STORY: President Donald Trump lashed out on Thursday (June 05) against Elon Musk, saying he was "disappointed" by the billionaire's public opposition to the sweeping tax-cut and spending bill that is at the heart of Trump's agenda.

"Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," Trump said in the Oval Office during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit. "He said the most beautiful things about me, and he hasn't said bad about me personally, but I'm sure that'll be next. But I'm, I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot."

Trump also asserted that Musk's days of blistering attacks on the bill were motivated by the proposed elimination of consumer tax credits for electric vehicles. Musk, the CEO of electric vehicle maker Tesla has said he opposes the bill because it will increase federal deficits.

Trump suggested that Musk, who received a praise-filled sendoff from Trump last week after overseeing his federal bureaucracy cost-cutting campaign, was upset because he missed working for Trump.

"He's not the first," Trump said. "People leave my administration ... then at some point they miss it so badly, and some of them embrace it and some of them actually become hostile."

As Trump was speaking, Musk wrote on X, "Slim Beautiful Bill for the win," a reference to the bill's official title, the "Big Beautiful Bill Act."

Musk followed that up with another post, saying he was fine with the cuts to electric vehicle credits as long as Republicans removed what he called a "mountain of disgusting pork" in wasteful spending from the bill.

Musk came into the government with brash plans to cut $2 trillion out of the federal budget. He left last week having achieved far less than that, having cut about half of 1% of total spending.

Musk has been a powerful Trump ally, spending nearly $300 million to boost Republicans in the 2024 election and then overseeing Trump's Department of Government Efficiency.

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VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TALKS ABOUT ELON MUSK AT THE OVAL OFFICE DURING GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ'S VISIT

RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT

SHOWS: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JUNE 05, 2025)(U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

1. WIDE VIEW OF U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN OVAL OFFICE SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA ALONGSIDE GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ WHO WAS VISITING

2. (SOUNDBITE)(English) REPORTER SAYING:

"The criticism that I've seen, and I'm sure you've seen regarding Elon Musk and your big, beautiful bill, what's your reaction to that? Do you think it in any way hurts passage in the Senate, which of course, what is you're seeking?"

3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"Well, look, you know, I've always liked Elon and it's I was very surprised you saw the words he had for me, the words. And he hasn't said anything about me that's bad. I'd rather have him criticize me than the bill, because the bill is incredible."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"And, you know, Elon's upset because we took the EV mandate and, you know, which was a lot of money for electric vehicles. And, you know, they're having a hard time the electric vehicles, and they want us to pay billions of dollars in subsidy. And, you know, Elon knew this from the beginning. He knew it for a long time ago. That's been in there, I would say, JD [VANCE] that hasn't changed and has been right from the beginning. Mr., I think, Mr. Secretary that hasn't changed at all right from the beginning, but I know that disturbed him. He wanted and rightfully, you know, he recommended somebody from that he, I guess, knew very well. I'm sure he respected him, but to run NASA and I didn't think it was appropriate. And he happened to be a Democrat, like totally Democrat. And I say, you know, look, we won, we get certain privileges. And one of the privileges is we don't have to appoint a Democrat."

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"But he wanted that person a certain person. And we said no. And, you know, I can understand why he's upset. Remember, he was here for a long time. 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 a little makeup, but he said, 'No, I don't think so', which is interesting and very nice. He wants to be who he is. So you could make that statement, too, I guess.

Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore. I was surprised because you were here, everybody in this room practically was here as we had a wonderful send off. He said wonderful things about me. You couldn't have nicer, said the best things. He's worn the hat, Trump was right about everything and I am right about the great big, beautiful bill. We call it a great big, beautiful bill because that's what it is."

8. WHITE FLASH

9. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"Elon endorsed me very strongly. He actually went up and campaigned for me. I think I would have won. Susie would say I would have won Pennsylvania easily anyway."

10. WHITE FLASH

11. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"But I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here. Better than you people. He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden he had a problem and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate, because that's billions and billions of dollars and it really is unfair. We want to have cars of all types, electric, we want to have electric, but we want to have gasoline combustion and we want to have different, we want to have hybrids, we want to be able to sale everything. And when that was cut, and when Congress wanted to cut it, he became a little bit different and I can understand that, but he knew every aspect of this bill. He knew it better than almost anybody and he never had a problem until right after he left and if you saw the statements he made about me, which I'm sure you could can get very easily, it's very fresh on tape, he said the most beautiful things about me. And he hasn't said bad about me personally, but I'm sure that will be next. But I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot."

12. (SOUNDBITE)(English) REPORTER SAYING:

"Mr. President, I just want to clarify, did you raise any of these concerns with him privately before he raised them publicly? And this is the guy you put in charge of cutting spending? Should people not take him seriously about spending now? Are you saying this is all sour grapes?"

13. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"No, he worked hard and he did a good job. And I'll be honest, I think he misses the place. I think he got out there and all of a sudden he wasn't in this beautiful Oval Office and he was and he's got nice offices, too. But there's something about this one. When I was telling the Chancellor, this is where it is. People come in here, even from Germany, they come in and they walk into the Oval Office and it's just a special place. It's, you know, World War One. It started and it ended here in World War Two and so many other things. Everything big comes right from this this beautiful space. It's now much more beautiful than it was six months ago. A lot of good things are happening in this room.

And I'll tell you, it's not he's not the first, people leave my administration and they love us. And then at some point they miss it so badly and some of them embrace it and some of them actually become hostile. I don't know what it is. It's sort of Trump derangement syndrome, I guess they call it, But we have it with others, too. 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. Someday you will write a book about and you'll let us know. Yeah."

14. WIDE VIEW OF U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN OVAL OFFICE SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA ALONGSIDE GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ WHO WAS VISITING