Tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and tech magnate Elon Musk have boiled over, marking a dramatic end to their once-publicly cordial relationship.
For over a week, Musk has been openly criticising Trump’s landmark spending bill, labeling it wasteful and has taken an active stance against it. The disagreement escalated on Thursday when President Trump, during a meeting with the German Chancellor in the Oval Office, voiced his disappointment with Musk’s public conduct.
In a swift and fiery response, Musk fired off a barrage of attacks on his platform X, even insinuating without providing evidence—that Trump is linked to unreleased files connected to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump quickly retaliated on Truth Social, accusing Musk of having “gone CRAZY” and claiming the tech billionaire was asked to exit the administration. The president further threatened to pull federal contracts from Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla.
The fallout has not been without consequence. Tesla shares plummeted by 14%, dragging the company’s valuation below the $1 trillion mark, a significant blow for Musk’s electric vehicle empire.
