A feud has erupted between former President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk over a controversial budget bill, escalating further after Musk made explosive personal allegations against Trump.
As Trump hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, he expressed “disappointment” with Musk’s public criticism of the bill, which is pending Senate approval. Musk had slammed the bill on social media as “a disgusting abomination,” prompting Trump to question the future of their once “great relationship.”
“He went crazy after I took away his EV mandate,” Trump later posted on Truth Social, suggesting Musk’s opposition stemmed from the bill’s removal of electric vehicle tax credits, which could hurt Tesla, according to DW.COM
Musk, however, claimed his concern was with the growing federal deficit. “Congress is spending America into bankruptcy,” he posted on X, citing rising interest payments on U.S. federal debt, which reached $1.13 trillion in 2024.
Later that evening, Musk escalated the conflict by linking Trump to the Epstein case, tweeting: “@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.” Musk provided no evidence for this claim.
Trump has previously acknowledged knowing Epstein but said they had a falling-out years ago. The Justice Department is currently reviewing the Epstein files tied to the sex-trafficking investigation.
Though Trump has not directly addressed Musk’s Epstein remarks, he responded by threatening to cancel Musk’s government contracts: “The easiest way to save money… is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” he wrote.
The fallout marks a stark breakdown in a relationship that once saw Musk playing a role in Trump’s government reform efforts and donating heavily to his campaign.
