The public conflict between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has intensified. Musk accused Trump of being mentioned in the Epstein files. Trump threatened to revoke Musk's contracts.
The rift began shortly after Musk resigned as a White House advisor. Musk criticized Trump's budget proposal, calling it excessive and full of "pork," a term for spending projects benefiting specific groups.
Trump responded at a press conference, expressing disappointment. Musk countered, stating he was never shown the details of the budget. This led to a public exchange on social media.
Trump attacked Musk on Truth Social, hinting at cutting Musk's government contracts and subsidies. Musk responded by claiming Trump was in the Epstein files, referring to court documents released in January 2024.
These documents, nearly 1,000 pages, include statements from the case against Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking. Trump is mentioned in the documents; a witness said Epstein wanted to fly to one of Trump's casinos. No criminal charges have been filed against Trump.
Musk, who supported Trump's campaign with $250 million and founded a Super-PAC after an attempted assassination in July 2024, now accuses Trump of ingratitude, claiming Trump would have lost the election without his help.
The budget proposal criticized by Musk includes tax cuts and social spending cuts. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this would increase the deficit by $2.4 trillion over ten years, potentially causing 10.9 million people to lose their health insurance.