“President Trump has done more than any person in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads. I’m proud to stand beside him,” Vance wrote on X (formerly Twitter), on Friday, June 6.
President Trump has done more than any person in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads. I’m proud to stand beside him.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) June 6, 2025
From praise to conflict over budget bill
The fallout came days after Trump lauded Musk at a White House event, referring to him as “one of the greatest business leaders and innovator the world has ever produced.”
The compliment came shortly after Musk stepped down from his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) last Friday, May 30, as per The Times of India (TOI).
However, the goodwill between the two figures was short-lived. On Tuesday, June 3, Musk criticised a major government budget deal brokered by Trump, calling it a “disgusting abomination” and accusing the lawmakers of betrayal. He asked the government to “kill the bill”.
Read more: Big break for Elon Musk’s Starlink in India, gets telecom ministry licenceAttacks and accusations intensify
By June 5, the tensions had escalated further. Trump acknowledged the strain in their relationship, telling reporters during a meeting with the German Chancellor, “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore.”
The dispute became personal on social media. Musk accused Trump of being ungrateful and pointed out his substantial financial contributions to the government.
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” he said. He claimed that Trump’s frustrations stemmed from changes in electric vehicle policy affecting Tesla’s business interests.
Read more: Tesla shares tank 14%, market cap takes a $152 billion hit after Elon Musk, President Trump spat
Trump responded on Truth Social, asserting that he had scrapped Musk’s “EV mandate” and threatened to end federal subsidies and contracts for musk’s companies.
In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately pic.twitter.com/NG9sijjkgW
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
In further provocation, Musk supported an X user’s call for Trump’s impeachment and replacement with JD Vance. He also alleged that Trump’s name appears in sealed documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
First Published: Jun 6, 2025 4:01 PM IS
