Washington — President Trump questioned the future of his relationship with billionaire ally Elon Musk on Thursday, saying he’s “very disappointed” in the man who was instrumental in helping him win the White House and shaping the first months of his administration.
“Elon and I had a great relationship,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, during a meeting with newly elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “I don’t know if we will anymore.”
Musk, who formally left his government position at the end of May, has been severely criticizing the House-passed “one big, beautiful bill,” slamming Republican lawmakers for voting for it. Earlier this week, he posted on X that the bill was “outrageous” and “pork-filled,” while arguing that it’s a “a disgusting abomination.” The Congressional Budget Office estimated on Wednesday that the bill would lead to an increase of $2.4 trillion in total deficits over the next 10 years, a conclusion that Republicans and Mr. Trump dispute.
Mr. Trump said Musk was around for the whole process of crafting the bill, claiming he “never had a problem” with it until provisions dealing with electric vehicle subsidies were eliminated, threatening Tesla’s business. The bill, which addresses the president’s tax, defense and energy priorities, would also roll back some of the clean energy tax credits under the Biden-era climate and health care law, like an earlier phasing out of a tax break for clean energy vehicles.
“I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot,” Mr. Trump told reporters, adding that Musk “worked hard” and did a “good job.”
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“And I’ll be honest, I think he misses the place,” the president continued. “He’s not the first. People leave my administration and they love us. And then, at some point, they miss it so badly. And some of them embrace it and some of them actually become hostile. I don’t know what it is. It’s sort of Trump derangement syndrome, I guess they call it.”
Appearing to respond to Mr. Trump’s comments in real time, Musk wrote on X: “Whatever. Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill.” In another post, he denied that he was aware of the details in the bill when it was crafted, writing that “this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”
Musk’s opposition has raised questions about whether Republicans can remain united around the centerpiece legislation of Mr. Trump’s second-term agenda, but GOP leaders in Congress appeared undeterred Wednesday, as the Senate forged ahead on the legislation. Musk and House Speaker Mike Johnson are expected to speak Thursday about the bill’s path forward.
Mr. Trump’s comments about Musk came as Merz and the president met to discuss trade and tariffs, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East. But the part of the meeting that was open to the press was dominated by the questions about Musk.
“It’s an honor to have you,” Mr. Trump told the German leader, calling him a challenging negotiator but adding that he’s a great representative for Germany.
It was their first in-person meeting since Merz, leader of Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union party, won a parliamentary vote to become chancellor last month following an election in February.
Merz brought a gift for Mr. Trump to the White House — an original copy of the birth certificate belonging to Mr. Trump’s grandfather, Friedrich Trump, in German and in English.
Mr. Trump’s 50% tariffs on imports from the European Union are set to take effect July 9. The EU, which includes Germany, has said it’s preparing “countermeasures” to hit back. The 50% tariffs were set to start June 1, but Mr. Trump delayed the heavy tariffs after speaking with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Twenty-seven nations make up the EU.
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The Trump-Merz meeting also comes hours after the president signed a proclamation Wednesday banning foreign nationals from a dozen countries, including Afghanistan and Haiti.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Trump said he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about tariffs and trade for roughly 90 minutes Thursday morning. The president told reporters in the Oval Office Thursday that he’s accepted Xi’s invitation to visit China, and will go there with first lady Melania Trump “at a certain point.”