President Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk celebrated their efforts to slash federal spending before Musk stepped away from his White House work. Musk wore a black DOGE hat over a bruised right eye that he blamed on his young son’s punch. That was May 30 in the Oval Office. Days later, the two billionaires were punching at each other on the social media platforms they own.
Their fight began over federal tax and spending legislation, with Musk calling a Trump-backed bill “a disgusting abomination” and Trump saying he was “very disappointed” with Musk. Soon, Musk claimed credit for Trump and Republicans winning in 2024, and Trump threatened to cut off Musk’s companies’ federal contracts.
