After establishing a strong political alliance, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have surprised everyone with their sudden fallout over a tax bill dispute.
The tech and political titans have traded public insults as a row erupted Thursday, June 5, sending shockwaves through their respective fields.
However, as the row now shows signs of reconciliation after a call has been scheduled, is their clash only temporary or something serious?
How Did the Donald Trump–Elon Musk Feud Begin?
Musk became one of Trump’s major supporters during his 2024 re-election campaign, reportedly spending $200-$300 million to support the POTUS and other Republican candidates.
Their alliance even deepened when Trump appointed Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after taking office.
However, their relationship started to sour over the President’s “big, beautiful” spending bill, which Musk described as a “disgusting abomination.”
“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,” he tweeted Tuesday—shortly after leaving his DOGE post.
The tech mogul argued that the bill would be irresponsibly added to the US national debt, but Trump tried to defend it, claiming Musk knew more about it than anyone.
“I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here,” he said during a news conference with German Chancellor Friedrick Merz. “All of a sudden he had a problem.”
Why Elon Musk Hated Donald Trump’s Spending Bill?
According to Trump, Musk hated the bill due to the removal of subsidies and mandates for electric vehicles that might hurt his Tesla business.
However, Musk, the largest individual shareholder and CEO of the said company, denied the claim.
“Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill,” he tweeted in response.
“Pork” means “wasteful government spending” in US politics.
From there, the feud escalated as Trump and Musk began lobbing barbs at each other on their respective social media pages.
Trump started by saying he was “disappointed” by Musk’s criticisms of his administration’s flagship tax and spending bill.
He even hinted that this misunderstanding could mark the end of their “great relationship.”
As expected, Musk didn’t let it slide and fired back by accusing Trump of “ingratitude.”
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” he wrote.
Will The Online Feud End Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Alliance?
After hours of trading insults, signs of reconciliation began to emerge as White House aides reportedly advised the President to tone down his criticism of Musk to prevent further escalation.
In fact, a call has now been scheduled for Friday to broker peace between the two.
“Oh it’s okay,” Trump said when asked about his feud with Musk (via Politico). “It’s going very well, never done better.”
Musk, on the other hand, also appeared to back off, responding, “You’re not wrong,” when Bill Ackman, another prominent Trump supporter, suggested the two needed to mend fences.
Given their huge influences in the political and tech worlds, Musk and Trump’s feud is far from ordinary. If their alliance ends, it may affect the government and business alike.
However, with a call scheduled and both parties cooling down, the feud may be only temporary, and a truce could soon be reached.