WASHINGTON — Tech billionaire Elon Musk declared Thursday that President Donald Trump would have lost the 2024 election without his support, intensifying a high-profile feud between the two former allies that erupted earlier in the day.
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” Musk posted on his social media platform X. “Such ingratitude,” he added.
Musk’s latest comments come after days of withering criticism of Trump’s legislative centerpiece, a sweeping tax and spending bill that Musk has repeatedly labeled a “pork-filled abomination.” The rift marks a sharp turn for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who played a prominent role in Trump’s successful 2024 campaign and served until last week as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk, who spent millions backing Trump’s re-election bid, joined the president frequently on the trail and touted his work to streamline government operations. But since leaving the administration, Musk has become one of the loudest voices opposing Trump’s fiscal policy agenda, urging Congress to reject the president’s “big, beautiful bill.”
Speaking from the Oval Office alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump acknowledged Musk’s recent criticism and expressed surprise at the public falling out.
“I’ve always liked Elon. And so I was very surprised,” Trump 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.”
Trump added, “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will any more.”
Musk responded swiftly on X, doubling down on his opposition to the legislation and mocking Trump’s branding of the bill. “A bill cannot be both big and beautiful,” he posted.
Musk had previously characterized the proposal — which extends 2017-era tax cuts and includes hundreds of billions for border security and defense — as fiscally reckless. He has accused lawmakers of betraying voters by advancing the bill, which would curtail subsidies benefiting Tesla and other electric vehicle makers.
“In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,” Musk wrote in another post, while circulating criticism of GOP lawmakers backing the bill.
The clash has placed some Republican leaders in a difficult position, caught between the party’s standard-bearer and one of its most influential financial backers. Musk, the world’s richest person, previously pledged to help defeat Republican incumbents who strayed from Trump’s agenda. Now, he appears poised to challenge those who advance it.
It remains unclear how Musk plans to wield his influence going forward. Despite suggesting he would scale back political donations, he has left open the possibility of intervening in the 2026 midterms “if I see a reason.”
The spending bill’s fate is still uncertain in the Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 53-seat majority. Two of the chamber’s most fiscally conservative members, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, have already echoed Musk’s concerns, citing excessive federal spending and inflation.
Even so, GOP loyalty to Trump remains strong. Republican strategists say that while Musk’s criticism is a disruption, it’s unlikely to shift party priorities.
“Elon Musk is a significant voice, but Trump still sets the tone for Republican voters,” said one senior GOP aide.
As tensions escalate between the tech mogul and the president he once supported, the growing public dispute underscores the challenges Republicans face in managing both internal dissent and external expectations heading into the next election cycle.
Fox59.com
