President Donald Trump addressed his relationship with Elon Musk on Wednesday, suggesting recent policy disagreements and personnel clashes may have soured their previously warm ties.
“I’ve always liked Elon,” Trump said during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore,” he added.
The president’s remarks follow Musk’s sharp criticism of Trump’s new tax and spending bill, which Musk called fiscally reckless.
Trump pointed to Musk’s frustration over the administration’s removal of electric vehicle (EV) subsidies. “Elon is upset because we took the EV mandate away. It was a lot of money for EVs, and they are having a hard time. They want us to pay billions of dollars in subsidies,” he said.
Trump also cited Musk’s recommendation of a Democrat for NASA’s top post, which the administration declined. “We get certain privileges, and one is we don’t have to appoint a Democrat,” Trump said.
