You would have lost election without me - Elon Musk blasts Trump

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has claimed that former President Donald Trump would not have won the 2024 election without his support, responding to recent criticism from the two-time American president.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the remark on X while responding to Trump’s public disappointment over his recent opposition to a signature spending bill.

“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,” Musk posted on Thursday, June 5, 2025.

Musk had led the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) before resigning last week, just a day after expressing opposition to a Trump-backed domestic spending bill. Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill,' the legislation is a cornerstone of the president’s second-term agenda.

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The bill passed by a razor-thin 215–214 vote in Congress, and includes sweeping tax cuts, $350 billion for immigration enforcement, revival of the US-Mexico border wall with $46.5 billion in funding, and a hiring surge for ICE and border agencies.

It also introduces a controversial $1,000 fee for asylum seekers and raises the estate tax exemption to $15 million.

Musk blasted the bill as “fiscally irresponsible” and a “disgusting abomination,” criticising its combination of aggressive spending and tax relief for the wealthy.

He argued that it undermined the purpose of DOGE, which he had championed to save $2 trillion in federal spending. So far, DOGE has only delivered $160 billion in savings.

Trump says he's very disappointed with Musk

In response to Musk’s escalating criticisms, Trump expressed dismay, claiming the tech mogul only turned against the bill after learning it would reduce support for electric vehicles.

“I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here,” Trump said.

“He knew everything about it, and all of a sudden he had a problem, and he only developed a problem when he found out I was going to cut the EV mandate because that’s billions and billions of dollars.”

The president added, “He said the most beautiful things about me, and he hasn’t said anything bad about me personally, but I’m sure that will be next… I’ve helped Elon a lot.”

Trump commended Musk’s contributions at DOGE but suggested his criticism stemmed from missing his time in the administration.

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“Elon worked hard at DOGE, and I think he misses the place. I think he got out there, and all of a sudden, he’s no longer in this beautiful Oval Office,” Trump remarked.

“Some of them embrace it, and some of them actually become hostile. I don’t know what it is, some sort of Trump derangement syndrome.”

He also disputed Musk’s political impact, asserting he would have secured Pennsylvania without his backing.