(New York) It was written in the sky. One of these days, the marriage of convenience between the most powerful man of the earth and the richest man of the same globe was going to finish in resounding divorce, or at least by seriously beat the wing.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk therefore surprised no one on Thursday by embedding in the public square, some 135 days after the inauguration of the 47e president.
Leaving free rein to their oversized ego and spreading their divergent interests, they attacked throughout the day on several subjects by interposed social networks or, in the case of Donald Trump, also live from the oval office.
At one point, the president threatened the entrepreneur to end the rich contracts granted by the federal government to his societies. Elon Musk immediately replied by saying that the name of the one he called his “friend” barely a few days ago was in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
“The simplest way to save money in our budget, billions and billions of dollars, is to end the subsidies and government contracts in Elon,” said Donald Trump on Truth Social. “I have always been surprised that Biden did not do it!” »»
A few minutes later, the boss of SpaceX, Tesla and X replied on his own social network: “It’s time to let go of the very big bomb: Donald Trump is in Epstein files. This is the real reason why they were not made public. »»
“Note this message for the future. The truth will burst, ”added the one who is recognized for his major contribution to disinformation on social networks.
Jeffrey Epstein was this New York financier accused of having set up a large sexual trafficking of minors. He was found hanged in his cell.
In response to Donald Trump’s threat, Elon Musk first announced on X that SpaceX “will start (IT) immediately to put his spaceship out of service Dragon A decision that could prevent NASA from transporting astronauts, food and equipment to the international space station. But in a subsequent message, he returned to this decision. “Well, we are not going to put Dragon out of service. »»
And he made his call for an extreme right influencer in favor of the dismissal of Donald Trump and his replacement by JD Vance.
In the evening, in an exchange on X with Bill Ackman, a billionaire of hedge fund manager who supported Donald Trump at the last presidential election, Elon Musk, however, seemed open to a certain de -escalation.
According to the Politico information site, the White House planned a telephone call between the two men on Friday in the hope of defusing the crisis.
In their incendiary exchanges, Donald Trump and Elon Musk were very far from the dispute which seems to have brought them to the edge of the divorce, namely the ambitious budgetary bill on examination in the Senate. This text, officially called One Big Beautiful Bill Actcontains the main priorities of the president internally. It provides in particular reductions in massive taxes which will contribute to increasing the national debt over ten years by $ 2,400 billion, according to an analysis of the Congress Budget Office, a non -partisan body.
Tuesday, Elon Musk described the bill as “repugnant abomination” on X.
Shame on those who voted in his favor: you know that you have acted badly. You know it. (The text) will massively increase budget deficits, already gigantic (…) and will overwhelm American citizens with unbearable debt.
Elon Musk, on his X network
At first, Donald Trump did not react to this frontal attack against what should be the flagship legislation of his mandate.
However, the next day, Elon Musk returned to the charge.
“The bankruptcy of America is not acceptable. Kill the bill! “Exhorted the entrepreneur on X by assorting his message from a threat to the elected representatives of the Congress who will have to defend their seats on the occasion of the next mid-term elections:” In November of next year, we will dismiss all politicians who betrayed the American people. »»
Elon Musk spent more than $ 250 million to help Donald Trump returns to the White House.
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” he wrote on X Thursday. “The Democrats would control the Chamber and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. »»
It was too much for Donald Trump. Thursday, the latter spoke for the first time publicly on the statements of Elon Musk.
“I am very disappointed by Elon,” he said in the oval office during a meeting with the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “I helped him a lot. He knew the details of the bill better than anyone here. »»
Photo Brendan Smialowski, Agency France-Presse
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump
The President said that the true reason for the entrepreneur’s opposition to the budget bill was the elimination of incentives, subsidies and other programs which the manufacturers of electric vehicles, including Tesla, benefit from.
Donald Trump and his Republican allies intend to remove the rules that allow Tesla to sell pure air emission credits to other car manufacturers who do not meet environmental standards. During the first quarter, Elon Musk’s company sold credits worth $ 595 million, more than net profit of $ 409 million in the company.
Elon Musk complained of eliminating this program for the first time in public on Thursday. He also criticized the president’s pricing policy.
Trump customs duties will cause a recession in this year’s second half.
Elon Musk, on his X network
At the end of the afternoon, Donald Trump wanted to give the impression that Elon Musk’s criticisms concerning his bill did not too much disturb him.
“I don’t mind that Elon turns against me, but he should have done it for months,” he wrote on Truth Social. “It is one of the greatest bills ever presented in the congress. This is a record reduction in expenses, of 1600 billion dollars, and the greatest tax reduction never granted. If this bill is not adopted, there will be a 68 % increase in taxes, and still worse things. I have not created this disorder, I am right there to repair it. »»
The dispute between Donald Trump and Elon Musk broke out less than a week after a kind of farewell ceremony in the oval office, during which the president presented the entrepreneur a golden key and praised his work at the head of the so -called government efficiency department.
Photo Nathan Howard, Reuters archives
Donald Trump presents a golden key to Elon Musk on May 30.
As a result of the black butter, Elon Musk promised to remain “a friend and an advisor” by the president.
It is not impossible for the two men to reconcile. But followers of the Maga movement are ready for divorce.
“They should open an official investigation into his immigrant status, because I am firmly convinced that it is a foreigner in an irregular situation and that he should be expelled from the country immediately,” said Steve Bannon, ex-advisor of Donald Trump, to a journalist New York Times.
He also asked for an investigation into the drug addiction of Elon Musk whose Time reported in a recent report. According to the newspaper, the entrepreneur consumed ketamine, ecstasy and mushrooms during the most recent presidential campaign. Musk denied consuming all drugs, including ketamine, whose abuse has been associated with cognitive effects which last beyond the state of euphoria, in particular delusional ideas, superstitious beliefs and a feeling of superiority
