‘Such ingratitude’: Trump would’ve lost 2024 election without me – Elon Musk

On Thursday, Elon Musk asserted that former President Donald Trump would have lost the 2024 election “without me,” escalating tensions between the world’s richest man and one of the most powerful political figures.

The statement came after Trump addressed Musk’s recent criticisms of the administration’s legislative centerpiece, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Musk, who recently stepped down as a senior adviser, has been increasingly vocal about the bill—particularly its provisions on electric vehicle (EV) tax credits.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump commented on the brewing fallout. “Elon and I have a great relationship,” he said. “I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised—everyone here saw the warm sendoff. He said wonderful things about me.”

Trump said Musk’s opposition to the bill is likely rooted in its reduction of EV tax incentives, which he believes Musk supported—until his departure. “He never had a problem with the bill until after he left,” Trump noted. “I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped him a lot.”

He added, “People leave my administration and some miss it, some embrace it, and some become hostile. It might be a case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Musk quickly pushed back on Trump’s remarks. He reiterated that he supports reducing EV credits—if Congress eliminates what he called “the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK” within the bill. He accused Trump of being ungrateful, writing on X (formerly Twitter):

“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House, and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude.”

Musk then used Trump’s own words against him by resurfacing a 2013 tweet in which Trump criticized Republican efforts to raise the debt ceiling. “Wise words,” Musk commented, clearly highlighting what he sees as the administration’s hypocrisy.

Regarding claims that Musk was aware of the EV mandate in the bill, Trump insisted:

“All of a sudden he had a problem—and it only started when he learned we were going to cut the EV mandate.”

Musk, however, denied any prior knowledge of the provision:

“False. This bill was never shown to me even once. It passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it,” he posted on X.

In another aside, Trump addressed a past disagreement over NASA leadership. He said Musk’s preferred candidate, Jared Isaacman—an associate of Musk and past supporter of Democrats—was not selected because it “wasn’t appropriate.”