Musk lobs unfounded Epstein accusation at Trump

The breakdown of nan confederation betwixt Donald Trump and Elon Musk has deed a crescendo aft Trump threatened to trim Musk's authorities contracts and Musk said - without providing immoderate grounds - that Trump's management hasn't released each nan records related to activity abuser Jeffrey Epstein because Trump is mentioned successful them.

Trump had mostly remained silent arsenic Musk stewed complete nan past fewer days connected his societal media level X, condemning nan president's alleged "Big Beautiful Bill."

But Trump clapped backmost Thursday successful nan Oval Office, saying he was "very disappointed successful Musk."

Musk responded connected societal media successful existent time.

Trump, who was expected to beryllium spending Thursday discussing an extremity to nan Russia-Ukraine warfare pinch German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, ratcheted up nan stakes erstwhile he turned to his ain societal media network, Truth Social, and threatened to usage nan US authorities to wounded Musk's bottommost statement by going aft contracts held by his net institution Starlink and rocket institution SpaceX.

"The easiest measurement to prevention money successful our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Trump wrote connected his societal media network.

"This conscionable gets amended and better," Musk quickly replied connected X. "Go ahead, make my day."

Musk past said, without offering grounds of really he mightiness cognize nan information, that Trump was "in nan Epstein files. That is nan existent logic they person not been made public. Have a bully day, DJT!"

The messy blow-up betwixt nan president of nan United States and nan world's richest man played retired connected their respective societal media platforms aft Trump was asked during a White House gathering pinch Germany's caller leader astir Musk's disapproval of his spending bill.

It came little than a week aft they appeared together astatine nan White House for a subdued goodbye and Trump thanked Musk for his little clip successful nan U.S. authorities by handing him a symbolic but nonfunctional aureate key.

The insinuation tapped into long-standing suspicions among conspiracy theorists and online sleuths that incriminating and delicate files successful nan government's possession person yet to beryllium released.

The deepening rift unfurled overmuch for illustration their narration started — rapidly, intensely and very publicly.

It besides quickly deed Musk financially, moreover earlier Trump's threat.

After Trump started speaking astir Musk, shares of his electrical conveyance institution Tesla fell complete 10 per cent, their latest notable move since nan election. The shares doubled successful nan weeks aft Trump was elected, gave backmost those gains and much during Musk's clip astatine DOGE and past rallied aft he vowed successful April to attraction overmuch much connected Tesla and his different companies.

Politicians and their philanthropist patrons seldom spot oculus to eye. But nan magnitude of Musk's support for Trump, spending astatine slightest $250 cardinal backing his campaign, and nan scope of free rein nan president gave him to slash and delve into nan authorities pinch nan Department of Government Efficiency is eclipsed only by nan velocity of their falling-out.

Musk offered up an particularly stinging reproach to a president delicate astir his opinionated among voters: "Without me, Trump would person mislaid nan election," Musk retorted. "Such ingratitude," Musk said successful a follow-up post.

Musk announced his support for Trump soon aft nan then-candidate was astir assassinated connected shape astatine a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally past July. News of Musk's governmental action committee successful support of Trump's predetermination came days later.

Musk soon became a adjacent advisor and predominant companion, memorably leaping successful nan aerial down Trump connected shape astatine a rally successful October. Once Trump was elected, nan tech billionaire stood down him arsenic he took nan oath of office, flew pinch him connected Air Force One for play stays astatine Mar-a-Lago, slept successful nan White House's Lincoln Bedroom and joined his Cabinet meetings wearing a MAGA chapeau (sometimes much than one).

Three months ago, Trump purchased a reddish Tesla from Musk connected nan White House driveway arsenic a nationalist show of support for his business arsenic it faced blowback.

Musk bid farewell to Trump past week successful a somewhat sombre news convention successful nan Oval Office, wherever he sported a achromatic oculus that he said came from his young boy but that seemed to beryllium a metaphor for his messy clip successful authorities service.

Trump, who seldom misses an opportunity to zing his critics connected appearance, brought it up Thursday.

"I said, 'Do you want a small makeup? We'll get you a small makeup.' Which is interesting," Trump said.

The Republican president's comments came arsenic Musk has griped for days connected societal media astir Trump's spending bill, informing that it will summation nan national deficit. Musk has called nan measure a "disgusting abomination."

"He hasn't said bad astir maine personally, but I'm judge that will beryllium next," Trump said Thursday successful nan Oval Office, presaging his future. "But I'm very disappointed successful Elon. I've helped Elon a lot."

Trump later said connected societal media that "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave." Musk's authorities employment status, however, constricted him from continuing to work.

"He conscionable went CRAZY!" Trump said.

Observers had agelong wondered if nan relationship betwixt nan 2 brash billionaires known for lobbing insults online would occurrence retired successful spectacular fashion. It did, successful little than a year.

Trump said Thursday that he and Musk had had a awesome narration but mused: "I don't cognize if we will anymore."

He said immoderate group who time off his management "miss it truthful badly" and "actually go hostile."

"It's benignant of Trump derangement syndrome, I conjecture they telephone it," he said.

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