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Trump–Musk feud
American political dispute From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In June 2025, businessman and former presidential advisor Elon Musk and U.S. president Donald Trump engaged in a brief series of social media spats, primarily across Twitter and Truth Social, following Musk's exit from Trump's administration with his criticisms of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a bill intended to be landmark legislation for Trump.[1]
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Prior to being political allies in 2024, Musk and Trump shared a history of mutual provocation. In 2022, Musk described Trump as an unsuitable president due to his age in response to Trump calling him a "bullshit artist". At the time, he briefly feuded with Trump.
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Background
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Musk criticized Donald Trump prior to his first presidency in 2016[2] and the two feuded in 2022,[3][4][5] as well as subsequent years.[6] In 2024 there flourished what was described by The Independent as a "rapid and intense bromance between two of the world's most powerful men."[7] In February 2025, Musk publicly stated he loved Trump as "a straight man",[8] before feuding again with the President in June.[9][10]
2022 feud
In July 2022, Trump referred to Musk as a "bullshit artist" and called Musk's contract with Twitter "rotten".[11][12] Musk responded by describing Trump as being too old for the presidency, instead favoring Ron DeSantis for the 2024 presidential election.[6][13] Afterwards, Trump stated on Truth Social that Musk had come to the White House requesting help with subsidized projects and that had he been asked to beg, "he would have done it".[6][14] Trump also said on Truth Social that "Now Elon should focus on getting himself out of the Twitter mess because he could owe $44 billion for something that's perhaps worthless. Also, lots of competition for electric cars!".[6][14]
In 2022, after Trump's Twitter suspension was reversed, Musk told Isaacson about Trump that "he's disruptive. He's the world's champion of bullshit."[15] In 2024, New York Magazine described the feud over the past few years as "on-again, off-again".[6]2024 presidential election
Cash crunched by more than $50 million in legal fees, the Trump campaign met with Musk and other donors in March 2024; Musk denied helping Trump, and said he was leaning toward Biden. Trump declared having helped Musk in the past. Musk created the America Super PAC on May 22.[16] Musk publicly endorsed Trump after the July 13 Butler assassination attempt.[17] Musk hosted an X live stream on August 12 with Trump, in which he floated the idea of a "government efficiency commission".[18][19][20] Musk ended up contributing over US$290 million to Trump's presidential campaign.[21]
Second Trump administration
In the Trump administration, Musk led the Department of Government Efficiency in an effort to slash regulations, cut expenditures, and restructure federal agencies.[22] He served as a special government employee, limiting his tenure to 130 days.[23]
Musk played a prominent role in campaigning during the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, spending at least US$23 million through political action committees. His role in the election was a political liability for Brad Schimel.[24]
CBS News observed that Trump stopped posting about Musk by April, when he posted about six times a week before.[25]
At the Qatar Economic Forum in May 2025, Musk said that he would scale back political spending.[26] Musk told investors in Tesla that he would devote greater attention to his companies in April.[27] The following month, Musk left the Trump administration in a farewell ceremony.[28][29]
Immediately after reporters left the Oval Office, Trump confronted Musk over political donations made to Democrats by Jared Isaacman, a Musk ally who was Trump's nominee administrator of NASA. Trump informed Isaacman hours later that his nomination was being withdrawn.[30]
Musk on the Big Beautiful Bill
On May 27, after the Trump-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed the House of Representatives a week earlier, Musk criticized the bill for increasing the deficit and undermining the Department of Government Efficiency's work.[31] On May 30, Trump said that Musk was "not really leaving" the White House.[32]
On June 3 at 15:32, Musk warned bill supporters: "In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people".[33] Three hours later, he called the "pork-filled" bill a "disgusting abomination". The next two days, Musk continued to pile on, asking for a bill that does not increase the debt ceiling, saying that bankrupting America was not OK, and asking to "KILL the BILL".[32]
Republicans' endorsement of the bill did not seem to budge.[34]
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2025 feud
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June 5
Shortly before noon, Trump sat with German chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office and answered journalists questions for more than 40 minutes on live TV.[35] When asked about Musk's criticism of the bill, Trump said that he was "disappointed" for he "always liked Elon", that Musk was critical because of the cuts to electric vehicle subsidies, and that he would have won Pennsylvania without him. While the interview went on, Musk fired back that Trump could keep his subsidies as long as the bill was "slim and beautiful". Trump also said Musk knew the bill "better than anybody" and that his Washington nostalgia may have turned to derangement; Musk responded having not being shown the bill, that Trump would have lost the election if not for him, and ended with "such ingratitude".[36]
Later Musk re-shared 2012-13 posts he found hours earlier in which Trump and various Republicans were chastising Congress on deficits.[37]
The America Party
Elon Musk @elonmuskIs it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?
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In a tweet posted at 13:57,[38] Musk suggested creating a political party to represent the "eighty percent in the middle", with Twitter users voting 80% in favor of the proposal.[39] Half an hour later Musk responds to Laura Loomer by saying that "Trump has 3.5 years left as President", but that he will be around for more than 40 years.[37] At 18:07, Musk proposed to name it "The America Party".
Flurry of threats
After the press conference, Trump turned to his own social media platform to address the situation. He repeated that Musk went "CRAZY" about the "EV Mandate", which Musk immediately called a lie. Then Trump threatened to cut Musk's government contracts.[40] In response, alleged that Trump was in the Epstein files, said a few minutes later to "mark his words,"[40] but deleted the post on June 7.[41] Musk then stated that SpaceX was decommissioning its Dragon 2 spacecraft. Crew Dragon is the only operational American crewed vehicle capable of docking with the International Space Station, while Cargo Dragon and Cygnus operate American cargo missions to the station. Musk deleted the post shortly after it attracted attention, and later declared that the spacecraft would not be decommissioned while responding to an X user who advised him to "cool off".[42] Two minutes later, Musk called for a third Trump impeachment.[43]
Tariffs and truce
Musk ended his barrage of tweets by reiterating that tariffs would cause a recession in the second half of 2025.
Later that evening, Musk responded to hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman's plea that the country was stronger when Musk and Trump were allies, saying he was not wrong. Politico reported that Musk and Trump were scheduled to be on a call to reconcile.[44]
Cutting ties
Musk unfollowed the Twitter accounts of Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy and his homeland security advisor;[45] He also unfollowed Charlie Kirk, a conservative influencer;[46] the two men appeared on Kirk's show to praise the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
June 6
Late in the night, Musk approves of a tweet stating that the two main parties have no political will reduce debt.[37] Trump told ABC News before 7:00 that Musk had "lost his mind" and that he was not interested in speaking to Musk,[1] and repeating in a CNN interview he won't be speaking to him in the near future.[47] The White House later stated that no call was planned.[48] A White House official later said that Trump was selling the red Tesla Model S he received from Musk.[49]
According to Bloomberg News, Trump aides signaled that Trump was moving on and that he would not cancel Musk's government contracts.[50] The Washington Post reported that Trump tried to explain Musk's behavior by saying he was a "big-time drug addict".[51][52]
Dmitry Novikov told TASS that Russia could offer Musk political asylum, but that he would not need any.[53]
Musk reached out to the White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles and Vice-President J. D. Vance to announce a halt his criticism of the President and to explore a possible mending of the relationship with the President.[54]
June 7
The next day, Trump stated that he did not wish to reconcile with Musk, and added that Musk would face 'very serious consequences' if he funds Democrats in an interview with NBC News.[55]
June 9
Two days later, during ongoing protests in Los Angeles, Musk deleted his posts calling for Trump's impeachment and praised the Trump administration's actions towards the protesters. During a press conference the same day, Trump also shifted his stance on Musk saying, "We had a good relationship, I wish him well, very well".[56]
Late evening the President took a call from Musk which led the following day to a public admission of regret. Both declined to comment further on their relationship.[57] Musk also appeared to have followed back Miller again.[58]
June 10
It was reported that on the night of June 10, Musk had a private phone call with Trump, where he expressed remorse for attacking Trump.[59][60]
June 11
The following day, Musk publicly stated via Twitter that he regretted some of his posts about Trump for having "went too far".[61][62] Trump described Musk's apology as "very nice".[63]
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Effects
On June 5, Musk lost an estimated US$34 billion.[64] This is the second biggest loss in history, after Musk's 2021 loss.[65][66]
Stock falls
Shares in Tesla, Inc. fell fifteen percent, its worst day since the COVID-19 pandemic.[67] Trading volumes for Tesla put options exceeded four million contracts, the highest on record.[68] TSLA short sellers ended their day raking US$4 billion.[69]
Trump Media & Technology Group shares fell eight percent.[70]
The dispute threatened a US$5 billion debt sale for Musk's xAI.[71]
Commentaries
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Silicon Valley
The feud left Silicon Valley divided.[72] The feud is also risking US$100 million in political donations to Trump-affiliated organizations that Musk was set to give.[73]
Boycott lawsuit
According to The Wall Street Journal, the feud raised hopes from advertisers that litigation against companies that have refused to advertise on Twitter would be eased, owing to lessened political weight.
Domestic
On social media, comparisons between the feud and that in Mean Girls (2004), as well as the Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud, were made.[74]
The dissolution of Musk and Trump's relationship was praised by some Make America Great Again followers.[75] A YouGov survey indicated that most Republicans support Trump in the feud, while most Democrats were neutral.[76] When asked to react to a statement from Musk on the GOP-backed spending bill, 56% said they agreed and 17% said they disagreed.[77]
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer referenced "Bad Blood", a song by Taylor Swift believed to be about her feud with Katy Perry. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries referred to the feud as a "GOP civil war". The Democratic Party's Twitter account called to "KILL THE BILL AND RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!"[78] On War Room, Steve Bannon warned that Musk could be "flipped" by Democrats.[79] Representative Ro Khanna argued that Democrats should court Musk.[80]
Steve Bannon, a former top advisor to Trump during his first presidential term, encouraged Trump to cancel Musk's federal contracts and investigate his immigration status.[81] This has led to the possibility of Musk being deported from the United States.[82][83] After Bannon called for Trump to seize SpaceX with an executive order, Musk referred to him as a "communist retard".[84] Democratic representatives Stephen Lynch and Robert Garcia sent a letter to attorney general Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation director Kash Patel inquiring about Musk's allegation that Trump was present in government files on Epstein.[85]
International
Russian internet users compared the feud to the Wagner Group–Russian Ministry of Defence conflict, a dispute between Russia's Ministry of Defence and the oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin that led to the Wagner Group rebellion. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Security Council, joked that he was willing to broker a truce between Musk and Trump.[86]
Trump's focus on Musk during his meeting with Friedrich Merz was met with relief from several German commentators, who noted caustic meetings with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.[87]
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See also
- UniTeam – a political alliance in the Philippines that turned into a feud between the Marcos and Duterte political families
- Sara Duterte – Philippine vice president who issued an assassination threat against her former UniTeam ally President Bongbong Marcos
References
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