Trump-Musk Alliance Collapses in Fiery Public Feud Over Spending Bill, Accusations, and Subsidies
- Victor Nwoko
- Jun 6
- 3 min read
The alliance between U.S. President Donald Trump and former adviser Elon Musk has dramatically unraveled, with both men trading barbed insults and public accusations over social media in a deepening dispute centered on Trump’s signature domestic spending bill.
The rift erupted Thursday, with Trump expressing “disappointment” in Musk over the Tesla CEO’s vocal criticism of the administration’s sweeping tax and spending package, recently passed by the House and awaiting Senate approval. Trump hinted that the clash could mark the end of their “great relationship.”
Musk, in response, accused Trump of “ingratitude,” claiming, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election.” The feud escalated throughout the day on their respective platforms—Trump on Truth Social and Musk on X—as both sought to undermine the other’s credibility.
Despite the public spat, Trump’s aides have scheduled a phone call with Musk for Friday, while Musk also hinted at reconciliation, responding “You’re not wrong” to a post by Trump ally Bill Ackman urging the two to make peace.
The fallout stems from Musk’s relentless opposition to Trump’s “big, beautiful” spending bill. After stepping down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) following a brief 129-day tenure, Musk branded the bill a “disgusting abomination,” warning it would exacerbate the national debt. He also urged followers to call their congressional representatives in protest.
Speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump defended the bill and suggested Musk’s opposition stemmed from the elimination of electric vehicle (EV) subsidies—an implication Musk vehemently denied. Musk fired back online, saying, “Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill… but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK.”
Musk also accused Trump of protecting subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, while slashing support for clean energy sectors. He further escalated his criticism by reposting calls for Trump’s resignation, warning that Trump’s global tariff plan would spark a U.S. recession, and even suggesting—without evidence—that Trump appeared in unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files.
Trump has previously stated he had a “falling out” with Epstein years before the financier's arrest and death in 2019. The White House condemned Musk’s allegations, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, “This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted.”
Trump responded with fury on Truth Social, saying Musk “just went CRAZY” and calling for the termination of the “Billions and Billions” of dollars in federal subsidies and contracts benefiting Musk’s companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink. “I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!” Trump added.
In retaliation, Musk briefly announced that SpaceX would begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft, which currently ferries crew and cargo to the International Space Station. However, he later appeared to reverse course, replying to a post on X, “Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon.”
The feud had immediate financial repercussions, with Tesla’s stock plummeting by 14% within hours of the clash becoming public.
Musk, once a key ally in Trump’s 2024 campaign, endorsed him last July after an assassination attempt and reportedly contributed $290 million to aid his return to the White House. On Thursday, Musk posted that without his efforts, Republicans would have lost control of the House and held only a narrow Senate majority. “Such ingratitude,” he wrote.
Musk also posted a poll asking followers whether it was time to launch a new political party to represent the “80% in the middle,” signaling potential political ambitions beyond Trump’s orbit.
At Doge, Musk led aggressive cost-cutting efforts that included the mass termination of federal employees and the shutdown of agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Though Doge claims to have saved $180 billion, that figure is disputed and far short of Musk’s original goal to cut $2 trillion in federal spending.
Meanwhile, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the controversial spending bill will add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade and could leave nearly 11 million Americans without government-backed health insurance—figures the White House contests, citing projected revenues from increased tariffs.
The public fallout between Trump and Musk has exposed deep ideological and personal fractures in a once-powerful alliance, throwing the future of their political cooperation—and key government contracts—into serious doubt.
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