WASHINGTON: Elon Musk has shocked the political world by calling for President Donald Trump to be impeached.\u00a0 The billionaire tech boss made the demand after a fierce public row with Trump over government spending and electric vehicle subsidies.\u00a0 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\u2019s most powerful man and its richest traded personal barbs on Trump\u2019s Truth Social and Musk\u2019s X. \u201cThe easiest way to save money in our Budget \u2014 billions and billions of dollars \u2014 is to terminate Elon\u2019s governmental subsidies and contracts,\u201d Trump posted on Truth Social. Wall Street traders dumped shares in Musk\u2019s electric vehicle maker, and Tesla closed down 14.3%, losing around $150 billion in market value \u2014 its largest single-day decline ever. Minutes after the closing bell, Musk responded \u201cYes\u201d to a post on X suggesting Trump should be impeached. Trump\u2019s Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress, making impeachment unlikely. The rift had been brewing for days, starting when Musk denounced Trump\u2019s sweeping tax-cut and spending bill. Initially, Trump kept quiet while Musk campaigned to kill the bill, saying it would worsen the nation\u2019s $36.2 trillion debt. Trump finally broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters in the Oval Office he was \u201cvery disappointed\u201d in Musk. \u201cLook, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don\u2019t know if we will anymore,\u201d Trump said. As Trump spoke, Musk fired off increasingly sharp posts on X. \u201cWithout me, Trump would have lost the election,\u201d wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year\u2019s election. \u201cSuch ingratitude.\u201d In another post, Musk warned that Trump\u2019s signature tariffs could push the US into a recession later this year.n Alongside Tesla, Musk\u2019s 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\u2019s space programme, said he would begin decommissioning SpaceX\u2019s Dragon spacecraft \u2014 the only US spacecraft currently capable of carrying astronauts to the International Space Station \u2014 in response to Trump\u2019s threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s 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\u2019s bust-up, Trump and Musk made a joint appearance in the Oval Office, praising each other\u2019s work and pledging to continue working together. But the feud now threatens Republican unity ahead of next year\u2019s midterms. Musk\u2019s 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\u2019s remarks, Musk posted a poll to his 220 million followers on X: \u201cIs it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musk slammed Trump\u2019s \u201cbig, beautiful bill\u201d this week, calling it a \u201cdisgusting abomination\u201d that would balloon the federal deficit. His criticism widened existing cracks in the Republican Party that could sink the bill\u2019s 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. \u201cHe\u2019s not the first,\u201d Trump said. \u201cPeople leave my administration… then at some point they miss it so badly. Some embrace it. Some become hostile.\u201d Musk wrote on X: \u201cKILL the BILL,\u201d adding that he could accept losing EV credits if Republicans removed the \u201cmountain of disgusting pork\u201d in the bill. He also resurfaced Trump\u2019s past comments condemning government overspending: \u201cWhere is this guy today?\u201d Musk entered government promising to slash $2 trillion from the budget. He left having cut just half a percent \u2014 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON: Elon Musk has shocked the political world by calling for President Donald Trump to be impeached.\u00a0 The billionaire tech boss made the demand after a fierce public row with Trump over government spending and electric vehicle subsidies.\u00a0 The two, once close allies, have now turned into rivals, with Musk saying Trump is no longer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":105747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n