Why are Elon Musk and Donald Trump fighting?
The relationship between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, once a prominent political alliance, has publicly fractured via social media. This split raises the question: What led to this fallout?
Until recently, Elon Musk was a key figure within Trump’s inner circle, influencing government sectors through the Department of Government Efficiency. However, their relationship took a turn, with Musk now openly opposing the former president.
The primary catalyst for this discord appears to be the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a comprehensive piece of legislation passed by the House of Representatives on May 22 and now under Senate consideration. Following this, Trump’s withdrawal of Jared Isaacman, Musk’s nominee for NASA head, further signaled a deteriorating relationship.
The public feud erupted this week after Musk voiced strong disapproval of the bill. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote on X, criticizing the “massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill.”
The bill, intended to cut taxes and boost American businesses, is projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to increase the national debt by $2.4 trillion over ten years, despite cutting taxes by $3.7 trillion. This has led to opposition from within the Republican party, with senators like Rand Paul and Ron Johnson dissenting.
The legislation includes tax cuts from Social Security income, tips, and overtime pay, while also implementing significant cuts to federal healthcare programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. The CBO estimates that these cuts could leave almost 11 million more people without health insurance by 2034.
Musk’s criticism is echoed by some representatives, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who expressed regret for supporting the bill, citing concerns over its impact on state regulation of AI.
Trump alleges that Musk’s opposition arose from the bill’s potential negative impact on Tesla, particularly concerning electric vehicle (EV) mandates. “He only developed a problem when he found out that we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate,” Trump stated.
Musk countered, claiming his support was crucial to Trump’s election victory. “Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” Musk declared on X.
The exchange continued with Trump suggesting the termination of Musk’s governmental subsidies and contracts. Musk responded by threatening to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
Musk has since accused Trump of being in the Epstein Files and criticized Trump’s tariffs, predicting a recession. He also agreed with a post advocating for Trump’s impeachment.
The escalating conflict between Musk and Trump has broader implications for the tech industry, potentially influencing other tech billionaires’ relationships with the administration, especially given the impact of Trump’s policies on international trade.
