Trump and Musk clash publicly over the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ triggering political drama and Tesla stock plunge. Here’s how the feud unfolded.
What once seemed like a powerful alliance between President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk has rapidly dissolved into a spectacular public fallout. The catalyst? Trump’s newly unveiled “Big Beautiful Bill,” which has ignited a firestorm of accusations, threats, and economic fallout.
The rupture came into full view when both leaders took to their social platforms—Trump on Truth Social and Musk on X—to launch a series of escalating attacks against each other.
Oval Office Comments Trigger the Feud
The conflict first erupted during President Trump’s meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office. When asked about Musk’s criticism of the bill, Trump told reporters:
“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will any more.”
He continued, “He knew every aspect of this bill. He knew it better than almost anybody, and he never had a problem until right after he left. … He said the most beautiful things about me, and he hasn’t said bad about me personally, but I’m sure that’ll be next, but I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot.”
Musk Fires Back Online
Musk quickly responded on X, denying Trump’s claims and triggering a cascade of viral posts.
“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 then escalated the rhetoric, asserting that Trump would have “lost the election” without his backing and calling the president’s actions “such ingratitude.”
From Threats to Turmoil in Space
Tensions heightened when Trump reportedly threatened to terminate Musk’s government subsidies and federal contracts. In retaliation, Musk briefly threatened to decommission the Dragon spacecraft—critical to NASA missions—which could have thrown the U.S. space program into crisis. The threat was rescinded within hours.
Musk’s Impeachment Call and Epstein Claims
In a further blow to their relationship, Musk publicly called for Trump’s impeachment and suggested Senator JD Vance should take his place. He also warned that Trump’s global tariffs would “cause a recession in the second half of this year.”
In one of the most explosive claims yet, Musk posted on X:
“The reason the Trump administration had not released the files into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was because they implicated the president.”
The White House responded, calling the allegations an “unfortunate episode.”
Deportation Demands and Conservative Backlash
Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump ally and vocal Musk critic, called for a formal investigation into Musk’s citizenship.
“They should initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status because I am of the strong belief that he is an illegal alien, and he should be deported from the country immediately,” Bannon told The New York Times.
Market Reaction: Tesla Stock Plummets
The feud had swift financial consequences. Tesla’s stock fell by 14.2% at market close on Thursday, wiping approximately $152 billion from its valuation and reducing the company’s total worth to around $900 billion.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the plunge cut about $8.73 billion from Musk’s net worth.
Maple News Wire will continue tracking this evolving story as political, finance, and legal ramifications unfold.
