Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich appeared on Fox News Thursday to downplay media narratives of a burgeoning power struggle between President Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk, asserting that the press has fundamentally misconstrued the dynamic at play.
His comments come amidst a dramatic and highly public unraveling of the relationship between the two prominent figures, marked by escalating attacks, financial barbs, and a startling allegation by Musk regarding the unsealed Epstein files.
During his appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Gingrich swiftly dismissed the notion that Musk’s influence poses any serious challenge to President Trump’s authority or political standing.
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“It’s a public relations struggle. There’s no power struggle here. One of them is president. The other one isn’t president,” Gingrich stated, adding, “And I think that’s part of what the media doesn’t quite get. And I think it’s part of what frustrates Elon Musk is that, you know, he has a fairly high sense of himself and should. I mean, I think he’s a brilliant guy. I think the things he’s done are remarkable.”
Gingrich predicted the dispute would likely de-escalate within days, suggesting President Trump’s focus remains squarely on more pressing national priorities.
“You know, Henry Ford didn’t end up running the country. Thomas Edison didn’t end up running the country. And, in fact, in the end, Elon Musk is not going to end up running the country,” Gingrich remarked. “So I think probably things will calm down over the next two or three days. Trump has a lot of really serious things to do. And placating Musk is probably down around number 27 on the list.”
The former Speaker also took issue with Musk’s assertion that Trump’s recent “big beautiful bill” fails to cut the national debt. Drawing on his own experience balancing the budget for four consecutive years in the 1990s, Gingrich strongly refuted Musk’s claim.
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“It’s baloney. This bill does more to turn the curve on spending,” Gingrich declared. “Look, as you know, I am the only speaker to have helped balance the budget for four years in the last century. So I have some notion of how you do this. This is the first step. It’s not the last step. It’s an important first step. It creates economic growth, which, if the Congressional Budget Office wasn’t a bastion of idiotic left-wing thinking by itself, the economic growth would virtually pay for the bill.”
Gingrich specifically highlighted what he described as significant reductions in domestic spending and lauded the bill’s Medicaid reforms.
“It has a substantial cut in domestic spending in a very large way. It reforms Medicaid in a very positive way. And I think Musk probably ought to get a briefing on the real bill rather than his personal feelings,” he said.
The public disagreement between Trump and Musk reportedly escalated after Trump suggested Musk’s sudden criticism of the bill stemmed from its elimination of electric vehicle mandates. Musk, however, countered on X, claiming he had never reviewed the legislation and alleging it was pushed through Congress without proper transparency.
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Epstein Allegation Further Fuels Fire
The feud reached a new and startling intensity when Musk, in a direct accusation on X, alleged that President Trump is implicated in the Epstein files, claiming this is “the real reason they have not been made public.” He added, “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”
Musk’s startling accusation, made on the platform he owns, came amidst a dramatic and very public unraveling of his relationship with Donald Trump. What began as a policy disagreement quickly spiraled into a bitter exchange of personal attacks, with Musk ultimately dropping what he called “the really big bomb” about the Epstein files.
Trump responded to Musk on Truth Social, saying, “I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It’s a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given. If this Bill doesn’t pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that. I didn’t create this mess, I’m just here to FIX IT. This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The rapid deterioration of their relationship, once a cornerstone of the Trump administration’s advisory circle, stunned political observers and sent shockwaves through both Washington and the tech world. The public spat, which played out across traditional media and social platforms, escalated from a policy dispute to a deeply personal feud.
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The initial catalyst appeared to be Musk’s recent criticism of the domestic policy bill championed by Trump. However, the conflict quickly spiraled to encompass who deserved credit for Mr. Trump’s 2024 election victory, personal appearance digs, and even the future of government contracts with Musk’s companies.
The first volley came from Mr. Trump, who, while meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office, broke days of uncharacteristic silence regarding Musk.
“I’m very disappointed in Elon,” Trump stated, adding, “I’ve helped Elon a lot.” The President implied that Musk’s sudden dissent was opportunistic, given his prior support for the bill. “He knew every aspect of this bill. He knew it better than almost anybody, and he never had a problem until right after he left.”
As Trump’s remarks aired, Musk, known for his real-time social media engagement, swiftly retaliated on X, the platform he owns. “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” Musk declared, an unprecedented claim of credit for Trump’s electoral success. He added, “Such ingratitude.”
The war of words intensified throughout the afternoon. Musk, who had previously aimed his criticism at Republican members of Congress rather than the former President directly, discarded all caution. In a pattern familiar to many previous Trump advisors who have fallen from grace, he began openly ridiculing Trump.
Musk even floated the idea of forming a new political party on X, posting, “Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?” and attaching a poll. Trump, for his part, escalated his counter-attack on Truth Social. He accused Musk of suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome” and claimed that Musk was “wearing thin,” prompting Mr. Trump to ask him to leave. He further asserted that he had revoked Musk’s “EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” Musk’s response on X was curt and dismissive: “Such an obvious lie. So sad.”
This latest friction follows Musk’s temporary role heading the Department of Government Efficiency after Trump’s 2024 victory, a position in which he was tasked with cutting federal waste.
Musk announced in late May that his temporary role had concluded, marking the end of a contentious stint that drew sharp criticism from Democrats, particularly following his office’s controversial move to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development. The rapid and public dissolution of the Trump-Musk alliance marks a significant shift in the political landscape.
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