Just because Donald Trump’s massive new spending bill passed doesn’t mean his war with Elon Musk is over. In fact, things are getting much uglier. The two former allies are now locked in a political civil war — and Trump may have just crossed the line by leaking a very damaging story about Elon Musk.
Let’s rewind a bit.
After Trump’s bill — which massively increased government spending and boosted ICE funding — passed through Congress, Elon Musk started publicly attacking it. He called it “shameful” and even promised to donate money to Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican against Trump’s bill. Massie is one of the few GOP lawmakers who didn’t support the massive budget, calling it the biggest debt increase in history.
In response, Elon publicly said he would donate to Massie’s campaign. He also hinted at funding others who want to stop Trump’s big government spending. That put Elon directly in opposition to Trump’s current Republican establishment — and clearly, Trump didn’t like that.
Behind the scenes, it seems Trump got personal. Author Michael Wolff, who has covered Trump closely for years, revealed on a podcast that Trump has been calling friends and bragging that he was the one who leaked Elon Musk’s alleged drug use to The New York Times.
The Times had published a detailed report saying that Musk had been using ketamine, Adderall, mushrooms, and ecstasy — even while he was helping Trump during his 2024 campaign. Trump, according to Wolff, told several people that he “dropped a dime” to the Times, meaning he leaked the story on purpose.
Now, Wolff admits he can’t confirm if Trump or someone in his circle really was the source — but the fact that Trump is claiming credit says a lot. The billionaire betrayal has officially gone nuclear.
This all lines up with earlier signs of tension. On Trump’s last day in office, Peter Doocy of Fox News hinted that Elon Musk had already started getting tired of Trump. He said the “act was wearing thin.” Back then, people didn’t take it seriously. Now we know — something was definitely going on.
Things hit a boiling point when Musk criticized Trump’s Iran policy and doubled down on calling the new bill “a disaster.” That’s when Trump allegedly went all in — trying to take Elon down with personal attacks and leaked stories.
According to Wolff, Trump has been calling friends and asking things like, “Do you think Elon is crazy?” He also claimed that Elon “takes drugs all the time” and that “we” (meaning Trump’s team) “told The New York Times” about it.
Musk has denied the drug allegations, but this personal attack from Trump only made the feud worse. Musk is furious — and now, there’s even talk that he could help fund a third party to challenge Trump and Biden in 2024 or beyond.
Meanwhile, Trump’s bill is getting heat from all sides. Critics say it slashes healthcare, cuts food assistance, and gives ICE more money than the FBI — all while increasing the debt. Democrats are using this to rally voters and plan to hit Republicans hard during the congressional recess.
Congressman Robert Garcia blasted the bill, calling it “a betrayal” and “disgraceful.” He said it doubles ICE’s budget, gives less due process to immigrants, and hurts farm workers, small businesses, and low-income families. Garcia also accused Republicans of refusing to work with Democrats on real solutions.
Even Vice President Kamala Harris is facing criticism for not pushing back harder, after previously saying she’d protect tax cuts for families making under $400,000.
So where does this leave us?
Trump is going after Elon Musk with everything he’s got. And Musk is ready to fight back. The civil war inside the Republican Party — between Trump’s old guard and tech libertarians like Elon — is heating up fast. It’s messy, personal, and potentially game-changing.