South Carolina GOP officials rally around Trump amid public Musk feud, Clyburn laughs

ABC Team,
Donald Trump, Elon Musk

South Carolina GOP officials rally around Trump amid public Musk feud, Clyburn laughs (FILE)

(Photo: WCIV)

 

(WCIV) — Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s once-intense alliance fizzled out Thursday in a social media feud, as Trump threatened to cut Musk’s government contracts and Musk claimed that Trump’s administration hasn’t released all the records related to sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein because Trump is mentioned in them.

The online spat laid bare the fissures existing in the Trump coalition, as MAGA influencers and Republican politicians sorted themselves into pro-Musk or pro-Trump camps.

Locally, in South Carolina, it was much of the same.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson late Thursday affirmed his support for Trump in a lengthy post on X, where he claimed no president has done more for the Palmetto State.

“I’ve seen enough: President Trump has done more for our country and South Carolina than any president in my lifetime—especially on law and order,” Wilson said. “Democrats spent years targeting him with sham impeachments and witch hunts. I can’t believe I’m seeing another baseless, outrageous call for that. He deserves our support for delivering incredible results, not ridiculous attacks. Fighting on Twitter benefits Democrats, not hardworking Americans. @POTUS, South Carolina stands with you!”

 

Moderate Republican turned super-Trumper, Rep. Nancy Mace, let her stance be known in a photo she quickly shared across her social media accounts.

“President Trump is South Carolina’s ride or die,” Mace wrote.

 

Notably silent on the feud was Sen. Lindsey Graham, who just weeks ago was touting President Trump’s endorsement for his 2026 campaign.

South Carolina’s only Democrat in Congress, Rep. James Clyburn, released a video on social media reacting to the feud, where he claimed, “Trump’s mad at Elon Musk for recognizing his ‘big ugly bill’ will balloon our national debt.”

Clyburn added: “Elon Musk is mad Trump’s bill doesn’t gut the government even further. Meanwhile, the American people are rightfully mad [that] Trump’s bill gives billionaires like Musk and Trump massive tax cuts while taking health care away from millions.”

 

 

The messy blow-up between the president of the United States and the world’s richest man played out on their respective social media platforms after Trump was asked during a White House meeting with Germany’s new leader about Musk’s criticism of his spending bill.

Trump had largely remained silent as Musk stewed over the last few days on his social media platform X, condemning the president’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” But Trump clapped back Thursday in the Oval Office, saying he was “very disappointed in Musk.”

Musk responded on social media in real time. Trump, who was supposed to be spending Thursday discussing an end to the Russia-Ukraine war with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, ratcheted up the stakes when he turned to his own social media network, Truth Social, and threatened to use the U.S. government to hurt Musk’s bottom line by going after contracts held by his internet company Starlink and rocket company SpaceX.

“Go ahead, make my day,” Musk quickly replied on X.

Hours later, Musk announced SpaceX would begin decommissioning the spacecraft it used to carry astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station for NASA.

Musk also said, without offering evidence of how he might know the information, that Trump was “in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”

Categories: News, Politics, State

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