Washington, (EFE).- Elon Musk claimed Thursday that United States President Donald Trump is listed in the unreleased files of Jeffrey Epstein, escalating a dramatic public fallout between the recently-close allies.
“It’s time to drop the big bomb: Trump is in the Epstein files. That’s the real reason they haven’t been released. Have a good day, DJT!” Musk posted on X, the platform he owns.
The post quickly went viral, prompting an uproar across social media and political circles.
Musk, who until last week served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Trump’s istration, urged followers to save the message, asserting, “The truth will come out.”
The statement came shortly after Trump threatened to cancel all government contracts with Musk’s companies, citing Musk’s recent criticism of a controversial fiscal plan.
The Epstein files have long been the subject of intense speculation.
Epstein, a financier with deep connections to political and financial elites, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
His death and the ongoing secrecy surrounding his associates have fueled demands for the United States Department of Justice to release documents, including flight logs to his private island in the US Virgin Islands, where the alleged abuse took place.
Trump threatens to cut ties with Musk’s companies
Posting on Truth Social, the president threatened to revoke subsidies and cancel federal contracts with Musk’s businesses.
“The easiest way to save billions in our budget is to cancel government contracts with Elon. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!” Trump wrote.
SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company, holds major contracts with the US government, including a 5.9 billion dollar deal with the US Space Force for satellite launches using its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
Starlink, SpaceX’s communications subsidiary, also maintains contracts worth hundreds of millions for military and intelligence operations, including 537 million dollars in for Ukrainian forces.
Tesla, another Musk-led company, may also be affected. Earlier this year, the US State Department reportedly earmarked 400 million dollars for purchasing Cybertruck vehicles, though the current status of that deal remains unclear.
The public feud follows Musk’s departure on May 30 from DOGE, the department charged with cutting federal bureaucracy.
At the time, both Musk and Trump praised each other in a farewell ceremony at the White House.
However tensions flared after Musk condemned Trump’s fiscal policy as a “disgusting abomination” and accused Republican lawmakers of increasing the national debt.
“I was never shown the bill even once,” Musk claimed, challenging Trump’s assertion that the businessman had been fully briefed.
From political allies to public enemies
The collapse of the Trump-Musk alliances has stunned Washington.
Musk, once a fierce critic of Trump, calling him “not the right guy” to lead the country in 2016, slowly warmed to him during the Biden istration.
In 2022, Musk bought Twitter (now X), reinstated Trump’s , and gave more space to far-right voices.
By 2024, Musk had become a key Trump surrogate, donating at least 250 million dollars to his campaign and appearing at rallies.
Upon Trump’s return to the White House in January, he rewarded Musk with a cabinet-level role, placing him at the center of fiscal policy decisions and national planning.
But the relationship was always precarious. Analysts had long predicted their egos might eventually clash. On Tuesday, Musk went so far as to suggest forming a new political party, posting a poll on X that showed 83% of respondents in favor.
Trump, in turn, tried to downplay the breakdown. “Elon was burning out. I asked him to step down. I removed his Electric Vehicle Mandate, something he knew I was going to do, and he just went CRAZY!” the president posted on Truth Social.
As questions swirl, the MAGA base appears divided. “Are you still friends or not?” asked one sarcastically on Grok, Musk’s chatbot. EFE
int-seo/mcd
