Trump Floats Canceling Elon Musk’s Government Subsidies, Contracts as Feud Between Former Allies Escalates
President Donald Trump floated the idea of canceling Elon Musk’s government subsidies on Thursday, just hours after the Tesla CEO claimed he singlehandedly got Trump elected in 2024 and accused the president of lacking gratitude.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!” President Trump declared in a Thursday Truth Social post.
In another Truth Social post issued a few minutes earlier, the president said Musk went “CRAZY” after he withdrew the X owner’s electric vehicle mandate “that forced everyone to buy” EVs.
“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” Trump wrote.
Notably, just two hours before the president made his remarks on Truth Social, Musk had issued an X post that read, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House, and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.”
“Such ingratitude,” the SpaceX CEO added in a follow-up X post.
The back and forth arrives on the heels of Musk criticizing President Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” which he referred to as “a disgusting abomination.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” the tech billionaire said in a Tuesday X post. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.”
“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” Musk added.
On Thursday, President Trump fired back, saying that he was “very surprised” and “disappointed” by Musk’s sharp criticism during a White House meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“I’ve always liked Elon, and so I was very surprised,” the 45th and 47th president said. “You saw the words he had for me, and he hasn’t said anything about me that’s bad. I’d rather have him criticize me than the bill. Because the bill is incredible.”
“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will any more,” Trump added.
The president also remarked that Musk’s problem with the Big Beautiful Bill revolves mostly around the legislation’s elimination of electric vehicle tax credits, and noted that Musk was aware of the policy “from the beginning.”
“He knew every aspect of this bill. He knew it better than almost anybody. And he never had a problem until right after he left. I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot,” President Trump said.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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