U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have entered into a public spat, which escalated after Musk criticized the new sweeping Republican tax and spending bill.
The conflict erupted after Elon Musk, who until recently was an unofficial advisor to the Trump administration, publicly called the proposed bill "an outrageous mess," "pork-filled," and "a disgrace." Musk claims that this law will significantly increase the budget deficit and become an unbearable burden on American citizens.
In response to this, Donald Trump expressed "great disappointment" in Elon Musk. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump stated that he had "greatly helped Elon" and that their relationship had been "wonderful," but now he is unsure if it will continue. Trump suggested that Musk is upset about the reduction of subsidies for electric vehicles provided by the bill, which could affect Tesla's business.
Musk, for his part, dismissed Trump's accusations, stating that the bill was "never shown to him" and that it was passed "in the middle of the night" so quickly that "almost no one in Congress was able to read it." Moreover, Elon Musk made a loud statement on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that "without me, Trump would have lost the election, the Democrats would control the House of Representatives, and the Republicans would have 51-49 in the Senate." He added: "Such ingratitude."
This public quarrel between two influential figures raises questions about the future dynamics of their relationship and may affect support for key legislative initiatives from Trump.$MASK
