Donald Trump has offered a concise five-word retort after disclosing his true feelings about his former close associate, Elon Musk.
Musk played a significant role in Trump’s election campaign, leading to his appointment as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) upon Trump’s return to the presidency.
Although Musk maintained his role until recently, tensions have since developed between the president and the billionaire entrepreneur.
The disagreement between them primarily arises from Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ which Musk criticized as an ‘abomination.’
Trump countered Musk’s criticism, expressing his ‘disappointment’ with the tech mogul and asserting that Musk was fully aware of the bill’s details before leaving the government.
Musk later took to Twitter to make a controversial claim that the president’s name appears in the Jeffrey Epstein files. The White House responded, describing it as an ‘unfortunate episode from Elon.’
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN: “This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again.”
In a conversation with the New York Post on Friday (June 6), Trump delivered a straightforward five-word response amid his ongoing conflict with Musk.
“Nothing catches me by surprise,” Trump stated to the outlet.
He further commented: “The numbers are through the roof, the stock market is up, billions are pouring in from tariffs, and my poll numbers are the highest they’ve ever been. Other than that, what can I tell you, right?”
Trump has insisted that Musk was well-informed about the bill, suggesting that Musk’s recent remarks might have caught him off guard.
Nevertheless, the Republican leader continues to express unwavering support for the bill.
The president stated: “He knew the bill as well as anybody. The bill is great. It’s going to pass, but the bill is great, and it’s going [to] be great for everybody, including him.
“And you see it now. And take a look at what happened today with the job numbers. They’re through the roof, and the stock market’s up already 600 points.”
Further addressing the rift, Leavitt spoke on Fox News’ Hannity.
When questioned about the discord between Trump and Musk, she remarked: “Just days ago, Elon thanked the president for his incredible leadership to cut waste and fraud in our government, which this one big beautiful bill does.”
The press secretary continued: “The only difference between Friday and today is Elon went back to his companies and as a businessman, he has a right to speak for his companies, but as president, President Trump has a responsibility to fight for this country.”