Elon Musk speaks with US President-elect Donald Trump at a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket in Brownsville, Texas, US, November 19, 2024. — Reuters
WASHINGTON: Elon Musk has shocked the political world by calling for President Donald Trump to be impeached.
The billionaire tech boss made the demand after a fierce public row with Trump over government spending and electric vehicle subsidies.
The two, once close allies, have now turned into rivals, with Musk saying Trump is no longer fit to lead. The feud played out in real time on social media, grabbing headlines and rattling markets.
The hostilities began when Trump criticised Tesla CEO Musk in the Oval Office. Within hours, the once-close relationship had disintegrated in full public view, as the world’s most powerful man and its richest traded personal barbs on Trump’s Truth Social and Musk’s X.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget — billions and billions of dollars — is to terminate Elon’s governmental subsidies and contracts,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Wall Street traders dumped shares in Musk’s electric vehicle maker, and Tesla closed down 14.3%, losing around $150 billion in market value — its largest single-day decline ever.
Minutes after the closing bell, Musk responded “Yes” to a post on X suggesting Trump should be impeached. Trump’s Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress, making impeachment unlikely.
The rift had been brewing for days, starting when Musk denounced Trump’s sweeping tax-cut and spending bill. Initially, Trump kept quiet while Musk campaigned to kill the bill, saying it would worsen the nation’s $36.2 trillion debt.
Trump finally broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters in the Oval Office he was “very disappointed” in Musk.
“Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” Trump said.
As Trump spoke, Musk fired off increasingly sharp posts on X.
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year’s election. “Such ingratitude.”
In another post, Musk warned that Trump’s signature tariffs could push the US into a recession later this year.
Alongside Tesla, Musk’s businesses include rocket firm and government contractor SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink.
Musk, whose space company plays a critical role in the US government’s space programme, said he would begin decommissioning SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft — the only US spacecraft currently capable of carrying astronauts to the International Space Station — in response to Trump’s threats.
Pugilistic pair
The feud was not entirely unexpected. Trump and Musk are both political pugilists with sizeable egos and a habit of using social media to strike back at critics, and many had predicted a falling-out.
Even before Musk left the administration last week, his influence had been fading following repeated clashes with cabinet members over his aggressive cost-cutting.
For Trump, this marks the first major rupture with a top adviser since beginning his second term, though his first term saw numerous dramatic exits.
Trump parted ways with multiple chiefs of staff, national security advisers, and political strategists between 2017 and 2021. A few, like Steve Bannon, remained allies. Many others, such as Ambassador John Bolton, became vocal critics.
Musk became one of Trump’s most visible advisers after serving as the largest Republican donor in the 2024 campaign. As head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk led a sweeping and controversial effort to shrink the federal workforce and slash spending.
He was regularly seen at the White House and on Capitol Hill, often with his young son in tow.
Just six days before Thursday’s bust-up, Trump and Musk made a joint appearance in the Oval Office, praising each other’s work and pledging to continue working together.
But the feud now threatens Republican unity ahead of next year’s midterms. Musk’s massive following and fundraising links to Silicon Valley could spell trouble.
Musk has already said he plans to reduce his political spending going forward.
Soon after Trump’s remarks, Musk posted a poll to his 220 million followers on X:
“Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?”
‘Kill the bill’
Musk slammed Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” this week, calling it a “disgusting abomination” that would balloon the federal deficit. His criticism widened existing cracks in the Republican Party that could sink the bill’s passage in the Senate.
Nonpartisan analysts say the bill could add $2.4 trillion to $5 trillion to the $36.2 trillion national debt.
Trump accused Musk of opposing the bill because it cuts electric vehicle tax credits. He also claimed Musk missed working in the White House.
“He’s not the first,” Trump said. “People leave my administration… then at some point they miss it so badly. Some embrace it. Some become hostile.”
Musk wrote on X: “KILL the BILL,” adding that he could accept losing EV credits if Republicans removed the “mountain of disgusting pork” in the bill.
He also resurfaced Trump’s past comments condemning government overspending: “Where is this guy today?”
Musk entered government promising to slash $2 trillion from the budget. He left having cut just half a percent — while leaving chaos in his wake.
His political shift has sparked protests at Tesla facilities in the US and Europe, dragging down sales and spooking investors who worry Musk is too distracted.
