If you’ve been scrolling through X or watching the late-night news lately, you’ve probably noticed the vibe between Elon Musk and Donald Trump is... well, it’s a lot. One day they’re the ultimate power duo, and the next, they’re basically subtweeting each other like high schoolers after a bad breakup. It’s the kind of political soap opera that keeps everyone guessing.
Honestly, the question is Elon mad at Trump isn't just about two billionaires having a tiff. It’s about how the guys running the country—and the world’s biggest companies—actually get along when the cameras are off. For a while there, it looked like they were inseparable. Now? Things are a bit more complicated.
The Blowup Over the "Big Beautiful Bill"
Everything seemed great until it wasn't. Back in June 2025, the relationship hit a massive wall. Trump was pushing his centerpiece legislation—the "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB)—which was basically a giant mix of tax cuts, immigration enforcement, and a whole lot of government spending.
Elon was not a fan. Not even a little bit.
He went on X and called the bill a "disgusting abomination." He was basically furious that it was "pork-filled" and added way too much to the national debt. For a guy who had just spent months as a special government employee trying to "slash the fat" with his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), seeing Trump sign a massive spending bill felt like a personal betrayal.
Musk didn't hold back. He told CBS it was a "massive spending bill" that "undermines the work" of DOGE. He even suggested that Trump's "Washington nostalgia" had turned into "derangement." Ouch.
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Trump’s Counter-Punch
Trump, as you’d expect, didn't just sit there and take it. He told reporters in the Oval Office that he was "very disappointed" in Elon. He even went on Truth Social and suggested that the easiest way to save money would be to "terminate Elon's governmental subsidies and contracts."
Then things got really weird.
Musk fired back by bringing up the Jeffrey Epstein files. He posted that Trump was "in the Epstein files" and that was the "real reason they have not been made public." When you start throwing around Epstein allegations, you’re not just "annoyed"—you’re officially in a feud.
Why the Relationship is So Volatile
To understand if Elon is still mad, you have to realize these two are basically the same person in different industries. They both have massive egos, they both love the spotlight, and they both hate being told "no."
- The EV Mandate Clash: One of the biggest sticking points has always been electric vehicles. Trump has been vocal about wanting to scrap EV mandates, which is obviously a direct hit to Tesla's bottom line. Musk, despite his support for Trump, can’t just ignore policy that hurts his biggest company.
- The Spending Divide: Elon is a "slash-and-burn" guy. He wants to cut the government by trillions. Trump, while he talks about efficiency, is a politician who knows that cutting too much can lose you votes. He likes big, flashy projects and spending that makes him look good.
- The Power Struggle: For a few months, Musk was the "first buddy." He was sleeping at the White House and attending Cabinet meetings. But in D.C., there's only room for one Alpha. When Musk started getting too much credit for "fixing" the government, the friction was inevitable.
Are They Making Up? (The 2026 Update)
Fast forward to right now, January 2026. If you're wondering if they're still at each other's throats, the answer is: mostly no.
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Over the last few weeks, the ice has started to melt. Just this past weekend, Elon posted a (somewhat blurry) photo of himself having dinner with Donald and Melania at Mar-a-Lago. Trump has also started praising Musk again, calling him a "super genius" (even if he did add that Elon is "20% mistakes").
Why the sudden change?
Simple: they need each other. Trump is currently dealing with a massive internet blackout in Iran and wants to use Musk’s Starlink to bypass the regime. "We may speak to Elon," Trump told reporters on Air Force One recently. "He's very good at that kind of thing."
Basically, when there’s a crisis that requires high-tech solutions, Trump remembers why he liked Elon in the first place. And for Musk, being "back on Team Trump" means SpaceX keeps those lucrative government contracts and Tesla stays out of the crosshairs of new regulations.
What This Means for You
So, is Elon mad at Trump right now? Not today. But give it a week. Their relationship is basically a series of "on-again, off-again" cycles driven by mutual benefit and massive personality clashes.
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If you’re trying to keep track of where this goes next, keep an eye on these three things:
- Starlink in Iran: If this partnership actually happens, expect the "bromance" to be back in full swing.
- The Midterms: Musk has hinted he’ll support GOP candidates in the 2026 midterms, which is music to Trump’s ears.
- Tesla Subsidies: If Trump actually follows through on cutting EV incentives, expect Elon to go back to "angry mode" on X.
The reality is that these two are the most powerful allies and the most dangerous enemies each other could have. They’ve realized that fighting publicly hurts both of them—Musk’s stock prices took a hit during the feud, and Trump lost a key voice in the tech world. For now, they’ve called a truce. Just don't expect it to be permanent.
To stay ahead of the next shift, follow official White House press briefings and Musk’s own X feed, rather than just relying on viral screenshots. The most "pro-Elon" and "pro-Trump" influencers usually lag behind the actual shifts in policy that signal when a new fight is brewing.
Watch the contracts. In this world, money talks way louder than a dinner at Mar-a-Lago.