Musk says 'Trump is in the Epstein files' as public feud escalates
Elon Musk responds to Trump's comments
As Elon Musk continues to publicly criticize President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' the billionaire is sounding off on his social media platform, X, stating that he did not know what was in the bill before it passed through the House of Representatives. On Thursday, Trump held a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office. During the press conference, the president addressed Musk's criticism of the tax bill saying that Musk knew what was in the bill. Musk responded to the comments on X stating, "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!" Musk issued several other posts in reference to Trump's remarks in the Oval Office. Another post stated, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate."
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are breaking up – and they’re doing so in a very public manner.
At an Oval Office press conference Thursday, with Germany’s leader next to him, Trump said he is "very disappointed" in Musk after the billionaire began blasting Trump’s "big, beautiful" spending bill on social media. He suggested that Musk, who left the White House last month after running the often turbulent Department of Government Efficiency, misses the Oval Office and has "Trump derangement syndrome."
Observers had long wondered if the friendship between Trump and Musk would flame out in spectacular fashion. It took less than a year for it to happen.
Pres. Trump on Elon: 'We had a great relationship'
President Trump spoke out about his relationship with Elon Musk following his exit and criticism of the "Big Beautiful Bill." When questioned about the two's relationship president Trump said that he was very surprised by Elon's remarks and did not know if they'd be friends again. He also voiced his disappointment in his former right hand man.
As the public feud escalated quickly Thursday, Trump threatened Musk's billions of dollars in government contracts while Musk accused Trump of "being in the Epstein files."
Trump-Musk fallout
The backstory:
The Trump-Musk feud started simmering Tuesday, when Musk said on X that the "massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination."
The bill would unleash trillions of dollars in tax cuts and slash spending but also spike deficits by $2.4 trillion over a decade and leave some 10.9 million more people without health insurance, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
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Musk’s comments came just days after he left his role as a senior adviser to Trump and the White House. Musk and Trump marked the occasion with an Oval Office event and formal send-off for Musk.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks alongside U.S. President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
"This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week. "Elon is terrific!"
A week later, after Musk began publicly criticizing Trump’s spending bill, the president changed his tune.
What they're saying:
"I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here," Trump said when asked about Musk. "He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden he had a problem."
Trump claims Musk, the CEO of Tesla, only started rallying against the bill after he found out it would eliminate the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases and leases.
Elon Musk responds to Trump's comments
As Elon Musk continues to publicly criticize President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' the billionaire is sounding off on his social media platform, X.
"Remember, he was here for a long time," Trump said. "You saw a man who was very happy when he stood behind the oval desk … Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore."
"He worked hard and he did a good job," Trump added. "And I'll be honest, I think he misses the place. I think he got out there and all of a sudden he wasn't in this beautiful Oval Office."
The other side:
"Whatever," Musk snapped back in a post on X, adding that Trump could keep the EV tax credit cuts and "ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill."
In a separate post on X, Musk said, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate."
RELATED: Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill is a 'disgusting abomination,' Elon Musk now says
Musk announced his support for Trump shortly after the then-candidate was nearly assassinated on stage at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally last July. News of Musk's political action committee in support of Trump's election came days later. Musk spent $250 million last year to support Trump’s campaign.
"Such ingratitude," Musk wrote.
Musk also rejected Trump’s statement that he was aware of what the legislation would look like.
"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!"
"Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill," Musk wrote. "Slim and beautiful is the way."
Trump threatens Musk’s government contracts
What's next:
In his own social media post Thursday afternoon, Trump threatened to cut Musk’s government contracts.
"The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!"
"Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!"
"This just gets better and better," Musk quickly replied on X. "Go ahead, make my day."
Soon after, Musk posted on X that it's "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files."
"That's the real reason they have not been made public," he continued.
The Source: This report includes information from President Trump's Oval Office press conference, The Associated Press and Elon Musk's posts on X.