Entrepreneur and former Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk railed against President Donald Trump Thursday after the president cast doubt on the future of their partnership.
Musk’s public criticism of Trump’s “big, beautiful” spending and tax bill led to the president saying that while he and the Tesla CEO have had a “great relationship,” he wasn’t sure if they would continue doing so.
“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” Trump told reporters on Thursday at the White House.
Shortly after Trump’s comments, Musk took to his social media platform X to say that without him, Trump would have lost the 2024 election with Democrats controlling the House and Republicans holding a slim majority in the Senate.
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“Such ingratitude,” Musk added.
Earlier during his exchange with reporters, Trump expressed frustration with Musk criticizing the bill, which would fund many of his legislative priorities, and not him.
“You saw the words he had for me. And he hasn’t said anything about me that’s bad. I would rather have him criticize me than the bill. The bill is incredible,” he said.
Days after saying goodbye to Musk in the Oval Office, Trump alleged the Tesla CEO was upset over the bill’s provisions repealing former President Joe Biden‘s electric vehicle tax credits, in addition to Trump’s decision to withdraw the nomination of NASA administrator nominee Jared Isaacman, a Musk ally.
Musk’s public criticism has centered on the bill increasing the federal deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The White House has simultaneously criticized that score, while emphasizing the CBO’s estimate that Trump’s tariffs would reduce the deficit by $2.8 trillion over the next 10 years.
“Elon is upset because we took the EV mandate, which was a lot of money for electric vehicles, and they’re having a hard time,” Trump said. “I know that disturbed him. He wanted somebody that he knew very well to run NASA and I didn’t think it was appropriate. He happened to be a Democrat, like totally Democrat.”
The entrepreneur responded in real-time as Trump talked to reporters, calling the fact that no oil and gas subsidies are touched in the bill “very unfair” even as he challenged Republicans to keep the electric vehicle cuts in the bill.
“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,” Musk wrote. “In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful. Everyone knows this! Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way.”
Musk went on to deny a claim from Trump that his opinion on the bill was changed after he saw the bill, saying it 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 had previously described the “big, beautiful” bill as an “disgusting abomination” for being a “massive, outrageous, pork-filled” measure. He has also threatened to primary lawmakers who support it.
Trump’s comments can be contrasted to his praise of Musk last week, when he called Musk “one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced.
“He stepped forward to put his very great talents to the service of our nation and we appreciate it,” Trump told reporters last Friday.
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When asked if his time with Trump’s administration was worth it despite the reputational and financial repercussions, Musk responded that DOGE is “an important thing,” “a necessary thing, and “will have a good effect on the future.”
“I expect to remain a friend and an adviser, and certainly, if there’s anything the president wants me to do, I’m at the president’s service,” he said.