paywall

paywall

Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images

When we last left Donald Trump and Elon Musk, it seemed their epic, public falling-out had come to an end. On June 11, the former DOGE chief shared a concise apology post on X, admitting that he “went too far” in some of his attacks on the president (presumably, he was referring to the now-deleted posts that endorsed a call for Trump’s impeachment and claimed Trump is in the Jeffrey Epstein files). Trump took the win with uncharacteristic grace, saying of Musk’s apology tweet, “I thought it was very nice that he did that.”

So life moved on. Trump celebrated his birthday with a military parade, bombed Iran, declared war on Congressman Thomas Massie, and found a new problematic friend at the NATO summit. The Tesla CEO went back to announcing controversial vehicles and X changes. The “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” at the heart of the Trump-Musk feud kept chugging through Congress.

But then Musk decided to revive his campaign against the bill, which Republicans hope to have on Trump’s desk by the end of the week. He slammed the bill in a series of X posts on Saturday, calling it “incredibly destructive,” “utterly insane,” and “political suicide for the Republican Party.”

The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future. https://t.co/TZ9w1g7zHF

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 28, 2025

This would be incredibly destructive to America! https://t.co/NupyRCFCZA

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 28, 2025

Polls show that this bill is political suicide for the Republican Party pic.twitter.com/HJwKZ9g4tu

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 28, 2025

Hours later, Republicans narrowly voted to advance the megabill. The two defectors, senators Rand Paul and Thom Tillis, did not cite Musk’s new round of complaints as a major factor in their decision.

Musk continued attacking the bill during Monday’s Senate “vote-a-rama,” one of the last hurdles before the final vote:

Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025

How can you call yourself the Freedom Caucus if you vote for a DEBT SLAVERY bill with the biggest debt ceiling increase in history?@RepAndyHarrisMD @chiproytx

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025

Trump, presumably, isn’t thrilled about Musk’s last-minute attempt to sink his signature legislative package. But so far, he has refrained from hitting back. Trump ignored Musk’s remarks, and he even praised his frenemy in an interview with Maria Bartiromo that aired on Sunday on Fox News.

“I think he’s a wonderful guy,” Trump said. “I haven’t spoken to him much, but I think Elon is a wonderful guy, and I know he’s going to do well always.”

The president summarized their public blowup by saying Musk was understandably unhappy about the megabill’s cuts to the Biden administration’s electric-vehicle tax credits. “At the end, he got a little bit upset, and that wasn’t appropriate,” Trump noted.

Trump: I think Elon is a wonderful guy. I know he’s going to do well always. He’s a smart guy. He actually went and campaigned with me and, you know, this and that. At the end, he got a little bit upset, and that wasn’t appropriate. Bartiromo: Why did he get upset?Trump:… pic.twitter.com/KLy2Joyc0L

— Acyn (@Acyn) June 29, 2025

Trump downplaying his former friend suggesting he’s covering up his involvement with a notorious pedophile as merely not “appropriate” seems like a sure sign that he really doesn’t want to reignite their feud. But Musk may not be willing to move on, even after the bill’s fate is decided in the coming days.

In a new interview with Politico, scientist and NeuroVigil founder Philip Low said that as a former friend of Musk’s, he doubts he’ll ever let go of his Trump feud.

“He has been humiliated,” Low said. “The whole idea that Elon is going to be on his side and help woo Congress and invest in election campaigns for right-wing judges — Elon might do all of that, but deep down, it’s over.

“Knowing Elon the way I know him, I do think he’s going to do everything to damage the president,” he added.

So if you were sorry to see the Trump-Musk drama wrap up so abruptly, stay tuned.

Elon Musk Is Not Done Fighting With Trump

Elon Musk Is Not Done Fighting With Trump