Trump singled out "DOGE" to investigate Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US) subsidies. Musk responded strongly: Cut them all!

The public dispute between US President Trump and Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US) CEO Musk has escalated again, this time focusing on government subsidies and fiscal spending. Trump hinted on social media that Musk had been involved in the establishment of the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), an organization aimed at reducing government spending, and suggested that the subsidies received by Musk's companies should be "looked into." He wrote: "Elon may have received the most subsidies in human history, far ahead. Maybe we should let DOGE take a good look? Could save a lot of money!!!" In response, Musk quickly replied on the social platform X: "I literally said, cut all subsidies. Cut them now." The two's conflict stems from Trump's push for a spending bill. Musk has publicly criticized the bill multiple times, believing it goes against his principle of cutting government spending. Musk was previously in charge of DOGE, dedicated to government efficiency reform, until he angrily left the White House over disagreements with the bill. Trump counterattacked by stating that Musk's opposition to the bill was due to its inclusion of provisions to cancel electric vehicle subsidies, which would directly impact Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US). He told reporters on Tuesday, "He's very unhappy losing the electric vehicle subsidy, very unhappy. He may be losing more than that, I can tell you." He also metaphorically stated, "DOGE is the monster that could possibly 'devour' Elon, he has taken too many subsidies." Currently, the US Congress is voting on the spending bill proposed by Trump. Despite the Republican majority in both houses, some Republican lawmakers have chosen to stand with Democrats and oppose the bill. The bill advocates for increased spending in border security, defense, and energy sectors, while partially offsetting costs by cutting social welfare programs such as healthcare and food aid. However, if passed, this legislation is estimated to increase the US budget deficit by around $3.3 trillion (approximately 2.4 trillion). During the vote, Musk expressed his dissatisfaction through several social media posts. He posted a chart showing the increasing US national debt and sarcastically wrote, "When will they 'flatten this curve'?" In another post, he sharply criticized lawmakers who promised to cut government spending during their campaigns but supported record debt growth in Congress, saying, "They should be ashamed!" The tech mogul even threatened to ensure the defeat of these lawmakers in the upcoming primary elections next year. He hinted at possibly establishing a new political party to challenge the traditional powers of the Democrats and Republicans. It is worth mentioning that Musk spent hundreds of millions of dollars supporting Trump's re-election campaign last year. In response to Trump's comments on electric vehicle incentives, Musk posted an old interview clip where he stated that if electric vehicle subsidies were eliminated, Tesla, Inc.'s competitive advantage would "significantly increase."