‘Without me, Trump would have lost election’: Elon Musk lashes out at Donald Trump; ‘big beautiful bill’ spat turns ugly

Minutes after President Donald Trump lashed out at former DOGE chief Elon Musk over his criticism of the president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”, the Tesla boss hit back. In a moment of rage , Musk took to social media, reminding Trump of his high-profile support during the 2024 campaign, where he had been one of the most visible and influential backers.Musk further claimed that Trump would not have won the 2024 election without his contributions. He also suggested that, had it not been for his efforts, the Democrats would have retained control of the House of Representatives.‘Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

Musk-Trump relationship reaches rock-bottom

The relationship between Turmp and Musk hit rock-bottom on Thursday, with the US president expressing disappointment over Musk’s vocal criticism of his flagship tax and spending bill. Speaking from the Oval Office alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump told reporters, “I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot… He hasn’t said bad about me personally, but I’m sure that will be next.”Musk, who until recently led the Department of Government Efficiency, had described Trump’s legislative package as a “disgusting abomination” and warned it would significantly increase the federal deficit. Responding in real-time on his social media platform X, Musk labelled Trump’s comments “false”, saying the bill “was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night”.Trump claimed the fallout stemmed from the bill’s rollback of tax credits for electric vehicles, though Musk responded bluntly, “Whatever,” and urged the administration to remove “the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill”.The president insisted he would have won Pennsylvania without Musk’s financial backing and questioned whether their relationship would recover. “Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” he said.The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill could add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over a decade and leave nearly 11 million Americans without health coverage.Musk’s last appearance at the White House came just a week ago, ending his government role. Trump joked about the tech mogul’s black eye at the time, calling him “very happy” despite the injury.

Besties no-longer

Musk had played a major role in supporting Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, contributing over $277 million to back Trump and other Republican candidates, according to Federal Election Commission filings. As the largest donor in this election cycle, Musk channelled most of his donations through his America PAC, giving $239 million.Musk also contributed $20.5 million to a controversial “RBG PAC,” which used the name of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in ads promoting Trump’s views on abortion, despite Ginsburg’s well-known support for abortion rights. Additionally, Musk donated $10 million to the Senate Leadership Fund and $3 million to the MAHA Alliance PAC, linked to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Through America PAC, Musk helped fund extensive get-out-the-vote efforts, including door-knocking, phone calls, and advertisements. One large payment of $40.5 million went to a company connected to Musk, though its exact use is unclear.Musk’s involvement grew rapidly in 2024, endorsing Trump publicly after the president survived an assassination attempt. He even held rallies in support and, after Trump’s win, was appointed to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, aiming to cut federal spending and reduce government roles.His financial and public backing had made Musk a key figure in Trump’s campaign and administration.