It’s officially a war of words.
Many assumed there would be frosty feelings between President Donald Trump and the now-former Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk over the latter’s scathing critiques of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act.
Those assumptions appear to be accurate.
On Tuesday, Musk took to social media platform X to rip apart the “Big Beautiful Bill,” calling it, among other things, “pork-filled” and “a disgusting abomination.”
I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore.
This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.
Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2025
Trump, who had been uncharacteristically mum on the Musk attacks, finally responded Thursday, when reporters broached the subject during an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Do you want to see spending cut from the “Big, Beautiful Bill?”
“I’ve always liked Elon,” Trump told reporters when asked whether Musk’s vocal opposition to the OBBB would hinder its chances to make it through Congress.
“I was very surprised. You saw the words he had for me …”
President Trump on Elon Musk: “I’ve always liked Elon. I was very surprised…He hasn’t said anything about me that’s bad. I’d rather have him criticize me than the bill because the bill is incredible…I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot.” pic.twitter.com/ExnBTnYGuw
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 5, 2025
The president then realized his misspeak, but pivoted to wishing Elon had badmouthed him, instead of the Congressional spending bill.
“He hasn’t said anything about me that’s bad,” Trump said. “I’d rather have him criticize me than the bill, because the bill is incredible.
“It’s the biggest [tax] cut in the history of our country.”
Trump also echoed House Speaker Mike Johnson, who claimed that Musk was against the spending bill because it was stripping out former President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle mandates (Musk owns Tesla, an EV auto company) — a claim that Musk disputed in real-time on X.
Whatever.
Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill.
In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful.…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
Musk argued that the “MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK” was still the key issue at heart with the bill.
“Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill,” Musk argued. “Slim and beautiful is the way.”
“I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here,” Trump continued.
“He hasn’t said bad about me personally, but I’m sure that’ll be next,” Trump added. “I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot.”
Trump made it clear that things probably won’t be the same between the two now, in the biggest acknowledgement of the apparently fraying relationship between the two.
“Elon and I had a great relationship,” Trump said. “I don’t know if we will anymore.”
Trump appears to have been accurate about what’ll “be next,” as Musk responded to much of this viral interview on X in real time — and none of it was complimentary.
First, Musk accused Trump of lying about how he had had a deep knowledge of this spending bill.
False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it! https://t.co/V4ztekqd4g
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
Then, Musk actually turned to Trump’s older X (then known as Twitter) posts to use them against the president.
Wise words https://t.co/6juH1jEjtc
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
I couldn’t agree more! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 https://t.co/sZ6xgisZEA
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
Musk then further escalated his rhetoric, accusing the president of being an ingrate who wouldn’t have won the 2024 election without the tech mogul’s aid.
Such ingratitude
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
Musk’s vocal frustrations join a growing discontentment among congressional Republicans opposed to the spending bill due to budgetary concerns.
That group includes the likes of Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Rand Paul — both of Kentucky, and both of whom have come under considerable fire from the president for their anti-OBBB rhetoric.
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