Donald Trump and Elon Musk, two prominent figures in the United States, have had a public confrontation that has generated great interest. Here are the key details of their dispute:
*Background*
- Elon Musk publicly supported Donald Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign and even invested nearly $300 million in his electoral campaign.
- Trump appointed Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut state expenses.
*Causes of the confrontation*
- Musk harshly criticized the tax bill pushed by Trump, calling it "a repugnant abomination" and claiming it would increase public debt by $2.4 trillion over the next decade.
- Trump responded by threatening to cut federal subsidies to Musk's companies, including Tesla and SpaceX.
*Escalation of the conflict*
- Musk accused Trump of being part of the "Epstein list," a series of documents related to the child sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein.
- Trump called Musk "crazy" and claimed that without subsidies, Musk would likely have to shut down his business and return to South Africa.
*Consequences*
- Tesla's shares fell by 14.2% on Wall Street, reducing the company's value by approximately $152 billion.
- Musk proposed the creation of a new political party in the United States that represents 80% of the center.