by .webp)
US President Donald Trump has escalated his feud with billionaire Elon Musk, threatening to turn the cost-cutting agency Doge—previously led by Musk—against the tech mogul’s companies. The public spat centres on Trump’s controversial budget plan, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill,” which has reignited tensions between the former allies.
In a social media post, Trump claimed Musk “may get more subsidy than any human being in history” and suggested Doge could scrutinise his businesses, hinting at “BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” Musk fired back, writing, “I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now.” He has repeatedly criticised Trump’s bill, arguing it undermines his efforts to slash government spending. The dispute, which first erupted last month, intensified as Congress voted on the legislation. Despite Republican majorities in both chambers, some party members joined Democrats in opposing the bill, which proposes increased spending on border security, defence, and energy, offset by cuts to healthcare and food-support programmes. The Senate passed the bill in a marathon session, with Vice-President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. Trump suggested Musk’s opposition stems from provisions in the bill that would eliminate electric vehicle (EV) incentives, impacting Musk’s Tesla. “He’s upset that he’s losing his EV mandate,” Trump told reporters, adding, “Doge is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. He gets a lot of subsidies.” Musk, however, insisted his stance is driven by a commitment to reducing government expenditure. Posting on his platform X, he shared a graph of rising US debt, captioning it, “When are they going to flatten this curve?” He also vowed to challenge lawmakers who supported the bill, which is projected to add £2.4 trillion to the national debt, in next year’s primaries and even floated the idea of forming a new political party. The row marks a dramatic unraveling of the Trump-Musk alliance, which saw Musk spend heavily to support Trump’s re-election campaign last year. Musk’s departure from his role at Doge, tasked with identifying government savings, followed his vocal criticism of the budget plan. As the bill returns to the House, the ongoing clash between the president and the tech billionaire continues to dominate headlines, with both sides trading barbs in a very public fallout.
