By Office of Senior Advisor Ivanka Trump - Wikipedia
US President Donald Trump has implied that DOGE, the government cost-cutting agency co-founded by Elon Musk, could be deployed against the tech billionaire’s own companies, as their increasingly bitter public feud over Trump’s proposed budget bill continues to escalate.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far,” Trump posted on social media. “Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
In a blunt response, Musk replied: “I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now.”
Musk has consistently criticized Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill,” arguing it contradicts the fiscal restraint he championed during his tenure at DOGE—the Department of Government Efficiency—before resigning in protest over the spending package. Musk, who once collaborated closely with Trump, was appointed to lead DOGE to find ways to reduce government waste and inefficiency.
Their relationship soured last month, with both men trading personal attacks across social media platforms. Though Musk later walked back some of his earlier remarks, tensions have remained high.
Trump’s budget legislation is currently under consideration in Congress. While the president’s Republican Party holds the majority in both chambers, divisions have emerged, with some Republicans joining Democrats in opposing the bill.
The proposed legislation includes increased funding for border security, defense, and energy development, which would be partially financed by deep and controversial cuts to healthcare and food assistance programs. One flashpoint in the Trump-Musk dispute involves a provision that would eliminate incentives for electric vehicle (EV) purchases—a move that would directly impact Tesla, one of Musk’s key ventures.
Trump has accused Musk of self-interest, claiming that the billionaire’s vocal opposition to the bill stems from the potential loss of government support for his EV and space companies. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Trump warned: “He’s upset that he’s losing his EV mandate, he’s very upset, he could lose a lot more than that, I can tell you that.”
He added, “DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. He gets a lot of subsidies.”
Musk, however, maintains that his objections are ideological rather than financial. He has positioned himself as a staunch advocate for reduced government spending and has shared several posts on X, his social media platform, attacking the fiscal implications of the bill. If enacted, the legislation is expected to increase the national debt by an estimated $3.3 trillion (£2.4 trillion).
While votes were being cast, Musk posted a chart tracking the rise of US national debt with the caption: “When are they going to flatten this curve?”
In another post, he blasted lawmakers who campaigned on cutting spending only to back the bill, writing: “Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!”
Musk vowed to ensure these lawmakers face consequences, pledging to help unseat them in next year’s primary elections. Despite having contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support Trump’s re-election campaign last year, Musk has recently floated the idea of launching a new political party to challenge both the Republican and Democratic establishments.
Responding to Trump’s criticism over EV incentives, Musk reposted a past interview clip in which he stated that eliminating government subsidies would actually benefit Tesla. “Our competitive position would improve significantly,” he said in the video.
