Elon Musk vs. Donald Trump: Tensions Rise Over AI Investments, EV Policies & Government Reforms.
Elon Musk and former U.S. President Donald Trump are at odds over key policy decisions, including AI investments and EV regulations. Trump criticized Musk’s leadership as DOGE head, pushing for faster reforms, while Musk opposed Trump’s $500 billion AI investment plan, favoring EV advancements. Despite past political alignment, their differences over energy policies and AI strategies have sparked fresh tensions, with OpenAI’s Sam Altman also weighing in against Musk’s stance.
New York: U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized DOGE head Elon Musk, stating that while Musk is working, he needs to intensify his efforts. In response, Elon Musk has assured that he will speed up his work. Following this, Musk has given government employees a 48-hour deadline to update him via email on the work they accomplished in the past week. He warned that failure to do so, or providing unsatisfactory explanations, would result in disciplinary action, including termination.
Conflict: Reports suggest that Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, was frustrated by a major decision taken by President Trump. As expected, Trump appointed Musk as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It is anticipated that Musk will soon remove several government officials, similar to how he streamlined Twitter after acquiring it.
Once a strong supporter of the Democratic Party, Musk’s political stance has shifted to the right in recent years. In this election cycle, he has openly supported Trump and significantly contributed to his campaign funding. This close alliance earned him a position in Trump’s cabinet.
The newly formed cabinet, called DOGE (Department of Efficiency), focuses on improving government operations. However, despite their close relationship, tensions have emerged between Trump and Musk. Trump recently announced plans to revive crude oil trade and promote petrol and diesel vehicles, which conflicts with Musk’s interests, especially considering the growing global demand for EVs and Tesla's increasing sales.
In a surprising move, Trump also declared a $500 billion investment in AI, partnering with Japan’s SoftBank and OpenAI to develop Stargate AI, which aims to be the world’s leading AI technology. Musk opposed this decision, citing funding concerns, though he later shared some of Trump’s posts.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman criticized Musk’s stance, reminding him that public interest should come before company profits. Ironically, Musk was once a key investor in OpenAI but left the company after disagreements. Now, OpenAI finds itself opposing Musk’s views, adding another layer to this ongoing conflict.
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