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Billionaire Elon Musk has come under fire from key allies of President Donald Trump after publicly expressing his displeasure with a $500 billion artificial intelligence “mega-deal.”
This was reported by Politico.
“A White House official said Musk “very much” overstepped his bounds when the tech mogul launched a one-day campaign against the AI project. One Trump ally said Musk was abusing his closeness to the president. Another Republican close to the White House went further, saying the Trump campaign was “furious” that Musk was using his vast social media platform to pour cold water on the infrastructure deal,” the report said.
Elon Musk's recent public criticism of President Trump's initiatives has come as a surprise. The billionaire previously gained unprecedented access to Donald Trump during the transition and headed the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency."
“During his first term, Trump proved tolerant of internal White House dissent. But his 2024 campaign, led by current White House chiefs of staff Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, was praised by Republicans for its limited number of leaks and relative lack of public drama,” the article says.
After Trump's election victory, some of his allies expressed displeasure over the president's close contact with Elon Musk. While the exact amount of time Musk has spent in the White House is unknown, he was in the Oval Office on Tuesday and this week he was reportedly working in the West Wing.
“We are working with him now to understand his ideas – the ideas are innovative. The execution – not so much,” the White House official noted.
Musk, the owner of an artificial intelligence startup, was not present at Trump’s presentation of “Stargate,” an initiative aimed at developing the country’s AI infrastructure with the participation of tech giants such as OpenAI, Softbank and Oracle. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI, has repeatedly criticized its CEO Sam Altman and this time “spent most of Wednesday trolling him online.”
Donald Trump has spoken out about Elon Musk's criticism of the artificial intelligence deal. In response to a reporter's question about Musk's decision to cut the deal, Trump said, "The government isn't putting anything in. They're putting money in. They're very wealthy people, so I hope they do." He said he meant that "Elon doesn't like one of these people."
The US President also noted that he is not worried about Musk's criticism, stating:
"No, it doesn't bother him. He hates one of the parties to the deal."
In an interview on Fox News, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said that “the American people should take President Trump and these leaders at their word.” She added that “this investment is coming to our great country, and with it, American jobs are coming.”
Politico suggests that Musk prefers other investors, including Microsoft's Satya Nadella.
“Musk’s condemnation of the project has prompted former Trump aides and allies to call for a new approach to the billionaire,” the report said.
