Elon Musk accused Donald Trump of being replaced by a body double as their feud over a government spending bill spiraled into conspiracy theory territory.
Elon Musk ignited a bizarre political firestorm by accusing President Trump of being replaced by a body double, escalating a public feud over a controversial government spending bill that has fractured their once-tight alliance.
The Tesla CEO took to X, formerly Twitter, to slam the bill as a “disgusting abomination” and questioned whether the man defending it was even President Trump at all.
“Where is the man who wrote these words?” Musk posted, retweeting a thread of Trump’s past praise for electric vehicles and fiscal restraint. “Was he replaced by a body double?”
Where is the man who wrote these words?
Was he replaced by a body double!? https://t.co/N4Mliip5U4
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
President Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, brushed off the accusation but didn’t hold back. “I’m very disappointed in Elon,” he said, defending the bill as “the biggest spending cut in U.S. history.”
He also claimed that Musk turned against him only after learning that the legislation would slash electric vehicle tax credits. Trump himself has circulated similar claims.
On Truth Social, he reposted a message alleging President Joe Biden was “executed in 2020” and replaced by “robotic engineered soulless mindless entities.”
The post added, “Democrats don’t know the difference.” President Trump offered no comment on the post and no evidence to support the claim.
Still, it echoed a broader narrative pushed by some of his supporters, who argue Biden is a puppet controlled by handlers. Despite the absurdity, the rhetoric reflects a deeper mistrust in political institutions and a willingness by high-profile figures to traffic in fringe ideas.
The Musk-Trump fallout is just the latest example of how conspiracy theories have become political weapons.
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