Trump Flames Musk as Bitter Feud Reignites
The president hit back at the Tesla CEO, who has savaged Republicans’ “big, beautiful” spending bill.
President Donald Trump has reignited his feud with Elon Musk after the billionaire CEO criticized the president’s flagship budget proposal—nicknamed the “Big Beautiful Bill”—for the second time.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump, 79, claimed Musk, 54, was upset over the exclusion of electric vehicle (EV) tax credits from the bill, which has been a key point of contention. Republicans, Trump said, are no longer willing to fund billions in EV subsidies, a move Musk reportedly took issue with.
Trump suggested that Musk’s public outburst on June 5—when the Tesla CEO accused the president of being tied to the infamous Epstein files and called for his impeachment—was driven by frustration over the EV incentives. The president had responded strongly at the time, even threatening to withdraw federal contracts from Musk’s companies, though his tone has since become more measured.
“He got a little bit upset, and you know that wasn’t appropriate,” Trump told Fox’s Maria Bartiromo in a Sunday morning interview when asked about his relationship with Musk.
Pressed on the current state of their relationship, Trump replied that he has “not spoken to him much.”
Musk, however, did not hold back during a birthday-weekend tirade on Saturday. The billionaire harshly criticized the “Big Beautiful Bill,” warning it would balloon the national deficit despite earlier MAGA promises to reduce government spending under Trump’s leadership.
“This bill raises the debt ceiling by $5 TRILLION, the biggest increase in history, putting America in the fast lane to debt slavery!” Musk posted online.
Trump countered that Musk wouldn’t be as critical had the EV tax credit—offering buyers up to $7,500 in federal incentives—been included in the legislation. Musk, for his part, insisted that his opposition is rooted in concerns over national debt, regardless of whether the credit is included.
“The electric vehicle mandate is a tough thing for him,” Trump said during the interview. “I would think, you know, I don’t want everybody to have to have an electric car. You know, I campaigned on, you have a choice—if you want a gasoline-powered car, if you want a hybrid, if you want—I love the electric, I love his cars. I think he’s fantastic, but not everybody should have that.”
