White House fires back at Elon Musk as Tesla boss makes ‘big bomb’ claim Donald Trump is in Epstein files

The White House has hit back after the relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk broke down with a Pubic war of words.

Musk and Trump were close political allies. Credit: Brandon Bell / Getty

On Thursday, the President and his former friend went head-to-head with cutting posts on social media.

The Tesla boss had raised eyebrows with a post on X (formerly Twitter) reading: “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”

He added in a follow-up post: “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out,” but did not provide any evidence to back up his claims.

Trump then hit back on his own platform, Truth Social, writing: “Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!

“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”

Following his departure from the role, Musk hit out at the President’s “big beautiful bill”.

Musk opted for a different description, calling it a “pork-filled Congressional spending bill” and a “disgusting abomination”.

Musk and Trump  had previously been close allies, with the president even asking tech billionaire to head up DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency.

Following the pair’s very public fallout, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has spoken out.

She told CNN: “This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again.”

She also told Fox News: “Just days ago, Elon thanked the president for his incredible leadership to cut waste and fraud in our government, which this one big beautiful bill does.

“The only difference between Friday and today is Elon went back to his companies and as a businessman, he has a right to speak for his companies, but as president, President Trump has a responsibility to fight for this country.”

Leavitt also called the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ “the most historic piece of legislation that has moved through Capitol Hill in modern day history,” adding: “Not only does this bill provide the largest tax cut for middle class and working class families and extends the Trump tax cuts in 2017, it also delivers on President Trump’s key campaign promises that he went around the country and spoke to voters across the country about.”

Musk’s tirade comes as the Epstein files still remain sealed almost six years after the disgraced financier died in prison while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.

Trump also spoke out about Musk’s comments from the Oval Office on Thursday, telling reporters: “Elon and I have a great relationship, but I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised, because… we had a wonderful sendoff. He said wonderful things about me.”

He pointed out that Musk had every opportunity to raise concerns about the bill while still working in the administration, per NBC News.

“I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill. He never had a problem until right after he left,” Trump said.

He also addressed Musk’s hostility toward him, claiming: “At some point they miss it so badly… 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. They leave, they wake up in the morning, the glamor is gone, the whole world is different, and they become hostile.”

Musk soon responded on X, writing : “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.”

And in a direct hit to Trump’s now-iconic phrasing, Musk added: “In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful. Everyone knows this! Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way.”

Musk also denied knowing the bill’s details at all: “False, 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!”

Dubbed the One Big Beautiful Act, the Trump-backed legislation narrowly made it through the House last month.

The friendship is over. Credit: Jeff Bottari / Getty

But it’s facing a tougher road in the Senate. According to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the bill would add $3.1 trillion to the national debt, including interest, over the next ten years, per the nonpartisan Committee for a responsible federal budget.

It would make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent, largely benefiting wealthy Americans, and boost funding for the military and immigration enforcement.

Meanwhile, there are major proposed cuts to health, nutrition, education, and clean energy programs.

Trump also claimed Musk’s fury might have something to do with electric vehicle subsidies: “Elon is upset because we took [away] the EV mandate, which was a lot of money for electric vehicles. They’re having a hard time, the electric vehicles, and they want us to pay billions of dollars in subsidy. Elon knew this from the beginning.”