U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced his disappointment over Elon Musk’s sharp criticism of a major policy bill, casting doubt on the future of their personal and professional relationship.
Speaking during a tense Oval Office press briefing with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump addressed Musk’s recent remarks, describing the SpaceX and Tesla CEO’s opposition to the legislation as unexpected and disheartening.
“Elon and I had a great relationship—I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised,” Trump told reporters. “I’m very disappointed because Elon understood the inner workings of this bill better than almost anyone in the room. Then suddenly, he’s against it.”
Musk had earlier blasted the bill as an “abomination,” prompting Trump’s comments. The billionaire responded swiftly via his X platform (formerly Twitter), calling Trump’s claim that he had prior knowledge of the bill “false.”
“Whatever,” Musk added, captioning a video of Trump suggesting Musk was upset about the reduction in subsidies for electric vehicles.
The fallout marks a sudden shift in the relationship between the two men. Just a week earlier, Trump had publicly praised Musk during a farewell ceremony at the Oval Office as the tech mogul concluded his tenure as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting initiative.
Musk appeared at the event with a visible black eye, which he attributed to an accident involving his son. Trump recounted the moment during the briefing:
“You saw a man who was very happy, even with the black eye. I offered him makeup, but he declined. He said, ‘No, I don’t think so,’ which I thought was interesting. He wants to be who he is.”
Trump acknowledged that some of his recent decisions, such as withdrawing a Musk-backed nominee for NASA Administrator, may have contributed to the rift. Musk, however, did not hold back, calling the bill a “disgusting abomination” and urging Republicans to reject it.
“Kill the bill,” Musk wrote, advocating instead for a fiscally responsible alternative that “doesn’t massively grow the deficit.”