Trump and Musk feud publicly over spending bill dispute

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Saturday, June 7th, 2025

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A high-profile fallout between U.S. President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk erupted into public view on Thursday, with both men trading sharp insults online over disagreements surrounding Trump’s controversial tax and spending bill.
The spat began after Musk publicly slammed the bill currently awaiting a Senate vote as a “disgusting abomination” that irresponsibly increases national debt. He urged Americans to oppose it and called out lawmakers who supported it. Trump responded by expressing “disappointment” in Musk, hinting their political alliance may be over.
Musk fired back, accusing Trump of “ingratitude,” claiming: “Without me, Trump would have lost the election.” The exchange unfolded on the social media platforms each owns Trump’s Truth Social and Musk’s X.
Trump defended the bill during a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, suggesting Musk’s criticism stemmed from cuts to electric vehicle subsidies that could impact Tesla. Musk denied the claim, arguing for the removal of “pork spending” while keeping the EV cuts.
As tensions escalated, Musk suggested forming a new centrist political party, shared a poll on X, and made unsubstantiated comments about Trump and the late Jeffrey Epstein remarks condemned by the White House.
Trump lashed out, suggesting Musk’s government subsidies and contracts should be terminated. Musk replied that SpaceX would decommission its Dragon spacecraft though he later backtracked.
Tesla’s stock plunged 14% as the clash dominated headlines.
Their rift comes after Musk’s brief stint as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), where he slashed agencies like USAID and claimed $180 billion in savings. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” could add $2.4 trillion to the U.S. debt over a decade and remove health coverage for nearly 11 million Americans, according to the CBO figures the White House disputes.