Musk favours impeachment of Donald Trump, moots new political party

Elon Musk had joked that he was the ‘First Buddy’ in the United States, a friend and advisor to the US President. They were literally inseparable, both men with Musk carrying one of his sons on his shoulders flying off almost every weekend to play golf.

Even on Musk’s last day in the White House, barely a week ago, Donald Trump praised his work as head of the Department of Government Efficiency and said, “Elon’s really not leaving. He’s going to be back and forth, I think…Elon’s service to America has been without comparison in modern history.”

During the online spat:

Musk criticised the Budget Bill: Musk has criticised the latest spending bill for removing EV tax credits while leaving fossil fuel subsidies untouched, calling it a betrayal of climate innovation. The feud comes as Republicans attempt to rally support for the controversial "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a sweeping tax and spending package facing criticism from both fiscal conservatives and environmental advocates. Musk, in particular, has become its loudest high-profile critic.

Musk endorsed third impeachment of Trump: When someone else suggested on social media that Trump should be impeached and replaced by vice-president J.D. Vance, Musk replied, ‘Yes’. Trump was impeached twice, first for urging Ukraine’s President to investigate his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. The second time was for inciting rioting on 6 January 2021, at the Capitol. The Senate acquitted Trump both times after the impeachment motion failed to get a two-thirds majority for conviction.

Musk predicted recession from Trump tariffs: Musk upped the ante by predicting Trump’s tariffs – the centrepiece of his economic policy – would cause a recession. “The Trump tariffs will cause a recession in the second half of this year,” he posted on X.

Musk alleged Trump connection to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein: Jeffrey Epstein was a financier charged by federal agencies for sex trafficking. He died by suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019. Conspiracy theorists have speculated that powerful people silenced Epstein rather than have their secrets exposed. Trump and Epstein were filmed and photographed together at parties. In 2002 Trump praised the wealthy businessman as a "terrific guy” but he has since distanced himself from him.

Not too long ago, however, the US President had said, "Elon has never asked me for a thing. I mean, I got rid of the EV mandate ... but he's never asked me for a thing. I think that's an amazing attribute ... Elon is a patriot, we want to thank you very much for the job you're doing." But the tone changed during the last 12 hours.

Musk fired the first salvo by criticising the Budget Bill—the ‘big and beautiful bill’ in the words of the US president—and asked to comment, Trump said he was deeply disappointed before threatening to cut off all federal subsidies to Tesla, Starlink and other companies of Musk.

A fuming Musk responded by posting that it was time to drop the ‘big bomb’. He went on to add that Trump’s name figured in the sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein’s investigation, which is why the papers are not being released, he suggested. While 200 pages of the investigation were released earlier this year, Trump’s name was missing.

While Trump has always denied having flown with Epstein to his ‘stupid island’ and taking part in orgies with under-age girls, it has been suggested that he did indeed fly in Epstein’s plane at least seven times.

While Musk turned to Twitter (X), which he owns, Trump turned to his social media platform on Truth Social during the escalating spat. "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's governmental subsidies and contracts," Trump declared on Truth Social. "I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!"

Referring to Musk’s criticism of the Budget Bill, Trump claimed, "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!"

“I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a bilateral meeting with German chancellor Friedrich Merz. “I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot.”

Musk’s reply moments later claimed Trump was lying and that the Bill had not been shown to him even once. He went on to say that members of the Congress who voted on the Bill were given no time to read it. The Bill, passed by the House of Representatives, will have to be passed by the Senate where Republicans have a wafer-thin majority.

Musk went further, delivering a jab that appeared to hit Trump where it hurts most. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," Musk wrote, asserting he had spent at least $250 million supporting Trump's return to office. In a follow-up, he added: "Such ingratitude."

It is a developing story. Watch out.