U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration with tech billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday, saying the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had “disappointed me.” The comments mark a noticeable shift in tone from Trump, who has previously maintained a pragmatic relationship with Musk.
In remarks reported today, Trump noted that Musk is particularly upset over the Biden administration’s decision to cancel the federal electric vehicle (EV) mandate — a policy that had required a gradual transition to electric vehicles as part of broader climate goals.
Trump criticized the mandate as “a disaster” during his campaign but acknowledged that Musk had taken issue with its cancellation, given Tesla’s deep reliance on EV sales and infrastructure development, according to news agencies.
“I don’t know if I’ll stay on good terms with Musk,” Trump added, signaling that their once-mutual understanding may be deteriorating.
Musk, in turn, did not hold back. He strongly denied Trump’s claim that Musk had expressed support for Trump’s stance on government spending and legislative reviews, calling the president’s statements false. Musk emphasized that any suggestion he had backed Trump’s spending positions was incorrect.
Taking the confrontation further, Musk asserted that Trump owed part of his previous electoral success to him. “Trump would have lost the presidential election without my support,” Musk claimed, highlighting the role he believes he played in influencing public opinion and voter mobilization through his platforms and technological reach.
The public friction between the two influential figures underscores a growing divide between the Republican leadership and key players in the technology and clean energy sectors.
It also reflects rising political tensions as Trump intensifies his campaign messaging ahead of the upcoming elections, while Musk continues to push back against policies he views as harmful to innovation or the economic future of the EV market.
Their latest clash adds to a complex relationship that has swung between collaboration and confrontation over the years—particularly as Musk’s influence in U.S. political discourse continues to grow through both his corporate empire and his ownership of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
