Rabat – The once-strong alliance between US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk has fractured in dramatic fashion, with a fierce exchange of insults playing out across social media on Thursday.
The public row began after Musk denounced Trump’s flagship tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination,” urging Americans to pressure their representatives to reject it.
Trump responded that he was “very disappointed” in Musk, hinting that the dispute could spell the end of their “great relationship.”
Musk hit back swiftly, accusing Trump of “ingratitude” and claiming credit for his political success. “Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” Musk wrote on X.
At the heart of the dispute is Trump’s recently passed spending bill, which Musk argues dangerously inflates the national debt and removes crucial subsidies for electric vehicles, impacting his Tesla business.
Trump dismissed the concerns, suggesting Musk’s anger stemmed from the loss of government incentives.
In another tweet, “If America goes broke, nothing else matters,” Musk wrote.
The fallout has had financial consequences. Tesla’s stock plunged over 14% on Thursday, wiping out around $150 billion in market value, the largest single-day loss in the company’s history.
SpaceX also briefly threatened to decommission its Dragon spacecraft, though Musk later walked back the decision.
The rift marks a sharp reversal in fortunes for two of America’s most high-profile figures, whose political and business collaboration began with Musk’s endorsement of Trump following an assassination attempt last year.
Musk later poured $290 million into Trump’s campaign and briefly led the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).
According to Reuters, attempts to arrange a reconciliation call on Friday were reportedly abandoned. A White House official confirmed that no conversation between the two men is expected, suggesting that the political partnership that once dominated headlines may now be over.
