Disputes Arise during Call Between Xi and Trump, Trump-Musk Verbal Sparks during 20th Week of Presidential Tenure
Sparking Fury: Elon Musk and President Trump Lock Horns in Public Spectacle
'Kudlow' host Larry Kudlow discusses the heated encounter between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump over the controversial 'big, beautiful bill' on 'America Reports.'
In an unexpected display of verbal fencing, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump locked horns publicly this week, just days after the White House showcased Musk's contributions to spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk stepped down from his role with DOGE on May 30, but soon after, he launched a barrage of criticisms against Trump's gigantic tax and spending package—aptly named the "big, beautiful, bill." On Tuesday, Musk described the measure as a "tasteless atrocity" due to projections it would swell the federal deficit.
On Thursday, Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office, stating that Musk opposed the bill because it phased out the electric vehicle tax credit benefiting companies such as Tesla, which Musk co-founded. However, Trump added that this provision had always been part of the bill.
"I'm truly disillusioned, for Musk was well-versed in the innermost workings of this bill, even more so than those of us gathered here, as well as the media," Trump told German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during their Oval Office meeting. "Yet, out of the blue, he suddenly develops an issue, and it only transpired when he learned we'd need to ax the EV mandate, since that would mean billions and billions of dollars—and the truth is, it's rather unjust."
*TRUMP CALLED IT QUITS WITH MUSK: 'ELON'S GONE COMPLETELY NUTS'*
Elon Musk shakes hands with President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House, May 30, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)
Musk swiftly responded via X, chiding the elimination of the bill's "filthy pork" add-ons and denying ever being shown the proposed legislation at any point. The two continued their back-and-forth, with Musk asserting that Trump wouldn't have emerged victorious in the 2024 election without his backing.
Simultaneously, Trump accused Musk of going "crazy" over cuts to the EV credits and declared that Musk had begun to wear thin. Moreover, Trump divulged to our website on Friday that he no longer yearned to converse with Musk, despite rumors suggesting the two would converse.
Remember, this wasn't the first time Musk entered into a spat with a prominent politician—he initially feuded with Trump during his presidential campaign in 2016.
Here's what transpired this week apart from the dramatic Musk-Trump banter:
Visit with the Chancellor of Germany
Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz paid a visit to the White House on Thursday, where he and Trump discussed the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
While Merz contended that the U.S. was positioned to bring a decisive end to the struggle between Ukraine and Russia, Trump proposed that the world may need to "allow them to wage war for a spell."
"America today stands bolstered to impose change on this conflict, putting an end to this conflict," Merz said.
*MERZ SAYS US READY TO HALT PUTIN'S AGGRESSION*
President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Merz pledged Germany's support in any effort to end the battle, expressing a wish to collaborate with the U.S. in forging a peace agreement. Merz further advocated for European allies to exert pressure on Russia—the instigator of the conflict—to encourage peace.
But Trump indicated that he had conveyed to Putin in a recent call that perhaps both nations must bear the brunt of war's consequences more acutely, claiming he had told Putin "maybe you'll have to keep fighting and suffering a great deal."
"At times, you observe two young children brawling intensely—hating each other—in a park, and you attempt to separate them, but they resist. Sometimes, you're better off permitting them to fight for a while, then prying them apart," Trump revealed.
China Call-in
Trump discussed ongoing trade negotiations with China and President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
"I just held a productive conversation with President Xi, of China, examining some of the intricacies of our recently forged, agreed-upon Trade Deal," Trump penned on Truth Social. "The call unfolded for approximately an hour-and-a-half, culminating in a favorable outcome for both Nations."
Trump highlighted that the conversation remained concentrated on trade matters and that Xi had extended an invitation to Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to visit China. Likewise, Trump extended an invitation to Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to visit the U.S.
*TRUMP EXULTS IN 'POSITIVE' RESULTS WITH XI FOLLOWING CHINA CRITICISM*
President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The discussion ensued shortly after Trump publicly admonished China for violating the initial trade agreement hammered out in May. Furthermore, Trump criticized Xi as "extremely difficult to negotiate with" during a Truth Social post on Wednesday.
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The negotiations that occurred in May led both countries to concur that the U.S. would revive tariffs against Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, and China would lower its tariffs against U.S. imports from 125% to 10%.
our website' Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Diana Stancy is a politics journalist for our website Digital, focusing on the White House.
- The disagreement between Elon Musk and President Trump, over the 'big, beautiful bill' legislation, extended beyond the realm of politics and shapeshifted into a spectacle of public verbal fencing.
- Apart from the entertaining Musk-Trump banter, the week also saw discussions on war-and-conflicts, as President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz debated the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
- In the realm of policy-and-legislation, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on ongoing trade negotiations, with the aim of achieving beneficial outcomes for both nations.
- In the intertwined worlds of entertainment, pop-culture, general-news, and crime-and-justice, the public spat between Elon Musk and President Trump served as a historic display of high-profile disagreement, which transpired in the context of policy decisions and legislation.
