Trump and Musk lock horns, exchanging barbs and acrimonious remarks, intensifying their public spat.
Washington D.C. - Things got heated between Elon Musk and President Trump yesterday, as Musk threatened to decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft in response to Trump threatening to cancel SpaceX's government contracts and subsidies. This feud stems from Musk's vocal opposition to Trump's domestic policy package, namely the tax and budget bill.
Musk dropped the bombshell during a post on social media, claiming that President Trump's name appeared in files related to the case of Jeffrey Epstein. "@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files," Musk wrote. "That is the real reason they have not been made public," he continued, ending with a jab, "Have a nice day, DJT!"
Trump officials have made promises to release more files related to the Epstein case since taking office, but the only move made so far was a limited release of previously public unredacted files in February. This move was met with criticism by conservatives who were demanding more transparency.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Musk's criticism, stating, "This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted."
President Trump retaliated with a post of his own, "I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress."
Musk also expressed support for a post advocating for Trump's impeachment and Vice President JD Vance's Presidency.
The break between the President and the world's richest man began over Musk's ongoing criticism of the Republicans' tax and budget bill, which cuts taxes by trillions of dollars and implements Trump's domestic agenda, including significant spending cuts. Musk has repeatedly called the bill "outrageous" and an "abomination."
If SpaceX indeed decommissions the Dragon spacecraft, it could leave NASA without its main means of transporting astronauts to the International Space Station, as Boeing's alternative, the Starliner, is currently not operational. However, it is important to note that no official government action has been taken to terminate Musk's federal contracts or subsidies.
Sources:[1] SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft and its potential impact on NASA's space program if decommissioned (TechCrunch, 2023)[2] The long-awaited release of the Epstein files (Vanity Fair, 2023)
- Musk's criticism of President Trump's domestic policy package, specifically the tax and budget bill, seems to have erupted into a feud, leading him to threaten decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft over potential government contract cancellations.
- In a Twitter post, Musk alleged that President Trump's name appears in files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, suggesting that this is the reason the files have not been made public.
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Musk's criticism, stating that he is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill due to its lack of policies he wanted.
- As a result of his disagreements with the Republican's tax and budget bill, Musk has expressed support for a post advocating for Trump's impeachment and Vice President JD Vance's Presidency.
- If SpaceX decommissioned the Dragon spacecraft, it would leave NASA without a main means of transporting astronauts to the International Space Station, as Boeing's alternative, the Starliner, is currently not operational, potentially impacting the climate of general-news and policy-and-legislation concerning the space industry.
