During a meeting in the Oval Office with German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz, former President Donald Trump offered insights on Elon Musk’s apparent displeasure with him regarding recent legislative developments. He suggested that the status of their friendship might change going forward.
This discussion followed the House of Representatives passing Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” a piece of legislation encompassing several aspects of his agenda. In reaction, Musk publicly criticized the bill on social media platform X multiple times, expressing his disapproval.
Trump remarked that it was unfortunate to see Musk’s reaction, recalling that he knew what was involved in the bill. He stated, “I understood all of that. It was eligible for criticism only when he discovered outside details about it.” Musk’s frustrations seemed to arise particularly because the bill was unveiled late, preventing Congress from fully examining it. Musk took to X to clarify that he had never been shown the bill before its release.
Trump characterized his relationship with Musk as “great,” although he expressed uncertainty about how it might evolve. Prior comments from House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed Trump’s views, indicating that Musk’s discontent could stem from a provision in the bill that limited tax credits for electric vehicles.
The legislation currently pending in the Senate includes significant funding for border security, an extension of tax cuts from 2017, and aims to prevent a substantial tax increase on many Americans. Musk, however, openly criticized the bill, stating it was excessively wasteful and expressing shame for those who supported it.
Additionally, Trump mentioned that his former Department of Government Efficiency hadn’t specifically attacked him, noting the mixed sentiments of former staff members after their departure from his administration. He reflected, somewhat wistfully, on how people left and seemingly missed the positive aspects of their time in office, even if some grew unfriendly.
