US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Jun 6) threatened to chop off authorities contracts with Elon Musk’s corporations, because the once-close relationship between the world’s strongest man and its richest unravelled publicly on their rival social media platforms.
Trump stated in a televised Oval Workplace diatribe that he was “very upset” after his former aide and prime donor criticised his “massive, stunning” spending Invoice earlier than Congress.
The pair then hurled insults at one another on social media – with Musk even posting, with out proof, that Trump was referenced in authorities paperwork on disgraced financier and intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The row may have main political and financial fallout, as shares in Musk’s Tesla automotive firm plunged and the South African-born tech tycoon vowed that he would finish a important US spaceship program.
Hypothesis had lengthy swirled {that a} relationship between the world’s richest individual and its strongest couldn’t final lengthy – however the velocity of the meltdown took Washington without warning.
MAY 22
Home Republicans on Could 22, took a significant step ahead on President Donald Trump’s agenda, approving a legislative package that mixes tax breaks, spending cuts, border safety funding and different priorities.
Home committees laboured for months on the Invoice, which underwent late adjustments to win over holdouts within the Republican convention. It exceeds 1,000 pages and is titled the One Massive Stunning Invoice Act, a nod to Trump himself.
Republicans made one final spherical of revisions earlier than the Invoice reached the Home flooring, boosting the state and native tax deduction to win over centrists and rushing up the work necessities in Medicaid to win over those that didn’t consider the Invoice did sufficient to curb spending.
The One Massive, Stunning Invoice Act – which has now moved to the Senate – would usher into legislation Trump’s imaginative and prescient for a brand new “Golden Age”, led by efforts to shrink social security web programmes to pay for a 10-year extension of his 2017 tax cuts.
MAY 28
Musk, in an interview with CBS Information, criticised the Invoice – however in comparatively tame language.
“I used to be upset to see the huge spending Invoice, frankly, which will increase the funds deficit, not simply decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE staff is doing,” Musk stated
“I believe a Invoice could be massive or it may be stunning, however I do not know if it may be each. My private opinion,” Musk added.
In a separate interview with the Washington Publish, Musk stated: “The federal forms state of affairs is far worse than I realised.”
“I believed there have been issues, but it surely certain is an uphill battle making an attempt to enhance issues in DC, to say the least.”
JUN 3
Lower than every week later, the gloves got here off and the tone grew to become considerably extra confrontational.
“I’m sorry, however I simply can’t stand it anymore. This large, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending Invoice is a disgusting abomination. Disgrace on those that voted for it: you already know you probably did flawed. You already know it,” Musk wrote on his X platform.
“It’s going to massively improve the already gigantic funds deficit to US$2.5 trillion and burden Americans with crushingly unsustainable debt.”
Musk additionally posted on X: “In November subsequent yr, we hearth all politicians who betrayed the American individuals,” referring to the Senate elections that are scheduled to be held on Nov 3, 2026.
JUN 4
On Wednesday, Musk made a number of posts on X concerning the Invoice, writing that “a brand new spending Invoice ought to be drafted that does not massively develop the deficit and improve the debt ceiling by 5 trillion {dollars}”.
In one other put up later within the day, he wrote: “Name your Senator, Name your Congressmen, Bankrupting America is NOT okay! KILL the BILL.”
He additionally referred to as the spending Invoice the “Debt Slavery Invoice”, as, in keeping with him, the Invoice comprises the most important improve within the debt ceiling in US historical past.
JUN 5, 12PM EASTERN TIME (JUN 6, 12AM, SINGAPORE TIME)
Trump, after he met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, addressed Musk’s criticisms and added that he anticipated Musk criticising him personally.
“Elon is upset as a result of we took the EV mandate, and you already know, which was some huge cash for electrical autos,” Trump stated within the Oval Workplace.
“They’re having a tough time – the electrical autos – and so they need us to pay billions of {dollars} in subsidies. And, you already know, Elon knew this from the start.”
“Look, Elon and I had an awesome relationship. I do not know if we are going to anymore,” he added.
“He stated probably the most stunning issues about me, and he hasn’t stated dangerous about me personally, however I am certain that’ll be subsequent. However I am, I am very upset in Elon. I’ve helped Elon quite a bit.”
He went on to say Musk knew the internal workings of the Invoice.
JUN 5, 12.10PM
On Wednesday, Musk posted on X: “Slim Stunning Invoice for the win”.
Musk then replied to this put up on X at 12.13PM, writing: “Hold the nice, take away the dangerous.”
Musk appeared to reply in actual time to Trump’s claims from the Oval Workplace concerning the EV mandate.
“Hold the EV/photo voltaic incentive cuts within the Invoice, despite the fact that no oil& fuel subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), however ditch the mountain of disgusting pork within the Invoice,” he stated.
“In all the historical past of civilisation, there has by no means been laws that’s each massive and exquisite. Everybody is aware of this!
“Both you get an enormous and ugly Invoice or a slim and exquisite Invoice. Slim and exquisite is the best way.”
