The growing rift between Elon Musk and Donald Trump has exploded into a full-blown political feud, with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO publicly declaring that Trump would not have won the 2024 US presidential election without his backing.

In a striking post on X, Musk claimed credit for Trump’s victory and the Republican hold over Congress, accusing the former president of ingratitude. The fallout follows Musk’s fierce criticism of Trump’s signature economic package—dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill”—which he has called a “disgusting abomination.” Their once-close alliance now appears to be unravelling in dramatic fashion.

In a direct message posted to X, Elon Musk stated:“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.”He ended the post with a cutting remark: “Such ingratitude.”Musk's statement came as a response to Trump expressing "disappointment" in the billionaire for criticizing his legislative agenda.

Musk has vocally opposed Trump’s tax and spending proposal, calling it a “mountain of disgusting pork.” He criticized the bill for cutting incentives for clean energy and EVs, while preserving subsidies for oil and gas. Musk urged his followers to pressure Congress to kill the bill, framing it as a betrayal of fiscal responsibility and environmental progress.

To highlight Trump's policy shift, Musk reposted a 2013 tweet where Trump criticized Republicans for raising the debt ceiling: “I am a Republican & I am embarrassed!” Musk used the post to accuse Trump of hypocrisy, questioning how someone who once denounced debt could now support a bill that expands government spending massively.

Speaking from the Oval Office, President Trump said, “Elon and I had a great relationship.

I don’t know if we will anymore.” He insisted Musk hadn’t attacked him personally—yet—but hinted it was only a matter of time. Trump claimed Musk’s criticism began only after learning the bill would eliminate electric vehicle (EV) mandates, affecting Tesla's business

Once political allies, Trump and Musk are now publicly at odds. Trump downplayed Musk’s influence, suggesting he would have won Pennsylvania with or without him. Musk dismissed the idea, doubling down on his importance to the GOP’s success. Their very public falling out has raised questions about the future of Republican unity heading into the next legislative session.