WASHINGTON, USA — A simmering feud between U.S. President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk has erupted into open hostility, with both men exchanging sharp personal attacks amid mounting political and economic tensions.
The latest round of conflict began after Musk publicly criticised Trump’s flagship “Big Beautiful Bill” — a sweeping piece of legislation combining deep tax cuts with aggressive immigration enforcement and expanded border security funding.
The Tesla and X CEO’s remarks came shortly before his departure last week as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a post he held as a special government employee for 130 days.
Musk insists his exit from the administration was pre-planned and unrelated to the souring relationship with the president.
However, Trump suggested otherwise in a Truth Social post on Thursday, June 5, 2025, claiming he had personally removed Musk from the role.
“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 wrote.
The president followed up with another post, criticising Musk’s long-standing government ties.
“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!” he said.
Musk swiftly pushed back, calling Trump’s remarks “an obvious lie,” and warned of more revelations to come.
“Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out,” he tweeted, referencing Trump’s alleged links to the Jeffrey Epstein files — a claim that has not been substantiated in court.
The entrepreneur also attacked Trump’s economic policies, predicting a recession in the second half of 2025 as a result of the president’s protectionist trade stance.
In another post, Musk endorsed a tweet calling for Trump’s impeachment and replacement with Vice President JD Vance.
The feud marks a dramatic breakdown in the relationship between the two men, once seen as allies during Trump’s re-election bid.
Though Musk never formally endorsed Trump, he played a high-profile role in shaping second-term efficiency goals through DOGE, and previously took credit for helping Republicans retain control of Congress in 2024.
Trump, who only hours earlier had praised Musk for his “hard work” at DOGE, appears increasingly frustrated by the billionaire’s growing public dissent.
Musk’s accusations have introduced new levels of personal animus into the political dispute, with analysts noting that his reference to Epstein — a deeply sensitive subject in U.S. political circles — signals a point of no return in their relationship.
