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Elon Musk dropped a “bombshell” claim that Donald Trump is included in the Jeffrey Epstein files and this is why they haven’t been released.
Close allies until recently, the pair ‘broke up’ publicly Thursday, trading barbs across their social media platforms.
It comes just one week after Musk left Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after working as a special government employee to slash federal spending.
- Elon Musk accused Donald Trump of being named in Jeffrey Epstein's sealed files, suggesting this blocks their public release.
- Musk and Trump ended their friendship amid harsh social media clashes over Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill.
- Trump criticized Musk and said his behavior was 'crazy' after he asked him to leave DOGE.
- Musk threatened to decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft over threats of contract cancellations but later softened his stance.
Trump and Musk exchanged blows on social media
Image credits: The White House
In the biggest shock of the night, Musk alleged that Trump was in the dossier of files compiled on Epstein’s criminal activities.
The files include details of Epstein’s sex trafficking network, names of associates, friends, and participants, flight logs, court depositions, victim testimonies, and investigation details.
While some files were made public following Epstein’s 2019 arrest on sex trafficking charges and his death by suicide in jail, many documents remain sealed.
In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi called on FBI Director Kash Patel to launch an investigation into why the agency withheld thousands of documents connected to the case.
Image credits: Davidoff Studios/Getty Images
Newly declassified files were then released by Bondi, but there were no significant allegations or noteworthy details on Epstein’s associates.
Epstein and Trump had a social relationship in the 1990s and early 2000s, often seen together at high-profile events and parties in Palm Beach and New York.
Trump once described Epstein as a “terrific guy” who enjoyed the company of women “on the younger side.”
The U.S. president has denied having any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities, despite public speculation and the new allegation from Musk.
Trump and Musk’s bromance began to fracture when Musk launched a scathing criticism of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, describing it as a “disgusting abomination.”
Image credits: The White House
“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk posted Tuesday.
“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
The bill is a sweeping legislative package aimed at overhauling the federal tax code, slashing domestic spending, and tightening regulations on healthcare and immigration.
Tech billionaire Musk spent this week raising concerns about the $3.8 trillion the bill would add to the U.S. federal deficit over the next decade and advocating to “kill the bill.”
He also endorsed a proposal to ban all sitting members of Congress from re-election if the deficit exceeded 3% of U.S. GDP.
Trump threatened to end Musk’s government contracts
Image credits: The White House
Trump responded to the attacks at a meeting with new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.
“Elon is upset because we took the EV mandate, which was a lot of money for electric vehicles,” he said.
The issue relates to a $7,500 tax incentive for electric vehicle (EV) buyers, which Trump wants to scrap by December of this year.
Sharing a video of Trump, Musk said “whatever” and told him to keep “EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill” but to ditch the “mountain of disgusting pork.”
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump on Elon Musk:
“Elon is upset because we took 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.” pic.twitter.com/VwB7bSapXe
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) June 5, 2025
“Pork” refers to pork-barrel spending, which is a term used to describe how politicians promise huge cash for local projects in a bid to get re-elected, but it is often deemed wasteful.
Trump also told reporters he was “very disappointed” in Musk and claimed he knew the inner workings of the bill but flipped when the EV mandate was ditched.
He said Musk had developed “Trump derangement syndrome” since leaving DOGE because he missed his work and the White House.
The syndrome, Trump suggested, had made Musk and others—who once loved the administration—hostile.
“I’m very disappointed with Elon. I’ve helped him a lot,” Trump said.
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! https://t.co/V4ztekqd4g
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
“When that [the EV mandate] was cut and Congress wanted to cut it, he became a little bit different,” Trump added.
“He hasn’t said bad about me personally, but I’m sure that’ll be next.”
Trump’s prediction proved to be correct, and the feud intensified, with Musk claiming the bill was never once shown to him.
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Musk also said Trump would never have won the presidency without him
Image credits: Donald J Trump
In a separate post, he added: “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.”
The tit-for-tat continued as Musk described the accusation that he was crazy as an “obvious lie” and said Trump would never have won the presidency without him.
Musk spent at least $277 million to back Trump in the race against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
The Tesla CEO then dropped his biggest bombshell yet on X.
Image credits: elonmusk
“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 followed that up by responding to Trump’s threat to end his government contracts.
“In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately,” Musk wrote.
Just hours later, Musk seemed to walk back his earlier stance.
Image credits: elonmusk
Replying to a user on X who suggested that he and Trump take a break to cool down, Musk responded, “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon.”
The spacecraft, developed under a contract worth about $5 billion, is currently the only American craft capable of ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Musk also called for Trump to be impeached and for Vice President JD Vance to replace him, as Trump ally Steve Bannon urged the president to deport Musk back to South Africa.
Trump has fervently defended his One Big Beautiful Bill Act
🚨 NEW: Trump speaks on Elon coming out against the BBB
“I would have won Pennsylvania regardless of Elon…I’m very disappointed with Elon. He knew this bill better than anyone and he only developed a problem when he found out I would cut the EV mandate…
When he left he said… pic.twitter.com/O0OfkqmOUd
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) June 5, 2025
In his final Musk-related dig, Trump continued to defend his Big Beautiful Bill, claiming there would be a 68% tax increase if the bill did not pass.
“I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress,” Trump said.
The feud had a significant impact on Tesla, with stocks tanking 14% by the end of trading Thursday, costing about $150bn in market value.
I do love watching leopards eating each other's faces while they are eating everyone else's. 🍿
I do love watching leopards eating each other's faces while they are eating everyone else's. 🍿
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