President Donald Trump Criticizes Former Ally Elon Musk
President Donald Trump has taken a jab at his former close associate Elon Musk, expressing disappointment in the tech billionaire.
Rumors have swirled for months about a rift between the two, despite their previously close relationship following Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January. While Musk’s eventual departure from the Trump administration was anticipated, the timing raised eyebrows.
Musk had been serving as a ‘special government employee,’ a role that allowed him to contribute up to 130 days per year. However, he resigned three days earlier than expected — just one day after publicly criticizing Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill.”
Speaking from the Oval Office on June 5, Trump said, “Look, I’ve always liked Elon. It was very surprising. You saw what he said about me — the words. And he hasn’t said anything bad about me — yet. But I’m disappointed in him.”
“I’d rather have him criticize me than the bill, because the bill is incredible. Elon and I had a great relationship, I don’t know if it went well anymore.
“I was surprised because, you were here, everybody in this room practically was here as we had a wonderful send off. He said wonderful things about me couldn’t have nicer. Said the best thing.
“But I’m very disappointed, because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here.”
Musk has since responded to him on Twitter, penning: “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!”
It isn’t the first time Musk has been vocal on the bill.
Elon Musk has been vocal about Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ – in a manner that has disappointed the POTUS (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Speaking to CBS in a preview clip that aired on Tuesday (May 27), Musk said: “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill frankly, which increases the budget deficit not just decrease it, and undermines the work that the Doge team is doing.
“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful… but I don’t know if it could be both, my personal opinion.”
The bill devised an increased in defense spending, including Trump’s ambition to implement a ‘Golden Dome’ above the US, which would protect it from enemy missiles, as well as multi-trillion dollar tax breaks.
However, as Musk mentioned, it undermined his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – with the new legislation could could increase government spending by around $600 billion in the next fiscal year.
