That didn’t take long. trump & musk fallout
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US News
Richard Pollina
Published July 1, 2025, 3:02 a.m. ET
1.2K Comments
Florida woman survives after home is lifted by extreme winds
President Trump threatened to unleash Elon Musk’s brainchild, DOGE, against him to investigate his company’s government subsidies — warning his former ally that he may have “to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”
“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate,” the president posted on Truth Social early Tuesday.
“It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one.”
5
Trump and Elon Musk (right) speak before the president departed the White House on his way to his South Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, on March 14, 2025.AFP via Getty Images
The commander-in-chief then warned the SpaceX CEO that if his government subsidies were taken away, he’d have no choice but to return to his native South Africa.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump wrote.
“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE.”
Doubling down on the threat, Trump said he may turn DOGE against Musk to investigate his government subsidies.
5
Elon Musk speaks during a news conference with President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025.AP
“Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” Trump concluded.
The president’s comments come after Musk renewed his sharp criticisms of the Trump-backed “Big Beautiful Bill,” calling it “utterly insane” and “political suicide.”
Musk, 54, expressed his frustration and rage over the massive spending bill — on which the lion’s share of Trump’s policy agenda hangs — on social media ahead of the Senate vote.
5
President Trump talks to the media next to Elon Musk, with a Tesla car in the background, at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 11, 2025.REUTERS
“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” the former DOGE chief wrote on X Saturday.
“Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”
On Monday, the world’s richest man continued his criticism, saying lawmakers who had campaigned on cutting spending but backed the bill “should hang their heads in shame!”
5
Elon Musk attends a news conference with President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington.AP
“And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” Musk said.
The Tesla CEO called again for a new political party, saying the bill’s massive spending indicated “that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!”
The billionaire’s fallout earlier this month with former ally Trump was reportedly set off by disagreements about the massive spending bill, which was undergoing a procedural vote late Saturday.
5
Trump and Musk sit in a Tesla model S.REUTERS
That spat culminated with Musk endorsing the impeachment and removal of his former chosen candidate.
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Musk later apologized to the president, who suggested that a reconciliation between the former allies is still possible.
The billionaire left the Trump administration and his role in DOGE on May 29, 130 days after Trump’s inauguration.
Trump threatens to unleash DOGE on Musk to save money tied to his numerous federal subsidies: ‘Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history’
ByRichard Pollina
Published July 1, 2025, 3:02 a.m. ET
1.2K Comments
Florida woman survives after home is lifted by extreme winds
President Trump threatened to unleash Elon Musk’s brainchild, DOGE, against him to investigate his company’s government subsidies — warning his former ally that he may have “to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”
“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate,” the president posted on Truth Social early Tuesday.
“It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one.”
5Trump and Elon Musk (right) speak before the president departed the White House on his way to his South Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, on March 14, 2025.AFP via Getty Images
The commander-in-chief then warned the SpaceX CEO that if his government subsidies were taken away, he’d have no choice but to return to his native South Africa.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump wrote.
“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE.”
Doubling down on the threat, Trump said he may turn DOGE against Musk to investigate his government subsidies.
5Elon Musk speaks during a news conference with President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025.AP
“Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” Trump concluded.
The president’s comments come after Musk renewed his sharp criticisms of the Trump-backed “Big Beautiful Bill,” calling it “utterly insane” and “political suicide.”
Musk, 54, expressed his frustration and rage over the massive spending bill — on which the lion’s share of Trump’s policy agenda hangs — on social media ahead of the Senate vote.
5President Trump talks to the media next to Elon Musk, with a Tesla car in the background, at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 11, 2025.REUTERS
“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” the former DOGE chief wrote on X Saturday.
“Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”
On Monday, the world’s richest man continued his criticism, saying lawmakers who had campaigned on cutting spending but backed the bill “should hang their heads in shame!”
5Elon Musk attends a news conference with President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington.AP
“And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” Musk said.
The Tesla CEO called again for a new political party, saying the bill’s massive spending indicated “that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!”
The billionaire’s fallout earlier this month with former ally Trump was reportedly set off by disagreements about the massive spending bill, which was undergoing a procedural vote late Saturday.
5Trump and Musk sit in a Tesla model S.REUTERS
That spat culminated with Musk endorsing the impeachment and removal of his former chosen candidate.
1.2K
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Musk later apologized to the president, who suggested that a reconciliation between the former allies is still possible.
The billionaire left the Trump administration and his role in DOGE on May 29, 130 days after Trump’s inauguration.
Politics
exclusive
Ryan King and
Kendall White
Published July 16, 2025, 6:00 a.m. ET
132 Comments
Elon Musk changed his phone number after spat with Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson reveals on 'Pod Force One'
New phone, who dis?
Tech mogul Elon Musk changed his cellphone number and stopped returning Mike Johnson’s texts after throwing a titanic fit about the costs included in Republicans’ massive tax-and-spending bill, the House speaker revealed on the latest episode of “Pod Force One,” out Wednesday.
“I sent him a long text message, and then his phone number changed, because after the blow-up, something happened with his,” Johnson told The Post’s Miranda Devine about the bitter billionaire abruptly leaving their chat — right after President Trump and Musk’s bromance went belly-up.
“[Later I] realized I was sending it out into the ether somewhere and he never read it, so I look forward to meeting with him in person,” the speaker said of his former texting buddy. “We got to make that right.”
Though Musk didn’t even give him a heads up before ghosting him, Johnson noted that didn’t stop him from reaching out multiple times through a third party. He was also hopeful that Musk and Trump could mend fences.
“Frankly, I think the president was of that mind as well, but there’s some tension there,” the House GOP leader said of the two billionaires burying the hatchet.
Musk parted ways with the Trump administration at the end of May, then a few days later raged publicly about the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, grumbling over its impact on the deficit in particular. Deficit reduction had been Musk’s top priority when pulling the strings on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The tech tycoon’s efforts to tank the megabill were to no avail, however, as Republicans wrangled it through Congress and Trump signed the landmark bill into law on July 4.
The next day, Musk, who had blasted the bill as “pork-filled” and a “disgusting abomination,” announced his plans to launch a centrist “America Party” alternative to the two-party system.
Trump swiftly responded, calling Musk’s idea “ridiculous.”
4
House Speaker Mike Johnson praised Elon Musk as a genius and opened up about the billionaire’s feud with President Trump.Tamara Beckwith
4
President Trump had given Elon Musk a chummy White House send-off in May before their public falling out.Molly Riley/White House / SWNS
“I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump lamented on Truth Social.
Johnson told Devine that there was likely “a multitude of factors” behind the Trump and Musk split, and that he’d “let everybody else judge the motivations behind it.”
“But clearly, [Musk] got unhappy in a very short period of time,” Johnson acknowledged. “I mean, he generally knew what we were doing, and we talked about it. I mean, he knew for months, many months we worked on this, and I was keeping him apprised of it.”
“The final product maybe didn’t meet all of his expectations in terms of what we’re doing, for example, with electric vehicles and the Biden mandates and all of that,” Johnson told Devine. “But there are other things as well.”
4
Elon Musk raged against the deficit impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.AFP via Getty Images
“But look, I let other people judge that. I’ve got to keep my eyes on the prize and keep going forward, and I’m trying to be a peacemaker in all of it.”
The House Republican leader admitted that he shares Musk’s deep concerns about the rapidly growing national debt but stressed that “we can’t solve the problem overnight” and noted that Republicans are planning to pass rescission packages, which enable them to claw back previously allocated government spending.
“Look, Elon is a genius,” the speaker said. “He does things that I can’t even fathom, but one of his fields of expertise was not necessarily crafting legislation, right?”
Concerning his current relationship with Elon, Johnson told Devine, “I’ve got nothing against Elon, obviously.”
“I have great respect for what he’s done, and I just want him to fully understand what we’re doing and remind him of the strategy. This is a long-term play,” the Louisianan GOPer said.
“We can’t fix this stuff overnight, but we have a plan to do it, and I think that’s going to be pleasing to everybody who’s worried about our deficit and our debt.”
4
President Trump and Elon Musk’s falling out dramatically played out in the public eye.
132
What do you think? Post a comment.
During last week’s Pod Force One episode, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles gave Devine a peek behind the curtains on POTUS’s relationship with the tech mogul.
“The president was very, very kind to him, and Elon had so much to offer us,” Wiles told Devine. “He knew things we didn’t know. He knew people and technologies that we didn’t know.”
“It was a great thing when it was a great thing,” Wiles reflected, “and had a very, I think, a very troublesome ending.”
exclusive
Elon Musk changed his phone number after spat with Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson reveals on ‘Pod Force One’
ByRyan King and
Kendall White
Published July 16, 2025, 6:00 a.m. ET
132 Comments
Elon Musk changed his phone number after spat with Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson reveals on 'Pod Force One'
New phone, who dis?
Tech mogul Elon Musk changed his cellphone number and stopped returning Mike Johnson’s texts after throwing a titanic fit about the costs included in Republicans’ massive tax-and-spending bill, the House speaker revealed on the latest episode of “Pod Force One,” out Wednesday.
“I sent him a long text message, and then his phone number changed, because after the blow-up, something happened with his,” Johnson told The Post’s Miranda Devine about the bitter billionaire abruptly leaving their chat — right after President Trump and Musk’s bromance went belly-up.
“[Later I] realized I was sending it out into the ether somewhere and he never read it, so I look forward to meeting with him in person,” the speaker said of his former texting buddy. “We got to make that right.”
Though Musk didn’t even give him a heads up before ghosting him, Johnson noted that didn’t stop him from reaching out multiple times through a third party. He was also hopeful that Musk and Trump could mend fences.
“Frankly, I think the president was of that mind as well, but there’s some tension there,” the House GOP leader said of the two billionaires burying the hatchet.
Musk parted ways with the Trump administration at the end of May, then a few days later raged publicly about the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, grumbling over its impact on the deficit in particular. Deficit reduction had been Musk’s top priority when pulling the strings on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The tech tycoon’s efforts to tank the megabill were to no avail, however, as Republicans wrangled it through Congress and Trump signed the landmark bill into law on July 4.
The next day, Musk, who had blasted the bill as “pork-filled” and a “disgusting abomination,” announced his plans to launch a centrist “America Party” alternative to the two-party system.
Trump swiftly responded, calling Musk’s idea “ridiculous.”
4House Speaker Mike Johnson praised Elon Musk as a genius and opened up about the billionaire’s feud with President Trump.Tamara Beckwith
4President Trump had given Elon Musk a chummy White House send-off in May before their public falling out.Molly Riley/White House / SWNS
“I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump lamented on Truth Social.
Johnson told Devine that there was likely “a multitude of factors” behind the Trump and Musk split, and that he’d “let everybody else judge the motivations behind it.”
“But clearly, [Musk] got unhappy in a very short period of time,” Johnson acknowledged. “I mean, he generally knew what we were doing, and we talked about it. I mean, he knew for months, many months we worked on this, and I was keeping him apprised of it.”
“The final product maybe didn’t meet all of his expectations in terms of what we’re doing, for example, with electric vehicles and the Biden mandates and all of that,” Johnson told Devine. “But there are other things as well.”
4Elon Musk raged against the deficit impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.AFP via Getty Images
“But look, I let other people judge that. I’ve got to keep my eyes on the prize and keep going forward, and I’m trying to be a peacemaker in all of it.”
The House Republican leader admitted that he shares Musk’s deep concerns about the rapidly growing national debt but stressed that “we can’t solve the problem overnight” and noted that Republicans are planning to pass rescission packages, which enable them to claw back previously allocated government spending.
Full episode
“Look, Elon is a genius,” the speaker said. “He does things that I can’t even fathom, but one of his fields of expertise was not necessarily crafting legislation, right?”
Concerning his current relationship with Elon, Johnson told Devine, “I’ve got nothing against Elon, obviously.”
“I have great respect for what he’s done, and I just want him to fully understand what we’re doing and remind him of the strategy. This is a long-term play,” the Louisianan GOPer said.
“We can’t fix this stuff overnight, but we have a plan to do it, and I think that’s going to be pleasing to everybody who’s worried about our deficit and our debt.”
4President Trump and Elon Musk’s falling out dramatically played out in the public eye.
132
What do you think? Post a comment.
During last week’s Pod Force One episode, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles gave Devine a peek behind the curtains on POTUS’s relationship with the tech mogul.
“The president was very, very kind to him, and Elon had so much to offer us,” Wiles told Devine. “He knew things we didn’t know. He knew people and technologies that we didn’t know.”
“It was a great thing when it was a great thing,” Wiles reflected, “and had a very, I think, a very troublesome ending.”
'It's a cover up': Musk floods X with posts attacking Trump over Epstein
WILL STEAKIN
Thu, July 17, 2025 at 4:46 PM EDT
2.6k
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who earlier this month feuded online with President Donald Trump after stepping down as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, has been flooding his social media feed with criticism of Trump and his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Using his X platform, Musk has been on a posting spree since Wednesday, posting or reposting criticisms of Trump's handling of the Epstein files more than 35 times.
He's even used his AI chatbot Grok -- which just clinched a $200 million deal with the Trump administration -- to address the issue.
MORE: Trump blasts 'stupid' and 'foolish' Republicans amid calls to reveal more Epstein files
The administration angered many of Trump's supporters when it announced last week that it would not release any additional files on Epstein, the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail by suicide in 2019, after earlier promising to do so.
Musk's avalanche of attacks comes just weeks after he posted -- but later deleted -- a claim that Trump's name appeared in the Epstein files, and that that was why more documents weren't being released.
At the time he said the post "went too far." Now, however, he's returned to attacking the president.
In one post, Musk called the Trump administration's actions "a cover up (obviously)" and claimed in another that "so many powerful people want that list suppressed."
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images - PHOTO: Elon Musk arrives on Capitol Hill on December 05, 2024 in Washington, DC.
In response to Trump calling the matter the "Epstein Hoax," Musk mockingly wrote, "Wow, amazing that Epstein 'killed himself' and Ghislaine is in federal prison for a hoax," referring to former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell who is serving a 20-year prison term for aiding Epstein in his sexual abuse of underage girls.
Musk also took a shot at how Trump has handled past issues, listing, "1. Admit nothing; 2. Deny everything; 3. Make counterclaims" -- before adding, "But it won’t work this time."
He also reposted a photo of the binders that Attorney General passed out to MAGA influencers at the White House in February that were labeled "Epstein files: Phase 1."
"Where is 'Phase 2'? Musk asked.
Addressing X's AI chatbot, Grok, Musk asked, "Would that mean the government right now -- as we speak -- knows the names & ages of all those who traveled on Epstein’s plane?"
"Yes, the DOJ and FAA hold extensive passenger manifests and flight logs from Epstein's jets," Grok replied.
MORE: What we know and don't know about Jeffrey Epstein, according to key victims' attorney
Though Musk slammed Trump's handling of the Epstein files, his attacks themselves were riddled with false assumptions, including conspiracy theories about the existence of an Epstein "client list," which is unsupported by evidence.
Responding to criticism from Musk earlier this month, Trump posted to his own social media platform, "I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely 'off the rails,' essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks."
Musk, the top donor in the 2024 election who helped boost Trump's path to victory, led the administration's effort to slash the federal government before stepping down from the post in May.
A White House spokesperson, when asked for comment, directed ABC News to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's comments during Thursday's press briefing. Asked if Trump has been in contact with any of the social media influencers who have challenged his handling of the Epstein files, Leavitt said, "The president and this team are always in contact with the president’s supporters, with voices of many kinds on both sides of the aisle."
"But, ultimately, he has led this country not just over the past six months to historic success, but also through his first four years as president ... and as I always say, the American people should trust in President Trump," Leavitt said.
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