Elon Musk deleted a controversial tweet on Saturday in which he accused U.S. President Donald Trump of being implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
The now-deleted tweet, originally posted on Thursday, claimed that Trump was mentioned in the so-called "Epstein files", government documents linked to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, and suggested that this was the reason those documents had not been made public. Musk did not provide any evidence to support his claim.
The tensions between Musk and Trump have escalated in recent days following Musk's sharp criticism of a proposed budget bill backed by the president, which he described as a “disgusting abomination.”
In response, President Trump reportedly threatened to revoke federal contracts awarded to Musk's companies, including SpaceX and Starlink. He also warned that if Musk supported Democratic candidates in the 2026 midterm elections, “he will pay the price.”
U.S. Vice President Vance addressed the feud for the first time during an appearance on comedian Theo Von’s podcast. “It’s a huge mistake for the richest man in the world to be at war with the most powerful man in the world,” Vance said. “I hope Elon realizes that and backs down. I think if he cools off a bit, everything will be fine.”