midterms? ANALYSIS originally appeared on
