Once seen as allies at the peak of American power, former U.S. President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk are now engaged in a very public fallout. The alliance that started less than a year ago has dramatically collapsed, just five months into Trump’s second term.
On Thursday, Elon Musk accused Trump of hiding connections with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In retaliation, Trump threatened to end multi-billion dollar federal contracts awarded to Musk’s companies, SpaceX and Starlink.
During a joint press conference with Germany’s Chancellor at the White House, Trump referred to Musk as “a disappointment.” Musk, reacting instantly on X (formerly Twitter), fired back with memes, mocking posts, and even voiced support for calls demanding Trump’s impeachment.
The verbal battle unfolded in real time across their platforms — Trump on Truth Social, Musk on X — after Musk criticized the President’s new federal spending proposal, sarcastically calling it the “Big Beautiful Bill,” borrowing from Trump’s own famous rhetoric.
