A disagreement over a tax and spending bill has ended the political partnership between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, turning their policy clash into a public and personal conflict.
Tensions flared after Trump criticized Musk during a White House meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He expressed frustration, claiming that Musk was familiar with the bill’s details and emphasized that he had supported Musk significantly in the past.
Musk responded online, denying Trump’s claims and stating that he had never been given access to the bill. He said it was rushed through Congress without transparency and passed so quickly “in the dead of night” that most lawmakers couldn’t even read it.
The bill narrowly passed the House and includes extended 2017 tax cuts, increased defense and immigration spending, and reduced federal aid programs, such as Medicaid and SNAP, specifically cutting access for undocumented immigrants. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the plan will increase the national debt by $2.4 trillion over the next ten years.
Musk responded by claiming that his support was crucial to Trump’s 2024 victory. He said that without his involvement, Trump would have lost, Republicans would be the minority in the Senate, and Democrats would have taken control of the House.
Trump responded, claiming he had told Musk to leave his government position. He called Musk ungrateful and suggested that ending federal contracts and subsidies to Musk’s companies would be an easy way to save billions of dollars. He also remarked that he was surprised President Biden hadn’t done it already.
As the Senate prepares to review the bill before the July 4 deadline, the relationship between Trump and Musk appears permanently damaged.
