The starting point of the dispute concerns Donald Trump's famous "big and beautiful budget bill." According to Musk, the bill contains too much unnecessary spending. He joined the government with the express aim of avoiding such spending, as head of the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). In reality, the DOGE achieved few savings, far short of the $2 trillion initially planned. The businessman's actions and choices then made him unpopular. Musk now laments that the budget will only serve to further increase the already colossal US debt.

The two men then exchanged insults on X (formerly Twitter) and Truth Social, Donald Trump's social media platform. Musk also wrote that without him, Trump would have lost the election, and that the president is named in the files of the Epstein case, the former financier accused of sex trafficking of minors. He subsequently deleted several accusatory messages, as if his anger had subsided.

As usual, Donald Trump threatened retaliation if Elon Musk provided financial or other support to Democrats opposed to the project. "He will face very serious consequences."

It is difficult to know at this stage how far this affair will go. But there are signs of appeasement. Today, Musk posted a laconic message on X: "I regret some of my messages regarding President Donald Trump last week. I was too far out of line."

If unresolved, this dispute could influence the US budget vote and thus have an impact on the economy. On the stock market last week, Tesla fell sharply by nearly 15%, before recovering some of its losses in subsequent sessions.

Incidentally, the red Tesla purchased by Donald Trump last March (in a move designed to show his support for Elon Musk) is still parked at the White House. The Trump administration has also announced that it intends to retain the services of Starlink, which it considers reliable and high-quality.