Trump Blasts Elon Musk Over Tax Bill Criticism, Says “I’m Very Disappointed”

President Donald Trump has fired back at billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk following his fierce criticism of the administration’s newly passed tax and spending bill, which Musk dubbed a “disgusting abomination.”

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump expressed his disappointment over Musk’s comments, suggesting the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome” and hinting at sour grapes after Musk’s short-lived stint as a special government adviser ended.

“I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot,” Trump said.

The controversy erupted earlier in the week after Musk took to his social media platform, X, to lambast the multi-trillion-dollar package passed by House Republicans in May. The bill, which Trump has touted as a “big, beautiful bill,” includes massive tax breaks and increased congressional spending, which Musk described as bloated and reckless.

“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk wrote on Tuesday. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

In U.S. politics, “pork” refers to government funds earmarked for local projects, often used to curry favor with voters.

In a follow-up post on Thursday, Musk pushed back against Trump’s narrative, calling it “false” and insisting he was not shown the bill prior to its passage. “It was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!” he claimed.

Musk also stirred further political drama by asserting that he played a decisive role in Trump’s re-election. “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House, and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” he tweeted.

Trump, however, downplayed Musk’s influence and accused him of being upset over potential Senate cuts to electric vehicle tax incentives — a move that would affect Tesla’s consumer base.

Another reported source of tension is Musk’s recent endorsement of commercial astronaut and billionaire Jared Isaacman to head NASA — a move Trump rejected, claiming Isaacman is “totally a Democrat.”

While Musk has yet to respond to Trump’s latest comments in full, his father, Errol Musk, told Sky News that despite the public spat, “there is no rift between Elon and Donald Trump.”

The escalating rift between two of America’s most high-profile figures — once political allies — now threatens to widen as both men prepare for the 2026 midterm cycle and beyond.