Elon Musk had advocated ending the $7,500 tax credit for buyers of Tesla and other automakers’ EVs. But with the end of that credit included in the the “big, beautiful bill,” he and the now financially struggling Tesla are arguing for its continuation.

"Elon is upset because we took the EV mandate ... which was a lot of money for electric vehicles," Trump said Thursday in the Oval Office. "They're having a hard time, the electric vehicles. And they want us to pay billions of dollars in subsidy. And, you know, Elon knew this from the beginning."

Despite hints of a potential reconciliation, fuelled by recent media reports, hopes dimmed when a White House official indicated that Trump had no intention of engaging with Musk.