The political clash between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk escalated Thursday into an all-out public feud, with the tech mogul accusing Trump of appearing in Jeffrey Epstein’s files and attacking the president’s cornerstone “One Big Beautiful Bill” legislation.
The conflict began over Musk’s objections to the massive spending bill, which he claims will “bankrupt America,” citing a projected $3 trillion increase to the national deficit over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill, which narrowly passed the House, extends Trump-era tax cuts and increases defense and border funding while cutting Medicaid and SNAP programs.
Trump responded by calling Musk “crazy” and claimed the billionaire was lashing out after losing EV tax credits in the bill. “The easiest way to save money is to terminate Elon’s subsidies,” Trump posted on his platform. Musk countered, “This bill was never shown to me. It was passed in the dead of night.”
Tensions exploded when Musk posted, without evidence, that Trump is in the sealed Epstein files: “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!” Trump has long denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, despite his name appearing in past flight logs and an address book.
Musk also endorsed a post calling for Trump’s impeachment and replacement with VP JD Vance, and claimed, “Without me, Trump would have lost” in 2024, referencing over $270 million in political spending.
The feud underscores growing fractures within the Republican coalition and casts new uncertainty over the bill’s fate in the Senate, where fiscal hawks remain skeptical.
Neither Musk’s team nor the White House responded to requests for comment.
