Elon Musk Challenges Trump Over Epstein Files, Sparks Political Feud

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and X, has publicly questioned Donald Trump's transparency regarding the Epstein files. In early July 2025, Musk used his X account to demand the release of these files, suggesting that there might be unpublicized information involving the . Musk later deleted these posts, but the impact of his statements has been notable.

Musk's criticism of Trump's transparency has not prompted any significant response in the cryptocurrency markets. Despite Musk's past influence on short-term market movements, key opinion leaders and crypto exchanges have remained silent, indicating limited market concern over these political developments. Trump has yet to formally address the Epstein files claims, instead choosing to counter Musk's remarks by attacking Musk's dependence on government subsidies. The only official actions taken so far have been letters from notable lawmakers to the Attorney General and FBI Director.

Musk's actions come after Republicans signed Trump's major policy bill into law, prompting a rebuke from the president who called the idea of a third party "ridiculous" and described Musk as a "train wreck." Musk's announcement of the "America Party" faction was made after polling users on the social platform X, which he owns. He wrote, "When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy." Musk's move infuriated Trump, who criticized the tech billionaire on his Truth Social platform, arguing that making a new party was futile and describing Musk as going "off the rails."

Musk further needled the president on social media, insinuating that the Trump administration was doing little regarding the Epstein case. His post came after the release of a memo from the Justice Department and FBI that found no evidence Epstein had a "client list" and that no additional charges were expected. Musk wrote, "What’s the time? Oh look, it’s no-one-has-been-arrested-o’clock again …" attaching a graphic that read "The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter" with several zeros underneath it.

The White House press secretary responded broadly to criticism related to the case, stating that the administration "wants anyone who has ever committed a crime to be held accountable." Musk's posts are part of a larger feud he’s reignited with Trump in recent weeks, particularly over Republicans’ major policy bill. He vowed he would support Rep. Thomas Massie, who declined to vote for the legislation, and said he would launch primary challenges against Republicans who voted for it.

Musk's primary threats pose a challenge to the president and his allies ahead of the midterms. He spent at least $250 million through his America PAC on Trump’s election in 2024. However, the megabill also underscored the limitations on Musk’s political power, as GOP strategist argued. "Musk spent a lot of money on the elections last year, and he’s threatening to spend a lot of money in upcoming elections. He’s still waiting for some significant policy wins."

Musk is also likely to face challenges in his formation of a third party. "It’s very hard to start a political party in this country. You need a base to have a party, and I don’t know what the base of an ‘American Party’ would look like." Polling just before the November election has shown that while support for a third party has dipped recently, a healthy share of Americans are still in favor of one, even if it faces serious questions around viability in an election.

The developments mark a sharp turn from earlier this year, when the president praised the massive cuts to the federal workforce under Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and even gifted Musk a gold key to the White House in May as recognition of the tech mogul’s efforts. During his tenure with DOGE, Musk had kept an office in the White House complex, slept over in the Lincoln Bedroom and snagged the spotlight at Cabinet meetings despite his non-Cabinet position.

Some lawmakers have said they want the two to make amends. Sen. posted a video generated by artificial intelligence of Trump and Musk dancing in synchrony. "Who else wants this vibe back?" Other lawmakers suggested they cared more about Trump’s endorsement than Musk’s and that they were ignoring the Tesla CEO. Still, some Republicans are warning against waving off Musk entirely, saying his actions could have consequences for the GOP. "Should Musk choose to spend against specific incumbents, specifically senators and members of Congress in key seats, that could impact Republicans’ chances to succeed in those races — and depending on how this political party is constituted and what are the issues that the party is built around and what are the resources that those parties have — certainly they could chip away at Republican votes, at Republican-leaning voters in close elections."