This week, a public feud erupted between U.S. president Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk.
It began when Musk took aim at Trump’s flagship “‘Big Beautiful Bill’” — a sweeping tax‑cut and spending package — calling it a “disgusting abomination” on his X platform. [businessinsider.com]
He accused the bill of worsening the national debt and derided lawmakers supporting it.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote on X on Tuesday afternoon. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.”
Trump didn’t hold back in response. He accused Musk of being ungrateful, claimed Musk must have known about the bill, and went as far as threatening to strip Musk’s companies — including SpaceX and Tesla — of government contracts and subsidies, suggesting it could save “Billions and Billions of Dollars” from the federal budget.
Musk quickly struck back. He defended his stance, that he had no prior knowledge of the bill, mused publicly about forming a new centrist political party, and even supported calls for Trump’s impeachment.
He warned that Trump’s tariffs could trigger an economic downturn and floated the possibility of decommissioning SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft — a critical component of NASA missions.
Their feud has already had market consequences. Tesla shares dropped roughly 14%, erasing an estimated $150 billion in market value. [theguardian.com]
Meanwhile, Trump Media has also felt the impact amid plummeting stock sentiment and growing speculation about Musk’s future role in GOP funding. [thetimes.com]
