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President Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk have officially gone from allies of convenience to open enemies, and it’s all playing out live on their respective platforms, X and Truth Social, Cape {town} Etc reports.

During what was meant to be a routine bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, Trump was asked about Musk’s recent public criticisms of his administration’s flagship legislation. His response was calm, at first.

‘He hasn’t said anything about me that’s bad,’ Trump told reporters in the room. ‘I’d rather have him criticise the bill than me.’

But within hours, all hell broke loose.

Elon Musk officially stepped away from his controversial role in the Trump administration, ending a high-stakes stint that oversaw sweeping federal layoffs and sparked backlash against his own companies.

Musk, who has emerged as a powerful political voice in his own right, took Trump’s words personally and went on a scorched-earth posting spree. He began by endorsing a call for Trump’s impeachment and ended with explosive claims linking Trump to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

‘Time to drop the really big bomb,’ Musk posted. ‘@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they haven’t been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!’

No evidence was shared to back the accusation, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the post as ‘an unfortunate episode.’ But Musk didn’t back down, instead doubling down: ‘Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.’

Trump’s previous social and photographic proximity to Epstein is well documented, but no wrongdoing has been proven. Nonetheless, Musk’s insinuation lit up conspiracy circles and triggered a storm of responses across both mainstream and fringe platforms.

And that was just round one.

The Tesla and SpaceX boss then took another personal shot, this time at Trump’s pride and joy: his election record.

‘Without me, Trump would have lost the election,’ Musk wrote. ‘Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51–49 in the Senate.’

Trump, who prides himself on being the kingmaker of the Republican Party, was reportedly furious. According to a source close to the president, he viewed the comment as ‘deeply disloyal and completely delusional’.

The root of the feud appears to be Trump’s controversial ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’, a sweeping legislative package that includes cuts to electric vehicle (EV) mandates. Musk, whose companies benefit heavily from green energy policies, claimed the bill was a disaster for innovation and called for lawmakers to ‘ditch the mountain of disgusting pork in the bill’.

Trump, meanwhile, accused Musk of putting his financial interests above national policy.

‘Elon’s upset because we cut the EV mandate. That’s where the money was,’ Trump said from the Oval Office. ‘He had no problem until he realised his own wallet would take a hit.’

Musk fired back, claiming he never saw the bill before it passed and accusing Trump of lying about his involvement.

‘This bill was never shown to me, not even once,’ Musk said. ‘It was passed in the dead of night before anyone in Congress could read it.’

The back-and-forth has grown increasingly vicious. Musk, not one to shy away from flexing power, reminded lawmakers he has long-term leverage.

‘Trump has 3.5 years left as president,’ Musk said. ‘I’ll be around for 40+ years.’

He wasn’t joking. Musk’s influence spans sectors, from tech and transportation to defence and space. Trump, clearly irritated, floated the idea of scrapping federal contracts linked to Musk’s companies, including billion-dollar space deals.

‘If Congress really wants to save money, terminate Elon’s government subsidies and contracts,’ Trump posted.

In response, Musk dared him: ‘Go ahead, make my day.’

He even hinted at ‘beginning decommissioning’ of a critical spacecraft, a threat that could spook defence planners and foreign allies alike.

In the meantime, Republicans are stuck in the middle of a billionaire tug-of-war. Representative Thomas Massie, one of the few Republicans siding with Musk, suggested the issue wasn’t about EVs at all but about political integrity.

‘Some politicians get into politics to enrich themselves,’ Massie said. ‘Maybe that’s why they can’t imagine someone would judge a bill based on what’s good for the country.’

With both men refusing to blink and the feud growing increasingly personal, Washington insiders are bracing for what could become an all-out political war, one that could fracture the Republican base and set the tone for the next election cycle.

Neither side looks ready to back down.

And with two of the most powerful men in America now locked in open conflict, the rest of the world might just have to buckle up and watch the fireworks.

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Picture: Kevin Dietsch / Gallo Images

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