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President Trump meets in the Oval Office on June 5. Michael Kappeler/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
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Michael Kappeler/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump on Thursday said he was surprised that his former adviser Elon Musk is scorching the Republican megabill advancing most of Trump's biggest domestic policy priorities, but said he thought Musk was wrong and conflicted in his criticism.
"Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
"He's worn that hat, 'Trump was right about everything' -- and I am right about the great big, beautiful, bill," Trump said.
He said Musk "knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody" and "never had a problem until right after he left." On X, Musk quickly countered, claiming "this bill was never shown to me even once."
Musk, who for months led the Trump administration's government-slashing unit until he left the role last week, has been actively attacking the megabill for days, calling it "pork-filled" and a "disgusting abomination."
"In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful," Musk posted Thursday. "Everyone knows this! Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way."
Trump said he thought Musk was upset because the bill proposes to cut subsidies for electric vehicles, a policy that would affect his company Tesla, and because Trump pulled his nominee for NASA on Saturday. That pick, Jared Isaacman, had been recommended by Musk, and the nomination had cleared committee and was awaiting Senate confirmation. Isaacman is a friend of Musk, and his online payment company, Shift 4, has financial ties to SpaceX. On Thursday, Trump suggested he didn't think the relationship "was appropriate."
He noted that Musk had only had positive things to say upon leaving the Oval Office last week. "You saw a man who was very happy when he stood behind the Oval desk. And even with the black eye — I said, 'You want a little makeup? We'll get you there to make up,' but he said, 'No, I don't think so.' Which is interesting and very nice. He wants to be who he is," Trump said.
Trump said he thought that Musk missed being part of the action at the White House, and said he was similar to other former staffers who leave to become critics.
"They leave, and they wake up in the morning, and the glamor is gone. The whole world is different, and they become hostile, I don't know what it is," Trump said.
After Trump spoke, Musk posted on X that "without me, Trump would have lost the election, Demos would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate."
