Summary

  • Donald Trump is thinking about selling his Tesla car amid his public row with the company's chief Elon Musk, the BBC's US partner CBS News reports

  • The White House tells the BBC Trump does not intend to talk to the tech billionaire today, after reports they would speak on the phone later

  • Trump has spoken to several US media outlets today, in which he described Musk as "the man who has lost his mind" - we haven't heard from Musk yet

  • The rift between the president and his former adviser erupted into the open on social media on Thursday, starting with Trump saying he was "disappointed" with Musk's criticisms of his spending bill

  • Musk then accused Trump of "ingratitude", adding: "Without me, Trump would have lost the election" - here's how the spat unfolded

  • Musk's companies, including Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink have direct contracts with the US government - on Thursday, he walked back from an earlier threat to decommission a crucial SpaceX spacecraft used by US astronauts

Media caption,

Watch: How Trump and Musk’s break-up played out in real time

  1. Musk posts about Tesla but nothing more on Trumppublished at 17:32 British Summer Time

    As we've been reporting, Trump has spoken about Musk today, telling US media that Musk is "the man who has lost his mind".

    Musk hasn't posted anything publicly about the argument today.

    That's a big change from yesterday, when he was replying quickly to Trump's comments.

    So far today, Musk's only activity on X has been to repost a Tesla image celebrating the production of the company's eight millionth vehicle at its Berlin factory.

    "Congratulations Tesla Giga Berlin team!!," Musk writes.

    This comes as Tesla shares have taken a hit because of the argument, although they did recover slightly when US markets opened.

    An X post with Elon Musk saying "Congratulations Tesla Giga Berlin team!!"Image source, Elon Musk/X
  2. Listen: X Man - The Elon Musk Origin Storypublished at 17:23 British Summer Time

    Image of Elon Musk and the X Man: The Elon Musk Origin Story branding on BBC Radio 4

    The BBC's X Man: The Elon Musk Story podcast delves into the mind of Elon Musk, exploring how science fiction shaped the world's richest man and his ambitious visions for our future.

    You can listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

  3. Analysis

    If Musk believed he's untouchable, he’s had a wake-up callpublished at 17:07 British Summer Time

    Zoe Kleinman
    Technology editor

    Last night a long-forgotten post I shared on X in November 2024 got some new attention: “I wonder how long it will be before Trump and Musk fall out,” I wrote. “It’s an extraordinarily powerful partnership but they are also two enormous egos who both like being Number One”.

    Seven months later, we now know the answer.

    In January, Trump was flanked by tech titans at his presidential inauguration: a mighty 21st-century equivalent of the Army Generals of old. Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and of course, Elon Musk were all smiles. Apple boss Tim Cook appeared less thrilled, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was notably entirely absent.

    Perhaps they already understood that Trump’s favour can be short-lived, and his fury unrestrained; even among his favourites.

    Apple’s status as a multi-trillion dollar US success story hasn’t stopped Trump gunning for the iPhone, threatening eye-watering tariffs against China, where the majority of them are made.

    If Musk ever believed his position as “best buddy” made him untouchable, he’s had a big wake-up call.

    He’s now discovered that even he can’t change Trump’s mind, and that Trump will fight fire with fire for as long as it takes.

    Dignitaries including US Senator Marco Rubio (5-L), Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (9-L), businessman Jeff Bezos (12-L), Google CEO Sundar Pichai (7-R), and businessman Elon Musk (5-R) attend Donald Trump's inaugurationImage source, Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk were among those attending Donald Trump's inauguration on 20 January

  4. House Speaker hopes for Trump-Musk 'reconciliation'published at 16:57 British Summer Time

    Mike Johnson wearing red tie, black suit, white shirt and brown glasses

    The BBC's US media partner CBS reports that US House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to see Trump and Musk reconcile, saying it "would be good for the party and the country if all that's worked out".

    Johnson, who has also faced criticism from Musk, makes his support for the president clear.

    "Do not doubt and do not second guess and don't ever challenge the president of the United States, Donald Trump," he says. ""He's the most consequential political figure of this generation and probably the modern era, and he's doing an excellent job for the people."

  5. What is the spending bill at the centre of Trump-Musk feud?published at 16:46 British Summer Time

    A view of an agenda with the words "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" printed on it, on the day of a House Rules Committee's hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for extensive tax cuts, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., U.S., 21 MayImage source, Reuters

    As we've been reporting, Elon Musk's criticism of Donald Trump's tax and spending bill is at the centre of their feud.

    Trump has called it the "big, beautiful" bill. It includes extended tax cuts, tougher rules for who can get federal benefits, and raises the national debt ceiling.

    Estimates suggest that, as it stands, the bill will increase the budget deficit (the gap between what the government spends and what it brings in) by about $600bn (£444bn) in the next financial year.

    House Republicans narrowly passed the bill in May, giving Trump a major win last month. The bill now heads to the Senate, which will have the chance to approve or change provisions of the bill before it reaches Trump's desk.

  6. Trump has met his match, politics lecturer tells BBCpublished at 16:34 British Summer Time

    Matt Spivey
    Live reporter

    Dr Corina LacatusImage source, Corina Lacatus

    I've spoken to Corina Lacatus, a senior lecturer at Queen Mary University in London, who calls the public fallout between Trump and Musk an "unprecedented spectacle".

    Lacatus says: "Trump loves nothing more than a public feud, and in the past he has won them."

    What's different this time, she tells me, is that "Trump has met his match, more so than any other public figure that has opposed him before".

    "But Trump and Musk need each other - Musk was instrumental in the election for Trump but he also needs government money and contracts."

    She adds that in the short term, this argument will fuel criticism of the Trump administration's spending bill. A public feud is a means to obfuscate, she says, but behind the scenes, bills and policies are still being signed.

    "Once the fire is put out, Trump supporters will have had another public row they can enjoy and will see Trump as the winner."

  7. Democrats call for clarity on Musk's Epstein allegations against Trumppublished at 16:24 British Summer Time

    Robert Garcia points to an image of Elon MuskImage source, Bloomberg/Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Robert Garcia says he is alarmed by Elon Musk's allegations. Photo taken on 12 February during a House Oversight Sub-committee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (Doge) hearing

    During yesterday’s row, Elon Musk claimed, without evidence, that Trump appears in unreleased government files linked to the late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

    Today, Democrats have responded and are demanding answers.

    Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Acting Ranking Member Stephen Lynch say in a statement they are alarmed by the allegations and are calling for clarification on whether they are true.

    “Any attempts to prevent the appropriate release of the Epstein files to shield the president from truth and accountability merits intense scrutiny by Congress and by the Department of Justice,” their statement says.

    Reacting to Musk’s allegation, the White House has said “this is an unfortunate episode from Elon”.

    A source familiar with the situation told the BBC that Musk’s claims are nothing new.

  8. No resolution in sight as Trump-Musk row continuespublished at 16:10 British Summer Time

    The feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk is still going strong today.

    Trump has reportedly said he’s not interested in speaking with Musk right now, so it looks like there’s no resolution in sight.

    If you’re just joining us, here’s a quick update:

    We’ll keep you updated as this row develops.

  9. Tesla shares show slight recovery after hammeringpublished at 15:59 British Summer Time

    Natalie Sherman
    New York business reporter

    The logo of Tesla is pictured at a Tesla Super Charging station in Saint-Herblain near Nantes, FranceImage source, Reuters

    Tesla shares were hammered yesterday, falling 14%.

    But they’ve recovered a bit this morning, rising roughly 5% in the first minutes of trading, as investors try to gauge what the fight might mean for the electric car-maker.

    It is not straightforward.

    After all, the dispute could help distance the brand from Trump, allowing it to win back buyers who might have been put off by Musk’s politics.

    But it also spells serious trouble for government policies that had supported the company, like the tax incentives offered to buyers of electric cars, which are currently on the chopping block.

    It could also expose it to regulatory trouble, should the White House slow-walk issues such as self-driving, which had been a priority for the company.

    Tesla shares are known for being volatile. Taking the longer-term view, shares are still up more than 60% over the past 12 months.

  10. Trump is about 'conflict, conflict, conflict', US journalist sayspublished at 15:49 British Summer Time

    Media caption,

    'They went from zero to 100 in a nanosecond,' Republican pollster says

    Guests on BBC’s Newsnight gave their take last night on the Musk-Trump row.

    US journalist Michael Wolff, who predicted the fallout, says the US president is all about “conflict, conflict, conflict”.

    “The show goes on and he keeps the show going on,” he says.

    Republican pollster Frank Luntz says the row’s escalation was a shock, and thinks both men will regret it because the accusations are so serious.

    “They went from zero to 100 in a nanosecond. This is a surprise,” he says.

    “This is the boxing global championship, UFC, Super Bowl, World Cup... all rolled into one,” he adds, saying it’s the “last thing” the Trump administration wants.

    Journalist Mehdi Hasan also joined the discussion. He says it’ll be interesting to see who actually follows through with their threats.

    “I don’t know who to trust here because both have a long track record of lying,” he says.

  11. 'We think he's ungrateful' - Trump voters react to Musk falloutpublished at 15:36 British Summer Time

    Nomia Iqbal
    North America correspondent, reporting from Pennsylvania

    We’ve just been talking to Donald Trump voter Jesse Slaton - he’s delivering meals today in Folsom, where Elon Musk held his first solo rally for Trump.

    Slaton says his wife, Kimberley, is especially enraged by the row.

    “Oh man, she was a big supporter of Elon! But last night she would not stop talking about this. She was watching it all unfold last night for three hours, but has now deleted her X account", he says.

    Asked how much Musk influenced the couple, he says: “Definitely her. I was interested in his sweepstakes for voters. But I never signed up. However my wife is done with him now. She thinks he’s a two-year-old child who doesn’t want to share his toys with anyone else.

    “We think he’s ungrateful. Trump took him to the White House, dined with his family at Mar-a-Lago - to be honest she’s very upset at his behaviour," he says.

    Elon Musk, who supports Republican presidential nominee former U.S. president Donald Trump, arrives to speak about voting during an America PAC Town Hall in Folsom, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 17, 2024Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Elon Musk spoke in Folsom, Pennsylvania on 17 October 2024

  12. Trump says he's focusing on policy over Musk, CBS reportspublished at 15:21 British Summer Time

    Donald Trump has told the BBC's US partner CBS News he is "totally" focused on policy matters rather than Elon Musk.

    "That's all I focus on," Trump says in a phone call with CBS News's Robert Costa. "I don't focus on anything else. That's why I have my highest poll numbers."

    "The country is doing great, has never done so well. Jobs numbers are great, everything is good," he says.

  13. Musk quiet on latest Trump remarks for nowpublished at 15:03 British Summer Time

    Elon Musk - who was quick to respond to Trump's comments last night - is yet to issue a response to the president's latest statements today.

    Last night saw a rapid exchange between the two figures on social media. However Musk's social media accounts remain relatively quiet so far.

  14. Rift on a totally different scale to past disagreementspublished at 14:52 British Summer Time

    Gary O'Donoghue
    Chief North America correspondent

    There had been reports overnight that efforts were being made to effect some kind of reconciliation between the two men.

    But Donald Trump has told a reporter from ABC News that he's not particularly interested in speaking to Elon Musk.

    He has also spoken to another news outlet, CNN, saying the "poor guy's got a problem" and he wouldn't be speaking to him for some time.

    There had been signs that Musk was having second thoughts about his extended outburst, when he responded to another billionaire who'd called on them to make peace by saying “you're not wrong”.

    While these two have fallen out and made up several times in the past ten years, this episode is on a totally different scale and some things have been said that probably can't be unsaid.

  15. Row will fizzle out soon, Musk's father tells the BBCpublished at 14:45 British Summer Time

    Picture of Errol Musk wearing white shirt and black suitImage source, Getty Images

    "Trump and Elon are bulls having the final round over who will be boss, but it’ll fizzle out soon," according to Elon Musk's father, Errol.

    Speaking to BBC World Service's Newsday before Trump's latest comments were made, Errol describes Elon as a business person with no interest in politics.

    However if he did he would "run it like a factory", Errol says, as his current strengths lie in making businesses succeed which is "very different to running a country".

    He adds: "Elon is standing on principle and never tells lies. It’s just unfortunate life isn’t always like that but he has to realise compromises are necessary to make any sort of progress.”

  16. I’m not even thinking about Elon, Trump sayspublished at 14:29 British Summer Time

    Donald Trump has been speaking to various US media outlets today, with several reporting that the US president is not planning to speak to Elon Musk any time soon.

    “I’m not even thinking about Elon. He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem,” Trump tells CNN.

    As we reported earlier, Trump described Musk to ABC News as “the man who has lost his mind".

    The president has also been active on his social media platform Truth Social today, but hasn't mentioned Musk yet.

    We're also yet to hear from the tech billionaire today, but are watching his own platform X for updates.

  17. Trump considering selling Tesla car, CBS reportspublished at 14:08 British Summer Time

    Donald Trump talks to the media next to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, with a red Tesla car in the backgroundImage source, Reuters

    US President Donald Trump is considering selling his Tesla, the BBC's US partner CBS News reports, citing a senior White House official.

    The red car, which he purchased when he was trying to help Elon Musk promote his company, has been parked for weeks at the White House, it reports.

  18. It would be a surprise if Musk and Trump are friends any time soonpublished at 14:01 British Summer Time

    Gary O'Donoghue
    Chief North America correspondent

    We've just heard in the last hour that Trump has spoken to a correspondent for ABC News here, where he described Musk as “the man who has lost his mind.”

    That comes off the back of yesterday's huge spat, with Musk tweeting: "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the White House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude."

    Trump responded saying the easiest way to save the money in the budget is to "terminate Elon's subsidies and contracts" – which include Space X and Tesla.

    A lot has been said in the last 12 to 18 hours that can't be unsaid, and I'd be very surprised if these two are friends any time soon.

    A post by Donald J Trump saying "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts."
  19. Trump not planning to speak to Musk today, White House tells BBCpublished at 13:45 British Summer Time
    Breaking

    Nomia Iqbal
    North America correspondent

    There have been reports that there were going to be attempts to broker a truce between Musk and Trump today by White House aides.

    However the White House has told the BBC that the president does not intend to speak to Musk today.

  20. Not first time Musk waded into argumentpublished at 13:39 British Summer Time

    Tom Singleton
    Technology reporter

    Elon Musk's spectacular falling out with Donald Trump is probably the most talked-about row on the planet.

    But it's far from the first time the world's richest man has waded into an argument.

    The people he's found himself in hot disagreement with range from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer - over grooming gangs - to the diver Vern Unsworth - over a cave rescue in Thailand.

    He's attacked rivals in the tech world, such as OpenAI boss, Sam Altman. He's insulted politicians, including his nominal ally, the Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, who he described as "dumber than a sack of bricks.”

    A common feature of these beefs is that they play out online. In pursuing them Musk is of course helped - if that's the right word - by owning his own social media platform, X.

    So far then, so familiar.

    But what's new about this row is Musk has never tangled with someone quite as powerful - or quite as willing to hurl his own insults - as Donald Trump. He is of course someone who also has his own social media megaphone, in the form of Truth Social.

    We are all waiting to see what means for how this particular argument plays out.