As Donald Trump and ex-pal Elon Musk continue to hurl slanderous insults and damning allegations at one another over the internet, many spectators have been left with the same question – why are the two even bickering?

Well, by the sounds of things, there are several reasons why the political pair have seemingly turned on one another in recent weeks.

Some suggestions centre around hotly-debated policies, whilst others claim their new feud is entirely egotistical.

Before we get into the seemingly endless possibilities, however, let’s remind ourselves what the pair have said about one another.

A very dramatic recap:

Relations between the previously close pair took a turn for the worse when Musk announced his departure from his Department of Government Efficiency role last month.

Musk left his DOGE role in May (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

He initially wrote on Twitter at the time (21 May): “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.

“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

Days later, however, Musk began making a series of somewhat pointed remarks about the president’s financial policies.

Firstly, he criticised Trump’s backing of a ‘big beautiful bill’ that would increase the deficit by nearly $3 trillion by 2034.

He told CBS of the decision: “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”

And on Tuesday, Musk brought the bill back up again, writing on X: “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore.

“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

Trump subsequently responded to Musk’s message with some harsh words of his own, telling attendees during a meeting in the Oval Office yesterday (5 Jun): “Look, you know, I’ve always liked Elon, and it’s always very surprised you saw the words he had for me, the words and he hasn’t said anything about me.”

The president continued: “But I’m very disappointed, because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here.”

Musk hit back online in response: “False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”

Hours later, the South African accused Trump of being affiliating with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, tweeting: “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”

It’s important to note, however, that if Trump is named in the files – which are investigative materials compiled by federal agencies in relation to Epstein’s crimes – it does not imply wrongdoing on the president’s part

Musk mentioned Epstein’s crimes in relation to Trump (Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)

Trump, 78, later responded by evading the mention of Epstein entirely, writing on Truth Social: “Elon was ‘wearing thin’, I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!”

As we say, however, since their ‘break up’ and subsequent spat hit headlines across the globe, followers of the fiasco have been wondering what could possibly have ignited such tensions.

And by the sounds of things, there are numerous places to start looking for an answer.

1) Tax credit cut on electric vehicles

As reported by The Independent, the most likely reason for Musk’s stark opposition of Trump’s hefty bill is because it plans to eradicate an important consumer tax credit for the owners of electric vehicles, which is worth as much as $7,500.

And who owns one of the most successful EV automotive firms in the world? Oh, yeah. Elon Musk.

His firm, Tesla, is said to have dropped an almighty $240,000 lobbying to maintain the credit as of late April, with the CEO himself reportedly having pleaded with the US president for its retention.

Musk is the CEO of Tesla (Nora Tam/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)

Adding to Musk’s woes on the matter, Tesla sales plummeted 46.1% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same time in 2024 – awkward!

2) DOGE dissatisfaction

According to Axios, prior to his resignation, Musk has reportedly asked to remain in his powerful position as a special government employee, despite his limited 130 day term in the position coming to an end.

However, an agreement couldn’t be reached.

There is speculation some members of Trump’s administration hadn’t been thrilled with the aggressive approach that the tech boss’ team had taken in reducing federal spending – by, for example, axing thousands of government jobs willy nilly.

Back in March, the president alluded to these concerns by promising his Cabinet secretaries that the DOGE would be ‘very precise’ is cutting expenditure going forward, and vowing to use a ‘scalpel’ rather than the ‘hatchet’ to determine ‘who will remain, and who will go’ going forward.

3) A pulled NASA nominee

Trump had to reassure Cabinet officials DOGE would take a less aggressive approach (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

In the days after Musk departed from his political role, Trump suddenly removed the billionaire’s close friend and ally Jared Isaacman from his position as the nominee to next head up NASA.

Addressing the decision, the right-wing leader claimed it was made following the discovery that Isaacman had made sizeable donations to the Democratic Party in the past.

As Axios points out, however, it may well have been director of the Office of Presidential Personnel, Sergio Gor, that was whispering demands in Trump’s ear, with the officially famously having clashed with Musk on several occasions.

According to The Independent, rumours have since been circling that Gor arranged the move as an ‘out-the-door “f*** you” to Musk’, but of course, we can’t be sure of that.

So, could Musk’s outburst be the result of a businessman convinced he’s been wronged?

Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been embroiled in an internet slanging match this evening, during which the President was accused of having a criminal affiliation with deceased convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

Their ‘break up’

Last month, Musk announced that he’d resigned from the role of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-lead – a ‘special government employee’ position Trump bestowed upon him following his inauguration in January, that can only last 130 days.

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) at the time.

“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

In the days prior to his departure, the Tesla CEO began making a number of pointed remarks about Trump’s finances – specifically, criticising the right-wing leader for a ‘big beautiful bill’ he’d been backing, that would increase the deficit by $3.8 trillion by 2034.

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” he told CBS last week.

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.”

Since then, however, it appears that any trace of amicability between the powerful pair has dissolved completely, and earlier this week, the duo began insulting one another in the public arena.

Musk has made a series of allegations against the President (Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Shots fired

The most heated rant appears to have kicked off with Musk once again airing his views on his Trump’s dubious money matters, tweeting on Tuesday (4 Jun): “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.

“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

In response, Trump told attendees at the Oval Office today (5 Jun): “Look, you know, I’ve always liked Elon, and it’s always very surprised you saw the words he had for me, the words and he hasn’t said anything about me.”

He added: “But I’m very disappointed, because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here.”

Musk later responded in a tweet that reads: “False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”

Epstein committed suicide in 2019 (Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)

Criminal allegations

Perhaps the most scandalous of all the latest accusations, however, was one made by the South African businessman earlier this evening, claiming that Trump’s relationship with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was deeper than the public might have perceived.

“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,” he wrote online. “Have a nice day, DJT!”

The Epstein files are documents, videos, and investigative materials related to the former media mogul’s heinous abuse crimes, which have fuelled conspiracy theories surrounding possible political influence for several years.

It should be noted that Trump being named in these documents does not imply wrongdoing, and there were no allegations made against the President.

Seemingly in response to the shock claim, Trump then fired another message in the father-of-13’s direction, writing on Truth Social of his departure from the DOGE position: “Elon was ‘wearing thin’, I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!”

Musk dropped the bombshell claim that Trump was named in the Jeffrey Epstein files (Twitter/@elonmusk)

Sharing the post on X, Musk captioned it: “Such an obvious lie. So sad.”

Seemingly ignoring the startling allegations regarding his relationship with Epstein – who committed suicide in prison in 2019 – Trump went on to turn the conversation back to finances.

“I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago,” he wrote in another Truth Social post. “This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It’s a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given.

“If this Bill doesn’t pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that. I didn’t create this mess, I’m just here to FIX IT.

The United States’ VP has been forced to step in after President Donald Trump last night became embroiled in a bitter online slanging match against ex political pal, Elon Musk.

It’s safe to say things have soured between Trump and his former ‘first buddy’ Musk since the Tesla boss stepped down from his temporary position in Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.

And in a supportive new statement, Trump‘s right-hand man JD Vance condemned the tech boss for making a scandalous slew of social media accusations – including one surrounding Trump’s alleged affiliation with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

If you missed last night’s drama (5 Jun), worry not. We’re here to fill you in.

Musk resigned last month (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Musk’s resignation

Back in May, Musk resigned from his role as Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-lead – a position bestowed upon him by Trump during his January inauguration.

Claiming the move was only spurred because the ‘special government employee’ role is limited to 130 days, the Tesla CEO wrote on Twitter at the time (21 May): “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.

“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

Despite an amicable departure from his political position, the days that followed saw Musk making a series of somewhat pointed remarks in public, many of which seemed to criticise Trump’s administration in some way.

The insults begin

First, the billionaire took aim at the right-wing leader’s support of a ‘big beautiful bill’, that would increase the deficit by $3.8 trillion by 2034.

Musk told CBS of the decision: “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”

The father-of-13’s take on Trump’s finances was only the beginning, however, and on Tuesday (4 June), Musk took to social media to ignite what would become a bitter online battle.

Musk later condemned Trump (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” he wrote. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

During a meeting in the Oval Office yesterday (5 Jun), Trump responded with some harsh words of his own, telling attendees: “Look, you know, I’ve always liked Elon, and it’s always very surprised you saw the words he had for me, the words and he hasn’t said anything about me.”

He added: “But I’m very disappointed, because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here.”

Musk later replied to Trump’s message in a tweet reading: “False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”

The hours that followed saw the pair hurling damning insults at one another – but the most shocking was one made by Musk.

Epstein allegations

“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,” he penned. “Have a nice day, DJT!”

The documents Musk describes are investigative materials compiled by federal agencies in relation to the heinous abuse crimes committed by the media mogul prior to his 2019 suicide.

These transcripts and videos have fuelled conspiracy theories surrounding possible political influence for several years now.

Trump being named in the files does not imply wrongdoing on the president’s part, however, with no formal allegations having been made against him.

Vance’s intervention

Following the internet spat, Trump’s Vice President JD Vance took to Twitter to release his own statement on the matter.

Musk mentioned the Epstein files in his allegations (Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)

“President Trump has done more than any person in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads,” the 40-year-old Republican tweeted.

“I’m proud to stand beside him.”

Trump also later responded to Musk’s bombshell claim, evading the mention of Epstein entirely.

“Elon was ‘wearing thin’, I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” he wrote on Truth Social.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been having an all-out shouting match online, with accusations being flung, left, right, and centre.

You might remember that the pair have been pretty close since Trump’s January inauguration, but over the course of a week, things have shifted.

Musk previously supported the US President’s controversial campaigns, but now they appear to have turned on one another in recent weeks after Musk left the White House and returned to his electric-vehicle endeavour, Tesla.

Since then, it’s been very scathing.

Take a look at everything the two have said to each other in this online war…

The end of a bromance (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The beginning of the end

Last month, Musk announced that he’d resigned a few days early from his role of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-lead, posting on Twitter: “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.

“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

The big, beautiful bill

However, just before he left his post, he began to make a number of pointed remarks about Trump’s finances – specifically, criticising his ‘big beautiful bill’ he’d been previously backing, that would increase the deficit by $3.8 trillion by 2034.

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” he told CBS last week. “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.”

Musk once again aired his views, tweeting on 4 June: “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

In response, Trump told attendees at the Oval Office on 5 June: “Look, you know, I’ve always liked Elon, and it’s always very surprised you saw the words he had for me, the words and he hasn’t said anything about me.”

He added: “But I’m very disappointed, because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here.”

Musk later responded: “False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk were once close, but it seems the tide has changed (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

The Epstein files

After their spat over the bill, Musk then decided to drop a ‘bomb’ on Trump, claiming on Twitter: “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.

“Have a nice day, DJT!”

The Epstein files are documents, videos, and investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein’s heinous crimes, which have had people wondering who else could have been involved in his horrid crimes against children and women.

While it is already known that Trump was named in the documents, no allegations have been made about his involvement in the crimes and his inclusion does not imply wrongdoing.

While Trump didn’t address the accusation directly, he wrote on Truth Social about the truth of Musk’s departure of his DOGE position: “Elon was ‘wearing thin’, I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!”

Sharing the post on X, Musk replied: “Such an obvious lie. So sad.”

Musk dropped a ‘bomb’ on Trump (Twitter/@elonmusk)

An argument over money

Continuing to ignore the claims made by Musk, Trump turned things back around to finances when he began to talk about his bill.

He said on Truth Social following Musk’s bombshell: “I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It’s a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given.

“If this Bill doesn’t pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that. I didn’t create this mess, I’m just here to FIX IT.

“This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

The pair have been arguing for the past 24 hours (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Age difference

Musk then seemed to hint at the number of years Trump has left in office, or in life when he suggested that his influence will last decades longer than the president’s when he wrote on Twitter: “Oh and some food for thought as they ponder this question: Trump has 3.5 years left as president, but I will be around for 40+ years…”

He then dragged House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate majority leader John Thune into the fray when he began to dig up a post written by Johnson in March 2023, where he criticised the Biden administration, saying federal spending and debt ‘is not sustainable!’

Musk wrote: “Where is the Mike Johnson of 2023!?”

He also hit out at Thune, specifically bringing up a piece the Senate leader wrote in 2011, titled ‘Balanced-budget amendment or bust’.

He then reposted a video of Thune speaking in 2020 in Congress, with the caption: “Where is the John Thune of 2020??”

The White House responded (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

The gloves are off

To all of this, Trump posted on Truth Social: “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”

Musk then replied to a tweet which shared a screenshot of Trump’s message, stating: “Go ahead, make my day…”

He then wrote of Trump’s post: “In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately”.

Dragon is the spacecraft that has been taking Nasa astronauts to space, with plans to expand this venture.

He also claimed that President Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice-President JD Vance, stating that Trump’s global tariffs will ‘cause a recession in the second half of this year’ and called the tax bill a ‘big, ugly spending bill’.

The Tesla CEO then started a poll asking followers if it’s time to create a new political party ‘that actually represents the 80% in the middle’ and 81.9 per cent of users said ‘yes’.

Musk then unloaded on Trump, accusing him of ingratitude and claiming that he won the election for him.

He also went on to contradict his earlier post about decommissioning his spacecraft, claiming that he now ‘won’t decommission’ the Dragon spacecraft, used by NASA.

Regarding the serious allegations Musk made about Trump being on Epstein’s flight list, the BBC reached out to the FBI, who claimed that it did ‘not have a comment on it’.

The White House also responded Musk’s allegation, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating: “This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again.”