Trump and Musk Clash Over EV Mandate and U.S. Spending Bill

 In a sharp rebuke delivered via social media, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his long-standing opposition to the federal electric vehicle (EV) mandate, calling it "ridiculous" and emblematic of government overreach. Trump argued that while he is not opposed to electric vehicles per se, American consumers should not be compelled to adopt them through regulation.

The President also directed criticism at Tesla CEO Elon Musk, alleging that Musk has received more government subsidies than "any human being in history." Without such financial support, Trump claimed, Musk’s ventures—including Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink—would collapse. He went so far as to suggest that Musk might have to "close up shop and return to South Africa" if subsidies were eliminated. Injecting a note of sarcasm, Trump added that “DOGE should take a good, hard look at this,” in an apparent nod to Musk’s association with the Dogecoin cryptocurrency and ongoing debates around taxpayer-funded corporate support.

In response, Elon Musk launched a spirited critique of the President’s flagship tax and spending proposal, ridiculing it as "One Big Beautiful Bill." In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Musk condemned the bill’s projected $5 trillion increase to the U.S. debt ceiling, calling it a reckless example of bipartisan complacency.

“It’s obvious with the insane spending in this bill—which hikes the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS—that we live in a one-party country… the PORKY PIG PARTY!” Musk wrote, implying that both Democrats and Republicans are equally culpable. He floated the idea of launching a new political faction—the "America Party"—as a corrective to what he described as a dysfunctional and fiscally irresponsible system.

Musk further criticized lawmakers who campaigned on promises of fiscal restraint but later voted in support of the bill. Calling them hypocrites, he stated that their actions betrayed public trust. “Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,” Musk declared, adding that if the legislation passes, he would initiate the formation of the America Party "the next day."

The exchange marks a dramatic clash between two of the most influential figures in American politics and business, underscoring deep ideological divides over technology policy, public spending, and the future of political representation in the United States.