Editor: How to lose a civilization without even trying : (
The once-strong alliance between President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk has dramatically unraveled, erupting into a highly public and personal feud across their respective social media platforms. The dispute, which had been simmering for days, exploded on Thursday, June 5, 2025, and quickly became one of the most closely watched political-media showdowns of the year.
Key Events and Escalation
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The conflict began when Musk publicly criticized Trump’s signature legislative proposal, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” calling it “pork-filled” and a “disgusting abomination” on his platform, X (formerly Twitter)17.
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Musk argued that the bill would balloon the federal deficit and predicted it would trigger a recession later in the year. He also slammed Trump’s tariff policies, a cornerstone of the president’s economic agenda, warning they would disrupt markets crucial to Musk’s businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX16.
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Trump, initially silent, responded during a White House meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, expressing his disappointment in Musk and suggesting Musk’s opposition was motivated by personal business interests—specifically, concerns about the removal of electric vehicle (EV) mandates that benefited Tesla123.
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The feud quickly turned personal. Trump threatened to cut off government contracts with Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Starlink, posting on Truth Social that Musk had “gone CRAZY” after losing the EV mandate and that the “easiest way to save money” would be to “terminate Elon's governmental subsidies and contracts”1467.
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Musk fired back in real time, posting memes, resurrecting old Trump tweets on fiscal responsibility, and even agreeing with calls for Trump’s impeachment. He accused Trump of “ingratitude” for his support during the 2024 election, claiming Democrats would have won without his help236.
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The feud reached a new low when Musk, without evidence, claimed on X that Trump’s administration had not released all records related to Jeffrey Epstein because Trump was mentioned in them, escalating the dispute from policy to personal attacks16.
Platforms and Public Impact
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The clash played out on two rival platforms: Trump’s Truth Social, with around 6.3 million active users, and Musk’s X, with an estimated 600 million users5. Musk’s posts, often meme-laden and provocative, reached a far wider audience and generated more engagement than Trump’s responses.
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Observers noted that Trump, once considered the master of social media, appeared outmatched by Musk’s relentless posting and larger following. The spectacle drew widespread attention, with social media influencers and political commentators describing it as one of the most explosive online confrontations in recent memory510.
Underlying Issues
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The feud centers on deep policy disagreements—particularly over government spending, tariffs, and EV incentives—but has become intensely personal, reflecting both men’s penchant for public confrontation and their desire to dominate the media narrative1236.
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Trump has framed Musk’s opposition as self-serving, while Musk insists his criticism is about national fiscal responsibility and not personal gain. Both have accused each other of hypocrisy and ingratitude, with Musk highlighting Trump’s shifting positions on the national debt and Trump questioning Musk’s motives regarding EV policies236.
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The dispute has also had financial repercussions: shares of both Tesla and Trump Media & Technology Group reportedly fell as the feud intensified5.
Outlook
The Trump-Musk feud shows no sign of abating. With both men wielding enormous influence—Trump as president and Musk as the world’s richest person and owner of a major social media platform—their public clash is likely to continue dominating headlines and shaping political discourse in the months ahead357.
“A knock-down fight between the world’s richest person and the most powerful politician is playing out in public view… The world may soon witness the outcome.”3
- https://nationalpost.com/news/world/donald-trump-elon-musk-feud
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/politics/donald-trump-elon-musk-ugliest-comments-analysis
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wd2215q08o
- https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-says-disappointed-elon-musks-attacks-gop-spending-bill-rcna211226
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/media/elon-musk-trump-truth-social-x-twitter-feud
- https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-disappointed-elon-musk-musk-strikes-back-real/story?id=122543215
- https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/disgusting-abomination-crazy-trump-musk-social-media-brawl-2025-06-05/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vh_TP8Cl0k
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNuETp5m0Qc
- https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/trump-and-musk-go-for-the-jugular-as-they-exchange-escalating-attacks-on-social-media-240992837559
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