The war of words between Donald Trump and Elon Musk intensified on Thursday, with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO responding bluntly to the US president’s criticism over his opposition to Trump’s signature economic bill.“Whatever,” Musk posted on X. “Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill.”Musk’s post followed Trump’s remarks from the Oval Office, where he said he was “very disappointed” in the billionaire. “I’ve helped him a lot,” Trump said. “He knew the inner workings of the bill better than anybody sitting here. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out we’re going to cut the EV mandate.”Musk hit back quickly, saying, “False. This bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”He also mocked Trump’s branding of the legislation as “big and beautiful,” saying, “In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful. Everyone knows this! Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way.”The bill in question, Trump’s marquee tax and energy reform package, includes cuts to electric vehicle incentives and solar subsidies, a move Musk has opposed publicly. The spat has fueled speculation that the once-friendly relationship between Trump and Musk may have reached a breaking point.
