Trump team 'furious' following Musk's criticism of AI initiative
One ally of the president stated, “It’s clear he has abused the proximity to the president.”
TroibNews 
Some of President Donald Trump’s key aides and allies are expressing their anger towards Elon Musk for publicly disparaging his $500 billion artificial intelligence mega-deal.
A White House official remarked that Musk “very much” overstepped when he launched a daylong critique against the AI project. One ally of Trump stated that Musk took advantage of his closeness to the president, with another Republican familiar with the White House adding that Trump’s staff is “furious” about Musk using his extensive social media reach to undermine the infrastructure deal, which Trump had referred to as “tremendous” and “monumental” just the day before.
“It’s clear he has abused the proximity to the president,” asserted the Trump ally. “The problem is the president doesn’t have any leverage over him and Elon gives zero fucks.”
It is uncommon for a senior adviser like Musk to publicly criticize the initiatives of a president, and his comments have reignited speculation among GOP circles regarding a potential rift between him and Trump. Musk has enjoyed significant access to Trump since the transition, frequently seen alongside him at Mar-a-Lago and leading Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
During his first term, Trump demonstrated a considerable tolerance for dissent within his administration. However, his 2024 campaign, guided by White House chief-of-staff Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, has been praised for its limited leaks and the relative absence of public drama.
Following Trump’s electoral victory, some associates expressed concern over Musk’s closeness and hoped for more physical separation once he took office. While the exact amount of time Musk has spent with Trump since the inauguration isn’t clear, Musk indicated he was in the Oval Office on Tuesday and has reportedly been working out of the West Wing this week.
“We are now working with him to make sense of his ideas — ideas are innovative. Execution not so much,” the White House official commented, noting that West Wing staffers are still engaging with Musk about his AI concerns.
The sources for this story spoke anonymously to provide candid insights into the sensitive matter.
The White House and Musk have not yet responded to requests for comments.
Notably, Musk, who has his own AI startup, did not attend Trump’s presentation of “Stargate,” aimed at boosting the nation’s AI infrastructure with support from tech giants like OpenAI, Softbank, and Oracle. Despite co-founding OpenAI, Musk has repeatedly criticized its CEO, Sam Altman, and spent much of Wednesday teasing him on social media. “They don’t actually have the money,” he stated, adding that Softbank “has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.”
When reporters inquired about Musk’s criticism of the deal, Trump said the involved parties were “putting up the money.”
“The government’s not putting up anything. They’re putting up money. They’re very rich people, so I hope they do,” Trump explained. “And, I mean, Elon doesn’t like one of those people.”
Responding to Musk’s comments didn’t faze Trump, who stated, “No, it doesn’t. He hates one of the people in the deal.”
In a previous interview on Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not directly name Musk when discussing the AI project criticisms. However, she emphasized that “the American people should take President Trump and those CEOs’ words for it,” asserting that “these investments are coming to our great country, and American jobs are coming along with them.”
Musk appears to endorse another AI investor, asserting that Microsoft’s Satya Nadella “definitely does have the money.”
Additionally, Musk shared a joke insinuating that Altman and his team may have used drugs “to come up with their $500 billion number for Stargate.”
Altman responded to Musk via X, stating, “i realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope you’ll mostly put first.”
Musk’s public criticism of the project has led Trump’s former aides and allies to suggest a reevaluation of his relationship with the billionaire. Steve Bannon, a former top aide to Trump who has had conflicts with Musk, urged PMG that Wiles should “sit him down” and “sort it out immediately.”
Megan Messerly contributed to this report.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
A White House official remarked that Musk “very much” overstepped when he launched a daylong critique against the AI project. One ally of Trump stated that Musk took advantage of his closeness to the president, with another Republican familiar with the White House adding that Trump’s staff is “furious” about Musk using his extensive social media reach to undermine the infrastructure deal, which Trump had referred to as “tremendous” and “monumental” just the day before.
“It’s clear he has abused the proximity to the president,” asserted the Trump ally. “The problem is the president doesn’t have any leverage over him and Elon gives zero fucks.”
It is uncommon for a senior adviser like Musk to publicly criticize the initiatives of a president, and his comments have reignited speculation among GOP circles regarding a potential rift between him and Trump. Musk has enjoyed significant access to Trump since the transition, frequently seen alongside him at Mar-a-Lago and leading Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
During his first term, Trump demonstrated a considerable tolerance for dissent within his administration. However, his 2024 campaign, guided by White House chief-of-staff Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, has been praised for its limited leaks and the relative absence of public drama.
Following Trump’s electoral victory, some associates expressed concern over Musk’s closeness and hoped for more physical separation once he took office. While the exact amount of time Musk has spent with Trump since the inauguration isn’t clear, Musk indicated he was in the Oval Office on Tuesday and has reportedly been working out of the West Wing this week.
“We are now working with him to make sense of his ideas — ideas are innovative. Execution not so much,” the White House official commented, noting that West Wing staffers are still engaging with Musk about his AI concerns.
The sources for this story spoke anonymously to provide candid insights into the sensitive matter.
The White House and Musk have not yet responded to requests for comments.
Notably, Musk, who has his own AI startup, did not attend Trump’s presentation of “Stargate,” aimed at boosting the nation’s AI infrastructure with support from tech giants like OpenAI, Softbank, and Oracle. Despite co-founding OpenAI, Musk has repeatedly criticized its CEO, Sam Altman, and spent much of Wednesday teasing him on social media. “They don’t actually have the money,” he stated, adding that Softbank “has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.”
When reporters inquired about Musk’s criticism of the deal, Trump said the involved parties were “putting up the money.”
“The government’s not putting up anything. They’re putting up money. They’re very rich people, so I hope they do,” Trump explained. “And, I mean, Elon doesn’t like one of those people.”
Responding to Musk’s comments didn’t faze Trump, who stated, “No, it doesn’t. He hates one of the people in the deal.”
In a previous interview on Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not directly name Musk when discussing the AI project criticisms. However, she emphasized that “the American people should take President Trump and those CEOs’ words for it,” asserting that “these investments are coming to our great country, and American jobs are coming along with them.”
Musk appears to endorse another AI investor, asserting that Microsoft’s Satya Nadella “definitely does have the money.”
Additionally, Musk shared a joke insinuating that Altman and his team may have used drugs “to come up with their $500 billion number for Stargate.”
Altman responded to Musk via X, stating, “i realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope you’ll mostly put first.”
Musk’s public criticism of the project has led Trump’s former aides and allies to suggest a reevaluation of his relationship with the billionaire. Steve Bannon, a former top aide to Trump who has had conflicts with Musk, urged PMG that Wiles should “sit him down” and “sort it out immediately.”
Megan Messerly contributed to this report.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
