Fewer friendships have soured quite as rapidly, and with as much media glare, as that of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Almost inseparable over the last nine months, President Trump and his go-to friend and later colleague, Elon Musk, had parted ways a few days ago. Now their spat is out in public.
"Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will any more," said President Trump as Elon Musk had appealed for his "One Big Beautiful Bill" to be stopped at all cost. "Kill the bill," Musk had said less than 24 hours ago. That bill has now passed the House of Representatives.
"I'm very disappointed in Elon," Trump said while speaking to the American press.
ROUND 1: MUSK PUNCHES ON X
After disagreeing with President Trump behind closed doors, Elon Musk quit the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE last week. Soon after, he publicly opposed Donald Trump's tax and spending bill. Taking to his social media platform X, Musk had written, "I'm sorry but I just can't stand it anymore… This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."
ROUND 2: TRUMP JABS 'ELON'
President Trump has now hit back at his "friend" Elon, saying, "Elon knew the inner workings of this bill, better than almost anybody sitting here. He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate, because that's billions and billions of dollars...And I can understand that, but he knew every aspect of this bill. He knew it better than almost anybody, and he never had a problem until right after he left (DOGE). And if you saw the statements he made about me, which I'm sure you can get very easily, it's very fresh on tape, he said the most beautiful things about me, and he hasn't said bad about me personally, but I'm sure that'll be next, but I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot."
🚨 NEW: Trump speaks on Elon coming out against the BBB
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) June 5, 2025
"I would have won Pennsylvania regardless of Elon…I'm very disappointed with Elon. He knew this bill better than anyone and he only developed a problem when he found out I would cut the EV mandate…
When he left he said… pic.twitter.com/O0OfkqmOUd
Elon Musk, who must have been watching the President's press conference, responded immediately on X. This is "False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!", Elon Musk wrote.
False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it! https://t.co/V4ztekqd4g
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
CAPITOL HILL DRAMA AT MIDNIGHT
President Trump's sharp response to his former backer, confidant, and adviser came after House Republicans stayed up all night to pass the President's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' - a multi-trillion-dollar tax breaks package. It was a dramatic night, with Speaker Mike Johnson defying the sceptics and unifying his ranks to muscle President Donald Trump's priority bill to approval, reported news agency Associated Press.
Last-minute concessions were made and some stark warnings issued directly from the US President, before several Republicans dropped their opposition to the Bill.
The voting over the bill was just as dramatic. Shortly after midnight in Washington DC, The House began the debate with the Speaker's approval. Capitol Hill was abuzz till dawn, when the Bill was put to vote. The result: it passed with the slimmest of margins - 215-214. The Democrats vehemently opposed the Bill, and disgruntled Republicans were told to fall in line.
According to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, the bill will unleash trillions of dollars in tax cuts and slash spending, but also spike deficits by $2.4 trillion over a decade and leave some 10.9 million more US citizens without health insurance.
TESLA BRACES FOR IMPACT, THE GLOVES COME OFF
Within hours of the Bill being passed, Elon Musk's EV company Tesla faced the heat, with stocks plunging over 8 per cent. As per President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill', tax cuts, which were given to electric vehicle manufacturers, have been lifted.
The gloves are now off in the fight between the world's most powerful person and the world's richest person, with the US President suggesting that Elon Musk is having a withdrawal syndrome about leaving the White House. Elon has "Trump derangement syndrome", Trump added.
ROUND 3: REMINDERS TO THE 'UNGRATEFUL' PRESIDENT
Within minutes, Elon Musk lambasted his former boss for his "ingratitude", reminding Donald Trump that it was because of him (Musk) that Trump won the election. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House," Musk said.
Such ingratitude
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
Elon Musk had poured in hundreds of millions of dollars in Donald Trump's election campaign last year.
Digging out Trump's past comments, and social media posts, Elon Musk intensified his attack on the US President with a series of posts intended to jab his former boss. In one such instance, Elon Musk took a jibe at Trump's bizarre allegation that Joe Biden had been using a body double to hide his illness.
Sharing an old post in which he had agreed with Donald Trump over his debt ceiling remark, Musk wrote, "Where is the man who wrote these words? Was he replaced by a body double!?"
Where is the man who wrote these words?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
Was he replaced by a body double!? https://t.co/N4Mliip5U4
He also called the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' 'The Big Ugly Bill', warning fellow citizens that this will increase deficit to $2.5 trillion.
The Big Ugly Bill will INCREASE the deficit to $2.5 trillion! https://t.co/jEMS6coT3V
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
On a day where Tesla faces punitive measures after Trump's bill is passed, Elon Musk also shared a post in which Donald Trump batted for Musk's Tesla cars, saying "Remember this?"
Remember this? @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/jDct7EHSV2
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
Observers had long wondered if the friendship between the two brash billionaires known for lobbing insults online would flame out in spectacular fashion. It did, in less than a year.
(Inputs from Associated Press)
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