Trump vs. Musk: The Social Media Showdown That’s Shaking American Politics

From Alliance to Animosity

The relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk has transformed from what was once described as a “rapid and intense bromance between two of the world’s most powerful men” into a contentious public feud that has played out across social media platforms since June 2025.

The Breaking Point

The rift began when Musk publicly expressed concerns about Trump’s flagship “big, beautiful bill” – a 1,000-page piece of legislation that extends the president’s 2017 tax cuts. Musk criticized the bill, stating it “increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”

Escalating Tensions

The situation escalated dramatically when Musk posted controversial content on his social media platform X, including accusations regarding Trump’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein files – allegations that the White House strongly disputed.

In response, Trump has distanced himself from his former ally, telling NBC News he has no desire to repair the relationship with Musk, stating “I’m too busy doing other things,” and criticizing the tech billionaire for being “disrespectful to the office of the president.”

Recent Developments

In a recent turn of events, Musk has acknowledged regret over some of his social media posts about President Trump, and has deleted several inflammatory X posts, including those related to Epstein and posts supporting Trump’s impeachment.

The stakes remain high, as Trump has suggested he could terminate government contracts and subsidies awarded to Musk’s companies. However, in a recent podcast episode, the president expressed disappointment but maintained he held “no hard feelings” against the Tesla CEO, though he was “really surprised” by Musk’s criticism of his tax cut bill.

Impact on Business and Politics

The controversy has led Musk to announce scaling back his political spending and refocusing on his companies, particularly Tesla, which has recently experienced its worst quarter since 2022. Musk stated he would return to “spending 24/7 at work” and focusing on “critical technologies” at X/xAI and Tesla, as well as the upcoming Starship launch.