New Delhi: What began as a disagreement over economic policy has exploded into a dramatic and personal feud between US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. The conflict has taken an unexpected turn, with accusations, business threats, and one of the most controversial and nail-biting debates to unfold on social media.
In the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, Elon Musk publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton’s economic and environmental policies, calling them “the right ones” during a CNBC interview. However, his political alignment began to shift after Donald Trump won the presidency. Musk accepted a position on Trump’s manufacturing jobs council and other advisory groups in early 2017. His tenure was short-lived, he resigned just months later in protest over Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Despite his resignation, Musk maintained a working relationship with the Trump administration. His aerospace firm SpaceX secured lucrative contracts with NASA and other federal agencies throughout Trump’s term. The relationship appeared cordial in public; during a 2020 SpaceX launch, Trump lavished praise on Musk, referring to him as “one of our great brains.” Musk, however, continued to navigate political tensions and kept some distance when it came to direct political endorsements.
From Democratic disavowal to Trump endorsement
In May 2022, Musk publicly distanced himself from the Democratic Party, accusing it of becoming “the party of division and hate.” Just two months later, he also declared opposition to a potential Trump 2024 campaign, engaging in a brief public feud with the President. Musk reinstated Trump’s Twitter (now X) account later that year but initially backed Trump rival Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican primary. The two men launched DeSantis’ campaign together during a glitch-filled X livestream in May 2023. But following the failed assassination attempt on Trump in July 2024, Musk pivoted once more—formally endorsing the former president on July 13, marking a significant shift in a long, turbulent political dance.
Musk accuses Trump of Epstein ties
Elon Musk escalated tensions when he accused Trump of being involved in the Jeffrey Epstein files—one of the most sensitive and controversial subjects in U.S. politics. Musk tweeted: “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files, that is the reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”
However, there is no public evidence supporting Musk’s claim. During Trump’s time in office, and under FBI leadership, all such allegations were dismissed.
The dispute intensified after Trump urged the passage of a controversial budget bill, warning, “If this bill does not pass, there will be a 68% tax increase.” He framed the legislation as crucial to his vision of making America “great again.”
Musk had strongly opposed the bill, citing a report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, which estimated the bill would add $2.4 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade. In the following days, Musk escalated his criticism of the legislation Mr. Trump has dubbed a “big, beautiful bill,” stating it as a “disgusting abomination.”
Following Trump’s remarks, Tesla shares fell nearly 15% on Thursday afternoon. While SpaceX is not publicly traded, shares of competing aerospace firms surged, likely reacting to the feud’s fallout.
Trump responds to Musk: Oval Office barbs
Trump finally responded directly to Musk’s attacks during a press briefing in the Oval Office, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz present and visibly confused by the remarks. Trump mocked Musk’s recent black eye and took a jab at his refusal to cover it up: “You saw a man who was very happy when he stood behind the Oval desk. Even with a black eye. I said, do you want a little makeup? He said, no, I don’t think so. Which is interesting,” Trump said. “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore.”
Mutual accusations and JD Vance endorsement
The debate continued throughout the week. On June 5, Trump threatened Musk for cancelling lucrative government’s contracts while Musk claimed that Trump would not have won the elections without him. Trump then accused Musk of opposing the bill because it didn’t serve Tesla’s business interests. Musk countered, accusing Trump of dishonesty, claiming he had spent billions to help Trump win the election: “Without me, Trump would have lost the election. Dems would control the House, and the Republicans would be 51–49 in the Senate,” Musk posted on X. “Such ingratitude.” Trump responded by saying that Musk us rather suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome” and is losing his calm due to withdrawal of government support.
Musk also attacked Trump’s trade policies, arguing that the tariffs imposed during his administration nearly pushed the country into recession. The Tesla CEO signaled support for Ohio Senator JD Vance as a replacement for Trump, replying “Yes” to a post by right-wing commentator Ian Miles Cheong that said: “Trump should be replaced, and JD Vance should replace him.” Trump quickly dismissed Musk’s claim of influence in Pennsylvania, asserting that Musk’s contributions had no bearing on the election outcome.
The end of an unlikely alliance
The public feud marks the collapse of a surprisingly enduring political alliance—one that many Democrats and Trump allies never expected to last. As accusations and insults continue to fly across platforms, what’s clear is that the Trump-Musk relationship has reached a breaking point.
Additionally, Musk twitted on X, if there is a need of a new political party for the US, the response was to it was unthinkable, with almost 4 million people voting to form a new political party.
This public feud comes after a remarkable partnership that lasted longer than many Democrats on Capitol Hill and in Trump’s orbit predicted.
