What began as a story of historic cooperation between President Donald Trump and magnate Elon Musk has devolved into an unprecedented public confrontation between the two. In just a week, they went from mutual praise to accusations, with cross statements, devastating critiques, and veiled threats of political action.
The escalation began after Musk stepped down from his position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial office created by Trump to reduce public spending and reform state bureaucracy.
Although the departure was presented as the end of a temporary contract, and during the official ceremony Trump praised Musk's work as “a colossal change”, tensions quickly emerged.
The trigger was the new budget proposal driven by Trump and approved by the House of Representatives, which Musk described as a “repugnant abomination.”
“They should feel ashamed of those who voted in favor: they know they did wrong. They know it,” Musk wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter), leaving all restraint behind.
Critiques of the "Great and Beautiful Bill"
Elon Musk, who claimed to have saved the federal government $175 billion during his time with DOGE, denounced that Trump's tax proposal, dubbed by him as the Big Beautiful Bill, completely undermines the progress achieved by his team.
“This massive and outrageous bill, filled with unnecessary expenses, increases the deficit and represents a betrayal of the principles of efficiency and fiscal responsibility that we promoted,” he stated.
According to the magnate, the plan could increase the budget deficit to $2.5 trillion, and calculations from independent entities are not more optimistic: the Penn Wharton Budget Model projects an impact of $2.8 trillion, while a study by Yale's Budget Lab estimates that the total long-term cost could reach $23.7 trillion, raising the debt to 200% of GDP by 2055.
Trump strikes back: "He's gone crazy!"
Trump's response came via Truth Social, his social network, where the president lashed out vehemently. “Elon was 'running out of steam', I told him to leave, I took away his Electric Vehicle Mandate […] and he just went CRAZY!”
In another message, he directly criticized the public contracts of Musk's companies. “The easiest way to save billions is to cancel Elon’s government subsidies and contracts. I’ve always been surprised that Biden hasn’t done this!”
These statements mark the end of what was one of the most unusual connections between politics and the tech world in the United States.
The dispute escalated even further when Elon Musk publicly responded to Trump's accusations. On his official account on X, the entrepreneur quoted the president's message and replied emphatically: "What an obvious lie. How sad."
The comment, accompanied by a screenshot of Trump's remark accusing him of losing his sanity, marks a complete break between the two, now brought to the digital stage in front of millions of users.
Trump threatens to cut all contracts
The EFE agency confirmed that Donald Trump has threatened to cancel all government contracts with Elon Musk following the dispute over the tax plan. This could directly impact SpaceX, Tesla, and other companies linked to federal programs.
“Donald Trump threatens to cut government contracts with Elon Musk following the dispute sparked between them over the tax plan,” reported EFE through its official account on X.
If implemented, the measure would have multimillion-dollar consequences and would open a new legal and economic front.
For his part, the businessman hinted that he might use his fortune to support candidates who challenge the Republicans who backed the law, thus breaking his alliance with Trumpism.
"In November of next year, we will bid farewell to all the politicians who betrayed the American people," Musk warned.
The billionaire contributed at least $250 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign, but he has stated that his future involvement will depend on the defense of solid economic principles, rather than party loyalties.
The end of the "Musk-Trump romance"?
The relationship, which seemed solid after the ceremony on May 30 when Trump presented Musk with a symbolic key and called him an "innovative genius," has entered a phase of open confrontation.
Although Musk insisted that he would remain as an "informal adviser," his recent words and actions reflect a deep rift. It is even speculated that the White House may have discreetly withdrawn Jared Isaacman's nomination, a close associate of Musk, as NASA director as a preemptive retaliation.
From the presidency, spokesperson Karoline Leavitt attempted to downplay the conflict:
"The president already knows Elon Musk's stance on this bill. That does not change the president's opinion."
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