In a dramatic escalation of tensions between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former US President Donald Trump, Musk claimed that Trump’s name appears in the infamous Epstein files and alleged that this is the real reason they have not been made public.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Musk declared:
“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.”
In a follow-up post, Musk cryptically added:
“Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”
These comments come after a series of public disagreements between the two over a newly passed US bill that includes sweeping tax cuts and revisions to electric vehicle (EV) subsidies.
Tensions escalated further when Trump posted on Truth Social:
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it.”
In direct response, Musk stated on X:
“In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.”
The row appears to stem partly from the EV mandates within the latest tax bill, which Musk opposes and Trump defends. Speaking to reporters recently, Trump said:
“Elon’s upset because we took the EV mandate, which was a lot of money for electric vehicles. They want us to pay billions of dollars in subsidy. Elon knew this from the beginning… But I know that it disturbed him.”
Trump also reflected on their previous relationship, suggesting a shift in tone:
“Elon endorsed me very strongly. He actually went up and campaigned for me… But I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this (tax) bill better than almost anybody sitting here.”
Musk responded sharply, accusing Trump of dishonesty:
“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!”
“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.”
The allegations regarding Epstein come at a time when pressure is mounting to unseal court documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019. High-profile individuals including Trump, Prince Andrew, and former President Bill Clinton have all been mentioned in documents tied to Epstein’s abuse network, according to The Hill.
Trump has previously denied any association with Epstein, stating in 2024:
“I was never on Epstein’s Plane, or at his ‘stupid’ Island.”
Musk’s explosive accusation and the deepening fallout could have far-reaching implications for both political and business dynamics, particularly as Trump remains a dominant figure in Republican politics and Musk continues to wield influence over both technology and political discourse.