- Elon Musk slammed Trump’s new economic bill as “disgusting,” sparking a public fallout with the former president.
- Trump accused Musk of suffering “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” saying their once-close relationship may be over.
- The $3 trillion deficit estimate tied to the bill has drawn fire from both fiscal conservatives and climate advocates.
Tensions between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk hit a boiling point Thursday after Musk launched a social media tirade against Trump’s marquee economic bill, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump admitted their once-solid relationship may now be in jeopardy. “He hasn’t said bad about me personally—yet—but I’m very disappointed,” Trump told reporters before a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The blowup comes just days after Musk stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Since then, the Tesla boss has slammed the bill as “disgusting,” particularly over its removal of EV tax credits and its projected $3 trillion addition to the national debt. Trump accused Musk of suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” likening him to other former allies turned critics. “He never had a problem with the bill until right after he left,” Trump said.
A Bill, a Breakup, and a Twitter War
Musk didn’t hold back, firing back with a clipped “Whatever” on X, followed by a barrage of posts blasting the bill’s “mountain of disgusting pork.” He also resurfaced Trump’s old tweets criticizing deficit spending and debt ceiling hikes—highlighting a perceived hypocrisy now that the GOP is pushing a bill with a massive price tag. Musk called out the bill’s cuts to clean energy incentives, noting oil and gas subsidies remained untouched. “Very unfair!!” he wrote, pushing for a bill that’s fiscally responsible without gutting EV progress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who shepherded the bill through the House, confirmed he’s been in regular contact with Musk amid the fallout. “He’s passionate about EV policy,” Johnson noted, defending the move to cut the incentives as a pivot away from the Green New Deal.
Political Fallout and Fiscal Firestorm
The political fallout from the Musk-Trump spat is already rippling through Washington. With the bill still needing Senate approval before another round in the House, the White House is scrambling to contain the optics of high-profile dissent. The Congressional Budget Office’s projection that the bill will add $3 trillion to the deficit is only intensifying scrutiny.
For now, the president seems determined to push the bill through. “In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful,” Trump said in his defense. But whether the One Big Beautiful Bill Act survives intact—and whether Trump and Musk’s relationship does too—remains an open question.
