WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. The bromance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk is beginning to fray—and not quietly.
On Tuesday, Musk unleashed a blistering attack on Trump’s flagship economic plan, calling the controversial spending package a “disgusting abomination” and accusing Congress of saddling Americans with “crushingly unsustainable debt.”
Yes, that Elon Musk—the same billionaire who just last week exited his role as head of Trump’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), where he was celebrated by the president for his aggressive cost-cutting efforts, despite widespread criticism over unmet promises and mass layoffs.
Musk’s latest remarks on X (formerly Twitter) weren’t just spicy—they were scorching.
While he’d previously voiced mild concerns about the bill’s fiscal direction, Tuesday’s tirade made it clear: he’s had enough.
“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,” he posted, referring to the legislation that’s projected to balloon the national deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade, even as it slashes funding for healthcare and food aid programs.
For a president who once called Musk’s service “incredible,” this very public fallout is a political headache. Musk had donated nearly $300 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign and was seen as a bridge to younger, tech-leaning voters who don’t typically line up at polling stations with MAGA hats.
But behind the scenes, Musk’s frustration has been brewing for months. U.S. media reports suggest the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has grown disillusioned with what he views as unkept promises.
The bill currently under review would roll back electric vehicle tax credits—ouch for Tesla. Meanwhile, Musk reportedly failed to convince the administration to extend his DOGE tenure beyond its 130-day legal limit.
There’s more. Trump allegedly pulled the plug on the nomination of Musk’s ally, Jared Isaacman, to lead NASA, and brushed off Elon’s ambitious proposal to use Starlink satellites for air traffic control—a moonshot idea grounded before liftoff.
While Musk goes full throttle on social media, Trump is tapping the brakes. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president remains unmoved by Musk’s criticisms. “He already knows where Elon stood on this bill,” she told reporters, suggesting the bond between the two billionaires isn’t entirely broken. Not yet.
Still, others in the Republican camp are less forgiving. House Speaker Mike Johnson called Musk’s comments “disappointing” and claimed he had personally walked the entrepreneur through the details of the bill just a day prior. “He seemed to understand,” Johnson said, with an air of disbelief.
The DOGE program—launched with Musk at the helm—was supposed to save taxpayers $2 trillion, a figure Trump often touted as proof of his business-first approach to governance. Instead, the official website claims savings of only $180 billion, a number fact-checkers have openly questioned due to fuzzy math and unverifiable data.
Despite these red flags, Trump has kept up the spin. On Monday, he called the proposal “the single biggest Spending Cut in History,” though he added a caveat: “The only ‘cutting’ we will do is for Waste, Fraud, and Abuse.”
Senate Democrats aren’t buying it. On the same day Musk blasted the bill, they released a damning report citing 130 examples of alleged ethical violations and backroom deals that they claim helped Musk sidestep regulations and grow his wealth by a staggering $100 billion.
As the Senate braces for a tough month of debate over Trump’s sprawling policy package, one thing is clear—Musk is no longer playing nice. Whether this is a short-term spat or a full-blown divorce between Trump and one of his most influential allies remains to be seen.
