President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk publicly traded barbs amid their public fallout.
"Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," Trump told reporters on Thursday (June 5) via ABC News.
Musk responded in a post shared on his X account claiming Trump was showing "such ingratitude" after he spent more than $270 million backing his presidential campaign in 2024.
"Whatever. 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 wrote in a separate post. "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."
Musk and Trump hadn't spoken to each other since the Tesla CEO announced his decision to depart from the administration last week and public stance against the president's "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act," two sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ABC News on Thursday. Trump had, however, downplayed Musk's public criticism of the spending bill as he claimed he hadn't made any personal attacks while fielding reporters' questions alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office on Thursday.
"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 said of Musk.