Elon Musk and Donald Trump are smack talking each other into their own digital echo chambers

Summary

Well, it finally happened. This town wasn’t big enough for the two towering egos of billionaire Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, and now they’re duking it out publicly, albeit from their own separate corners of the web. Musk is taking to his own social media platform, X, to take jabs at Trump, and Trump is firing back on Truth Social and Fox News. The squabble comes a few days after Musk stepped down from leading DOGE, and after Musk repeatedly disparaged Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” a spending package that House Republicans passed in May. Musk has called the bill “a disgusting abomination,” saying it would significantly increase the federal budget deficit by up to $3.8 trillion in additional debt over the next decade through increased defense spending, immigration enforcement measures, and tax cuts. In a way, the siloed nature of this shouting match feels poetic. It exposes the cracks in the Musk-Trump political alliance and underscores how powerful social media and loyal fan bases have become in shaping policy narratives and swaying voter perception. Trump is doing what he often does, trying to discredit a potential rival. For Musk, it’s more of a gamble. Tesla has already taken a hit from his political grandstanding and flirtations with the Trump administration. More of the same could further damage his business. Or it could cement his status as an anti-establishment voice — a tech mogul who doesn’t need traditional power structures to influence the American political landscape. Musk has suggested in X posts that he would unseat politicians who backed Trump’s budget bill in the 2026 midterms. Pinned to the top of his X account is a poll asking if it’s “time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?” Two hours after the post, 82.3% of nearly 1 million voters said “yes.” Musk said just a couple weeks ago that he would be taking a step away from politics to focus on his businesses. And it’s those businesses tha...