Trump-Musk feud reignites
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in May. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Elon Musk again blasted President Trump's signature spending bill Monday as the Senate worked through a marathon amendment session to send the measure to the Oval Office by July 4.
The latest: Hours after Musk threatened to form a new political party if the "big, beautiful bill" passed, Trump claimed early Tuesday the Tesla CEO "may get more subsidy than any human being in history" and suggested he may have DOGE, which the Tesla CEO once spearheaded, take a "good, hard, look" at the billionaire's companies.
Why it matters: The relationship between Trump and Musk — once a ubiquitous figure in the White House and at DOGE — imploded over the president's "big, beautiful bill."
- "It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!" Musk wrote on his social media site X.
- "Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people," the world's richest person added.
What they're saying: In a separate post, Musk doubled down on his rhetoric, saying every member of Congress who votes to pass the bill should "hang their head in shame."
- "[T]hey will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth," Musk said.
- In a post later Monday, Musk said, "If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day."
- He added that the country needs "an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE."
Of note: The White House initially responded to Musk's comments by pointing to Trump's remarks to Fox News over the weekend saying that the billionaire was upset the bill would end subsidies for EVs.
- "I think Elon is a wonderful guy, and I know he's going to do well, always. He's a smart guy," Trump said in the interview.
Friction point: Musk, who slashed and burned through federal agencies atop the Department of Government Efficiency, has repeatedly decried the size of Trump's spending package, now estimated to add more than $3 trillion to the national debt.
- The rupture spilled over into an open feud earlier this month, with Musk lashing out at Trump in a series of X posts, which he later walked back.
- Musk, who claimed credit for Trump's reelection, had floated the idea of founding a new political party in an X poll of his readers June 5.
More from Axios:
- Trump threatens to cancel Musk's government contracts
- Musk talked with Trump before tweeting regrets about feud
- Deficit hawks hate the latest version of the "big, beautiful bill"
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting, including details of President Trump's Tuesday morning post to Truth Social.
