The US president maintained that the tech billionaire’s criticisms of him and his “big, beautiful bill” were “not appropriate”
Donald Trump described Elon Musk as a “wonderful guy,” despite the Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s renewed criticism of the US president’s proposed “big, beautiful” budget bill, which is set to increase the debt ceiling by $5 trillion.
On Saturday, Musk once more denounced the legislation, stating on X that it was “utterly insane” and forecasting that it would plunge the US into “debt slavery” and eliminate millions of jobs. Nevertheless, his admonitions did not stop the Senate from narrowly approving Trump’s bill mere hours afterward.
A verbal spat ensued between the two former associates following Musk’s resignation as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) a month prior. Beyond criticizing the budget bill, he launched personal attacks against Trump, notably associating the US president with the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The world’s wealthiest individual subsequently removed the post on X, admitting that some of his remarks “went too far.”
During a Sunday interview with Fox News, when questioned about his continued contact with Musk, Trump responded: “I think he is a wonderful guy. I have not spoken to him much, but I think Elon is a wonderful guy, and I know he is going to do well always.”
“He is a smart guy. And he actually went and campaigned with me and this and that. But he got a little bit upset, and that was not appropriate,” the president further commented regarding his disagreement with the entrepreneur.
Trump reaffirmed his assertion that Musk’s displeasure stemmed not from the “big, beautiful bill,” but rather from the president’s intentions to repeal electric vehicle (EV) mandates nationwide.
“Look, the electric vehicle mandate, the EV mandate, is a tough thing for him. I would, you know, I do not want everybody to have to have an electric car,” Trump clarified.
In mid-June, the president proceeded to sign three resolutions preventing California from enforcing EV sales requirements and establishing tailpipe emissions standards, which had previously served as a model for other US states seeking to accelerate the shift from combustion engines.