The public feud between Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and former U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated into a high-stakes confrontation, drawing significant attention from both political and business communities worldwide. The conflict, which had been simmering for some time, erupted on June 6, 2025, when Musk called for Trump's impeachment and threatened to decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.
This article explores the intricate details of this high-profile clash, examining the implications for both parties and the broader geopolitical landscape.
The catalyst for this explosive feud was Musk's allegation that Trump's name appears in the notorious Epstein files. Musk's claim, made on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), sent shockwaves through the political sphere. "Time to drop the really big bomb: Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!" Musk wrote, igniting a firestorm of controversy and speculation.
In response, Trump took to his platform, Truth Social, to counter Musk's allegations. He accused Musk of opposing his "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a key piece of legislation in Trump's policy agenda. Trump suggested that Musk's opposition stemmed from the removal of electric vehicle incentives from the bill, a move that could significantly impact Tesla's business model. "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 wrote, escalating the feud further.
Implications for SpaceX and NASA
The stakes of this conflict are immense, particularly for SpaceX and its critical role in NASA and Pentagon contracts. Musk's decision to decommission the Dragon spacecraft, a vital component of SpaceX's operations, threatens to disrupt the transportation of cargo and crew to the International Space Station (ISS). The Dragon spacecraft is currently the only vehicle capable of returning significant amounts of cargo to Earth, making its decommissioning a significant blow to NASA's operations. The move also jeopardizes over $22 billion in contracts between SpaceX, NASA, and the Pentagon, including crucial programs like lunar Starship development and military satellite launches.
The public spat between Musk and Trump has not only captured the attention of the media but also sparked a flurry of activity within the White House. Officials in the West Wing have been closely monitoring the situation, with several aides likening it to a high-stakes divorce. "I thought maybe August," one aide noted to CNN, expressing surprise at the timing of the fallout. The feud has also prompted speculation about the future of the Ax-4 mission, which includes planned microgravity experiments and involves Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla. Despite the political turmoil, Axiom Space has assured that the mission remains on track.
The implications of this feud extend beyond the immediate parties involved. The clash between Musk and Trump has sent ripples through the financial markets, with Bitcoin experiencing a significant dip as investors reacted to the uncertainty. Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin's value dropped nearly 3%, resulting in the liquidation of approximately $308 million in long positions. Analysts have attributed the decline to the intensifying feud and the potential impact on U.S. economic policy.
