In the end, the fight between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump may see Musk turning to the same institution that he has tried to tear down over the last year in the president's name: the courts. And the truth is, even the richest man in the world deserves legal protection. That's how the Constitution and the rule of law work, despite Musk's best efforts to run over both.
Musk spent months and hundreds of millions of dollars to support Trump's campaign in 2024. He then spent the first several months of Trump's second presidency helping to cut government programs and employees and criticizing the administration's foes. One frequent target of his attacks has been the courts. He called for the impeachment of judges who resisted the administration's agenda and even tried to sway a judicial election in Wisconsin for a seat on its Supreme Court.
Last month, the Republican majority in the House (which Musk claims to have saved) passed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which would explode the deficit, cut taxes mostly for the wealthy, cut services for the poor and kill the tax break for electronic vehicles such as Teslas. Earlier this week, Musk began speaking out against the bill, calling it "pork-filled" and a "disgusting abomination."
The feud became more personal Thursday, with Trump criticizing Musk in the Oval Office. As Musk continued to fire back, Trump said he will explore cutting his administration's extensive contracts with Musk's companies, including Starlink and SpaceX. "I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!" Trump wrote.
This is a preview of Ray Brescia's latest column. Read the full column here.
