The dramatic rift between former US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk took center stage on Friday as Trump publicly accused Musk of having “lost his mind,” intensifying what has become a headline-grabbing political and personal fallout.
Once seen as unlikely allies — with Musk even serving in Trump’s now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — their relationship has soured following Musk’s scathing remarks about Trump’s new spending bill, calling it an “abomination.”
Trump, visibly enraged, canceled a planned phone call with Musk and is reportedly considering getting rid of a red Tesla gifted to him during the peak of their friendship.
“You mean the man who has lost his mind?”
Trump said on a call with ABC, later reinforcing to Fox News that Musk had “lost it” and dismissing any intention of reconnecting.
“I’m not even thinking about Elon,” he added during an interview.
Insiders from the White House confirmed that Trump is now fully focused on pushing his “big, beautiful” mega-bill through Congress, which faces backlash due to its potential to raise the national deficit and cut key healthcare programs.
Read More: Elon Musk escalates feud with Trump: ‘Time to drop the really big bomb’
The fallout escalated after Musk made unverified claims linking Trump to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Trump retaliated by threatening to axe SpaceX’s multi-billion-dollar contracts with NASA — a move that could have serious implications for U.S. space missions.
Despite the mounting tension, Musk has reportedly softened his stance, retracting threats to pull back the Dragon spacecraft essential to transporting astronauts to the International Space Station. On Friday, Musk remained unusually quiet on X, his social media platform.
Meanwhile, the White House denied Musk’s reported request for a call.
“The president does not intend to speak to Musk today,” a senior White House official told AFP.
With egos clashing and national interests on the line, Washington continues to watch closely as the once-powerful alliance between Trump and Musk spirals into public confrontation — a split with consequences that could echo beyond politics and into the future of space exploration and tech regulation.
