logo
'Big Beautiful' timeline: How the Elon Musk-Donald Trump dispute played out

'Big Beautiful' timeline: How the Elon Musk-Donald Trump dispute played out

USA Today18 hours ago
Billionaire Elon Musk has gone from President Donald Trump's chainsaw-welding sidekick to a flame-throwing, social media opponent of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," which narrowly passed through the U.S. Senate on July 1.
The two have exchanged blows over the bill since May 27 when Musk first criticized it in an interview with CBS. Musk, who formerly lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that was tasked cut government spending, said that the bill "undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing."
More: Big Beautiful Bill 101: What you need to know about Trump's tax bill
Shortly after, he made multiple disparaging posts on his platform X, starting by calling the bill a 'disgusting abomination.' His posts prompted Trump to say he was 'very disappointed' with Musk's remarks.
As Telsa CEO, Musk's comments may also stem from another portion of the tax bill that would eliminate a $7,500 tax credit for new electric vehicles. Trump suggested as much in his July 1 response.
Timeline: How the Elon Musk-Trump dispute played out
Here's a look at how their relationship has fluctuated since Musk first endorsed Trump for president:
Unable to view our graphic? Click here to see it.
The two have had a somewhat tumultuous relationship since 2016 when Musk publicly spoke against Trump's initial presidential campaign. Trump shared both insults and compliments about Musk between then and his third presidential campaign, in which they became closely aligned.
Musk spent over $250 million on Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and Trump invited Musk to both his election night party and inauguration speech. Trump then created DOGE and hired Musk as a "special government employee" to lead the department alongside Vivek Ramaswamy.
Now, Trump has gone as far to say he's looking into deporting Musk from the United States, and Musk continues to vocalize disdain for the bill on his X account, where he's promoting his concept for a new political party "The America Party" to his 221.5 million followers.
CONTRIBUTING Kathryn Palmer, Joey Garrison, Sudiksha Kochi
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bloomberg Surveillance: All-Time Highs
Bloomberg Surveillance: All-Time Highs

Bloomberg

time25 minutes ago

  • Bloomberg

Bloomberg Surveillance: All-Time Highs

Watch Tom and Paul LIVE every day on YouTube: Bloomberg Surveillance hosted by Tom Keene & Paul Sweeney July 1st, 2025 Featuring: 1) Bob Michele, CIO: Fixed Income at JPMorgan Asset Management, joins for an extended discussion on the outlook for yields and why there could be more bond investment in 2025. The 10-year Treasury yield declined four basis points to 4.19% in the early morning as investors increased wagers on the scale of potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year. 2) Cam Dawson, CIO at NewEdge Wealth, talks about equity all-time highs and raising the pain trade. US equity futures retreated slightly after the S&P 500 notched its best quarter since 2023, as investors monitor progress on trade talks and wrangling in Washington over President Trump's tax bill. 3) George Goncalves, Head: US Macro Strategy MUFG Securities, Americas, talks about the outlook for US economic growth should the tax bill pass and his economic projections for 2025 as the labor market shows signs of weakening. Investors are also watching for a slew of economic data, including PMI readings and the US job openings report, ahead of Thursday's nonfarm payrolls, and a discussion on monetary policy at the European Central Bank's annual retreat. 4) Michael Lasser, Equity Research Analyst: Consumer Hardline Staples at UBS, explores the potential ramifications of the bill on an aggregate consumer spending level, as well as the potential impacts for each consumer subsector and individual stocks. US consumer spending declined 0.3% in May, the most since the start of the year, indicating uncertainty around the Trump administration's economic policies is weighing on growth. 5) Lisa Mateo joins with the latest headlines in newspapers across the US, including a story from The Athletic on ESPN and MLB resuming broadcasting rights talks and a WSJ story on why the July 4th BBG may get more expensive.

Trump Announces Preliminary Trade Pact With Vietnam
Trump Announces Preliminary Trade Pact With Vietnam

New York Times

time25 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Trump Announces Preliminary Trade Pact With Vietnam

President Trump said on Wednesday that the United States had reached a trade deal with Vietnam, one that would roll back some of the punishing tariffs he had issued on Vietnamese products in return for that nation agreeing to open its market to American goods. The preliminary deal will also indirectly affect China, an important trading partner of Vietnam. 'It will be a Great Deal of Cooperation between our two Countries,' Mr. Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social announcing the deal. According to Mr. Trump, the deal imposes a 20 percent tariff on all imports from Vietnam and a 40 percent tariff on any 'transshipping.' That provision is aimed at addressing Trump administration criticisms that countries like Vietnam have become a channel for Chinese manufacturers to bypass U.S. tariffs and funnel goods into the United States. Which products would fall under the higher tariff rate is unclear. It could refer to goods imported to the United States from Vietnam that actually originated in China. But it could also apply to Vietnamese products that use a certain amount of Chinese parts. The deal could include a lower tariff on goods that are made in Vietnam with fewer Chinese parts and materials, and a higher tariff rate for Vietnamese goods that contain many Chinese components. Vietnam was soon scheduled to face a 46 percent tariff rate as part of the 'reciprocal' tariffs that the Trump administration unveiled on April 2. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Trump Visits $450 Million 'Alligator Alcatraz,' Suggests Taxpayers Should Fund More of Them
Trump Visits $450 Million 'Alligator Alcatraz,' Suggests Taxpayers Should Fund More of Them

Yahoo

time26 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump Visits $450 Million 'Alligator Alcatraz,' Suggests Taxpayers Should Fund More of Them

Only eight days after construction began, and 12 days after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier released a video on X announcing plans for an immigration detention center in the Everglades, "Alligator Alcatraz" will officially open this week. The site, which was visited by President Donald Trump and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday, puts Florida at the forefront of the federal government's mass deportation campaign. The state-run immigration detention facility is planned to eventually hold up to 5,000 detainees and will be capable of processing and deporting migrants to speed up deportations amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The 30-square-mile parcel of land was chosen in part for its unused airstrip—and for its alligator- and python-laden surroundings serving as cheap security and deterrence. "They ain't going anywhere once they are there…because good luck getting to civilization," DeSantis said during a news conference on Monday. "The security is amazing. Natural and otherwise." During the tour of the facility, DeSantis added that Florida should not be the only state but should serve as a model. "We need other states to step up," he said. Trump called out California Gov. Gavin Newsom specifically, saying the Democratic governor could "learn something" about curbing illegal immigration. DeSantis pointed out that California is home to the original Alcatraz, implying that it, too, could be outfitted as an immigration detention center. Although both the president and DeSantis were quick to say Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem would be able to find funding for additional immigration detention centers, the cost and source of funding for these facilities merit further scrutiny, particularly since ultimately taxpayers are footing the bill. While touted as an "efficient, low-cost opportunity to build a temporary detention facility" in Uthmeier's original video about the facility, Florida's new facility is expected to cost $450 million to operate for a single year. A DHS official told CNN that Florida will fund the operation of the facility and then "submit reimbursement requests" through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and DHS. Secretary Noem said that Alligator Alcatraz and other approved detention facilities in the state will be funded "in large part" by $625 million set aside by the FEMA Shelter and Services Program. The project has faced objections from local residents and government officials, including Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who opposed using county-owned land for the project. After Levine Cava requested an environmental impact report and updated land appraisal, DeSantis seized the land under emergency powers in place since 2023. The post Trump Visits $450 Million 'Alligator Alcatraz,' Suggests Taxpayers Should Fund More of Them appeared first on

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store