The unlikely alliance unraveled in real time, with Trump telling reporters in the Oval Office he was “very disappointed” in the tech mogul’s criticism of his spending bill, and Musk railing against the president on X.

Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on Elon Musk, accusing his billionaire backer of being “hostile” to his administration as a row between two of the world’s most powerful men erupted into an all-out, public feud.

Musk and Trump, ostensibly political allies over cuts to federal spending, publicly clashed on June 5 in a series of exchanges across social media and in comments to reporters. The origin of the dispute is the impact Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill has on U.S. public debt.