The public feud between Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump escalated dramatically on Thursday, June 5, 2025, shaking political and financial circles across the United States. What began earlier in the week as a disagreement over a controversial budget bill has spiraled into a war of words involving accusations of criminal associations, threats to government contracts, and calls for impeachment.
Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, ignited the latest round of conflict by claiming on his social media platform X that Donald Trump is named in the secret Jeffrey Epstein files, which reportedly contain sensitive information about the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender. Musk boldly declared, "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!" He further cryptically added, "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out." This explosive statement has reverberated across social media, drawing over 16 million impressions and sparking intense debate.
The accusation came on the heels of Musk’s sharp criticism of the "big, beautiful bill," a sprawling $1.6 trillion tax and spending legislation championed by Trump. Musk labeled the bill a "disgusting abomination," condemning the pork-filled nature of the spending and urging politicians to "kill the Bill." He particularly objected to provisions rolling back Biden-era electric vehicle incentives, which could cost Tesla an estimated $3 billion in lost tax credits and sales opportunities, including a ban on similar schemes in California.
Trump fired back during an Oval Office press conference, dismissing Musk’s complaints as self-interested and accusing him of "Trump derangement syndrome." He said Musk initially had no problem with the bill but only developed objections upon learning about cuts to the electric vehicle mandate, which Trump claimed would save the government "billions and billions of dollars." Trump also threatened to cancel all government contracts and subsidies for Musk’s companies, Tesla and SpaceX, a move that could jeopardize critical NASA operations reliant on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rockets.
In response, Musk announced he would begin decommissioning the Dragon spacecraft used by NASA to ferry astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station. This announcement underscores the potential fallout of the escalating dispute, which has already spooked investors and sent Tesla’s stock plummeting 14.3% on Thursday, wiping out approximately $34 billion of Musk’s net worth—the second-largest single-day drop in Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index history.
The rift has also fractured political alliances. Musk’s accusations extended to key Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, accusing them of twisting their past fiscal hawk positions to support the spending package. Johnson fired back, asserting that his fiscal hawk identity remains intact and that he is committed to restoring economic growth and fiscal responsibility.
Meanwhile, the White House has been caught in the middle of this power struggle. Staffers are reportedly preparing to force allies to pick sides between Trump and Musk, creating tensions within the administration. An official described Musk as "clearly having an episode," while former Trump adviser Steve Bannon urged the president to take drastic steps, including initiating a formal investigation into Musk’s immigration status and deporting him, as well as seizing control of SpaceX under the Defense Production Act.
Despite the chaos, some Trump loyalists like Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene have publicly reaffirmed their support for the former president. Greene, who chaired the House Doge subcommittee supporting Musk’s cost-cutting efforts, voted for the spending bill but has expressed reservations about a clause limiting state powers to regulate artificial intelligence companies.
Social media has been ablaze with reactions to the feud. Musk’s earlier affectionate tweet from February 2025, where he said he loved Trump "as much as a straight man can love another man," has been widely circulated, highlighting the dramatic collapse of their relationship. Public figures including rapper Kanye West have called for peace between the two, while commentators and media personalities have offered to mediate the dispute.
The controversy surrounding Musk’s Epstein allegations has also reignited calls from House Democrats for the full release of the Epstein files. Representative Dan Goldman accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of concealing the files to protect Trump, a suspicion seemingly confirmed by Musk’s revelations. The files’ full release has been delayed since an initial partial release in February 2025, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating there is no specific timeline for publication.
Donald Trump’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein has long been a subject of public scrutiny. Flight logs released earlier this year named Trump seven times, though no wrongdoing has been established. Trump was once friends with Epstein, describing him in 2002 as a "terrific guy" who "likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." However, Trump claimed to have had a falling out with Epstein in the mid-2000s and distanced himself after Epstein’s 2019 arrest and subsequent death by suicide in jail.
The FBI has promised to release video evidence confirming Epstein’s suicide to quell conspiracy theories, but public suspicion remains high. Testimony during Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2020 trial also linked Epstein to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, where a young woman testified Epstein introduced her to Trump at age 14, though no allegations of misconduct against Trump were made.
Adding to the turmoil, Musk predicted the U.S. will enter a recession within months, blaming Trump’s tariffs for the economic downturn. He has previously criticized Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro, calling him "dumber than a sack of bricks." The economic uncertainty is reflected in Wall Street’s reaction: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes fell, and the Vix volatility index rose nearly 5% amid fears of regulatory crackdowns on autonomous vehicles and other tech sectors.
As the Musk-Trump feud deepens, its consequences ripple beyond personal animosity, threatening government operations, political cohesion, and market stability. With billions of dollars at stake and the specter of impeachment now raised by Musk, the nation watches closely as two of its most influential figures clash in a battle that could reshape the political and economic landscape.