Trump and Musk Reportedly Clash Over $500B Stargate AI Project
(Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
A rift is growing between President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, a key financial backer of Trump’s voter outreach efforts and head of his “Department of Government Efficiency” task force. The latest conflict emerged after Musk publicly criticized Trump’s $500 billion Stargate Project, a joint initiative with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other tech leaders to build new artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Musk derided the plan during a daylong social media tirade, claiming, “They don’t have the money” to make the ambitious project a reality. His remarks drew ire from Trump’s staff, who viewed Musk’s public opposition as a betrayal.
“A White House official said Musk ‘very much’ got over his skis when the tech tycoon launched a daylong screed against the AI project,” reported Politico. A Trump ally added, “It’s clear he has abused the proximity to the president. The problem is the president doesn’t have any leverage over him, and Elon gives zero f—s.”
Musk’s criticism came just a day after Trump described the Stargate Project as “tremendous” and “monumental.” The disagreement marks a new crack in the Trump-Musk alliance, which has already caused tensions within the White House.
Musk and Altman’s long-standing rivalry has added fuel to the fire. The two co-founded OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, but Musk left in 2018 and has since been critical of Altman, even nicknaming him “Swindly Sam.” Musk now runs his own competing AI venture.
Altman responded to Musk’s attacks with a sharp retort, writing on social media, “This is great for the country. I realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role I hope you’ll mostly put [American flag emoji] first.”
This isn’t the first time Musk’s close relationship with Trump has caused complications. Late last year, Musk derailed a bipartisan spending deal to prevent a government shutdown, convincing Trump to side with him and forcing Republicans to scramble for a new solution. Trump aides have also reportedly grown uneasy with Musk’s frequent presence around the president.
As the Stargate Project moves forward, the clash between Trump, Musk, and Altman highlights both the personal rivalries and political stakes involved in shaping the future of artificial intelligence in the United States.
