A long-simmering feud between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has exploded into a full-blown public spat, with both men trading personal attacks and sharp political jabs in a series of escalating online exchanges.
Okay.ng reports that tensions between the two influential figures intensified following the passage of Trump’s controversial “Big Beautiful Bill,” a legislative package combining deep tax cuts with massive increases in border security funding.
The bill, which passed Congress amid fierce debate, marked a turning point in Musk’s relationship with the Trump administration.
Musk, who until recently served as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), resigned last week after 130 days of service as a special government employee. Although his departure closely followed his criticism of the bill, Musk maintained that his resignation had nothing to do with his deteriorating relationship with Trump.
The president, however, offered a different account on Truth Social Thursday evening.
“I asked him to leave; I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy electric cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” Trump posted, claiming he had grown weary of the billionaire’s influence in his administration.
Musk wasted no time in responding, dismissing the statement as “an obvious lie.”
Trump further stirred controversy by suggesting that a cost-saving measure for the government would be to cut all contracts and subsidies associated with Musk’s businesses. “The easiest way to save money in our budget, billions and billions of dollars, is to terminate Elon’s governmental subsidies and contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!” Trump stated.
The electric vehicle (EV) mandate in question aimed to transition new vehicle sales in the U.S. to 35% electric or zero-emission by 2026, ramping up to 100% by 2035. Trump has pushed back against the policy, advocating for consumer choice and claiming, “We want all kinds of cars.”
Despite having praised Musk earlier for his “hard work at DOGE,” Trump’s tone shifted dramatically in recent days.
The Tesla CEO has responded with even more incendiary claims, suggesting Trump may be implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein case.
“Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out,” Musk said, without offering further details.
Musk also predicted a U.S. recession in the second half of 2025, blaming it on Trump’s proposed tariffs. In another post, the billionaire backed a call for Trump’s impeachment, endorsing Vice President JD Vance as a possible replacement.
The fallout follows Musk’s earlier statement that Trump would not have won re-election without his help, a claim that drew further ire from the president.
