Musk vs Trump feud: What is the EV mandate Tesla boss is tweeting about?

Elon Musk accused President Donald Trump of being ungrateful, claiming that the Republican would've lost the 2024 election if it wasn't for his support

Published on: Jun 5, 2025, 23:29:42 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Elon Musk on Thursday accused President Donald Trump of being ungrateful, claiming that the Republican would've lost the 2024 election if it wasn't for his support. This comes after the president told reporters in the Oval Office that he is ‘disappointed’ in the Tesla CEO, who he added was suffering from the ‘Trump derangement syndrome’.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump are feuding over a proposed EV mandate (X)

Trump further claimed that Elon Musk was aware of the EV mandates in his ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ beforehand and has ‘suddenly’ decided to criticize the tax legislation. However, the 53-year-old was quick to deny the claim.

“False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!” the tech CEO said on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

What is the EV mandate Trump and Musk are feuding over?

The ‘EV mandate’ referenced by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk pertains to provisions in a tax bill passed by the House in May 2025, which Trump has championed and Musk has publicly opposed.

The bill takes a shot at EV tax credit. Section 112002 on page 30 of the One Big, Beautiful Bill document is titled ‘Termination of clean vehicle credit’. The credit was set to expire in December 2032, but a provision now ‘accelerates the expiration to December 31, 2025’. Americans would lose the ability to claim the EV tax credit in 2026, a big hit to Musk-owned Tesla.

Electric vehicle owners could be charged $250 annually, and hybrid owners could be charged $100 annually if the bill is passed.

EPA Emissions Standards: Finalized in 2024, these rules require automakers to cut tailpipe emissions by half by 2032, effectively pushing EV sales to over 50% of new vehicles.

Musk vs Trump debate

Elon Musk, who headed Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency until recently, initially supported the tax bill but reversed course after EV provisions surfaced. He says that the mandate is not his motivation behind criticizing the bill.

Trump expressed disappointment, claiming Musk backed the bill until EV impacts became clear. The president further argued that EVs struggle without subsidies and harm US autoworkers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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