Musk, Kimmel, Powell…: 7 people Trump had bitter public spat with in 2025

Soon after coming back to the White House, US President Donald Trump had one public spat after another. From fighting with world leaders in the Oval Office to unleashing online rants against his former supporters, Trump has done it all.

In his second term in the office, Trump went against his friends, foes and even media entities like the BBC and ABC News. However, some of these spats were so public that they became the highlight of the year.

From Elon Musk to Jimmy Kimmel, here are some of Trump’s biggest feuds of 2025.

1 Volodymy Zelenskyy

While ties between Trump and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are cordial right now, it was not hunky dory when the Ukrainian leader arrived at Trump’s White House for the first time. While sitting in the Oval Office with Trump and his entourage, Vice President JD Vance, Zelenskyy faced a major ambush among American journalists.

It started with Vance urging the Ukrainian president to be more ‘grateful’ for America’s support to Ukraine in the war against Russia. Trump went on to say that Zelenskyy is “gambling with a World War three”.

As the Ukrainian leader went on to defend himself and his country’s interests, the whole spat was broadcast on live television by different American news outlets and eventually went viral online. Despite the public fight, things were cordial. The next time Zelenskyy came to the White House, the president admired his suit.

2 Jimmy Kimmel

In September, late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel mocked Trump for his response to a reporter’s question over Kirk’s assassination, since he focused more on the construction of the White House ballroom rather than the fatal killing.

“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend… This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” Kimmel said. The comedian then went on to say that the “MAGA gang” was trying to “score political points” following Kirk’s assassination. Following his remarks, ABC announced that it would suspend Kimmel’s show indefinitely.

Great news for America: The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is cancelled,” the President posted on Truth Social in response. “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” Trump also aimed at other talk show hosts as well. “Kimmel has zero talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy [Fallon] and Seth [Meyers], two total losers,” he said.

While Kimmel’s show returned to air a week after its suspension, with Kimmel using his opening monologue to champion free speech, Trump’s criticism shows no signs of dissipating.

3 Elon Musk

The relationship between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the President began as an alliance last year, when the billionaire supported Trump’s presidential campaign. Soon after coming to office, Trump appointed Musk as the unofficial head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with gutting several federal agencies, including the Department of Education and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

However, the SpaceX CEO eventually stepped back from his work at DOGE, and his relationship with Trump soon soured dramatically. The day before his departure, Musk slammed the Republican spending package titled the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” In an interview with CBS, the billionaire said he was “disappointed to see the massive spending bill,” adding that it undermined DOGE’s mission.

Trump soon responded to Musk’s change in tune, saying that he, too, was “disappointed.” This ensued a series of barbed exchanges with Musk posting, “Time to drop the really big bomb:@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” in an X post that has since been deleted. The feud eventually calmed, with Musk saying on June 11 that some of his comments went “too far.”

4 Gavin Newsom

Trump’s feud with Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has been the talk of the town throughout 2025. As wildfires raged in southern California in January, Trump revived his old “Newscum” nickname, blaming the Democratic Governor. Newsom’s press office quickly responded that “the Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics.”

The feud escalated further over the summer when the ICE protests took over the state. Trump responded to the demonstrations by deploying the National Guard to LA, without the request or approval of the city’s leadership.

Newsom called the move “purposefully inflammatory” and went on to fight the deployment in court. The California governor eventually gained a legal win over the matter. However, the pair continue to clash online, with both exchanging memes.

5 Marjorie Taylor Greene

Until the first half of this year, Congresswoman from Georgia, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, could be described as one of President Trump’s most ardent supporters. However, the second half of 2025 has flipped that relationship on its head.

One of the key areas of tension between Trump and Greene was her campaigning for the Administration to release the entirety of the Epstein files. In response, the President announced he was withdrawing his endorsement for Greene, calling her a “ranting lunatic”. Greene then posted a screenshot of a text that she appears to have sent to the President, calling for him to push to release the files, saying, “apparently this is what sent him over the edge.”

The fight escalated further after Trump called Greene a “traitor” and a “disgrace” to the Republican Party. A few days later, the Georgia Rep. announced her resignation from Congress ahead of primary elections in January 2026.

“Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich, powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” read Greene’s resignation.

6 Jerome Powell

While Trump himself appointed Jerome Powell as chairman of the Federal Reserve during his first term, both shared a turbulent relationship with the American leader, who often hurled insults at Powell and continues to call for his removal.

Trump’s feud with Powell reignited in April when the veteran banker warned of the impact of the President’s controversial tariffs, citing the uncertainty they had caused within the economic market. Trump responded to Powell’s remarks by claiming that he should have lowered interest rates. Trump doubled down in the Oval Office, telling reporters: “If I want him out, he’ll be out of there real fast, believe me.”

However, when reports started to swirl that the President was considering firing Powell, Trump retreated, saying he had “no intention of firing” Powell but would like to see him be more “active.” But Trump once again ramped up his criticism of Powell in June, urging the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates and calling Powell “one of the dumbest and most destructive people in Government.”

Tension between the two reached an all-time high after Powell took centre stage when the two met to inspect the construction of the Federal Reserve’s renovation project. Standing alongside one another, the President claimed to reporters that costs for the construction had increased to $3.1 billion, up from $2.7 billion.

However, the Fed chair shook his head in disagreement. “I’m not aware of that.” Not long after the dispute over numbers, Trump went after Powell again, calling for his resignation and labelling him a “stubborn moron” and a “disaster.”

It is pertinent to note that Powell’s term is coming to an end in May 2026. However, his term as a governor continues till 2028. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in October, confirmed five names in the running to be the next Fed chairman. Trump has since confirmed that the number of candidates will go down to three or four.

7 Rosie O’Donnell

Rosie O’Donnell has been one of Trump’s oldest political foes in the business. However, their rivalry became so intense this year that O’Donnell left the United States and is currently living in Ireland. In July, amid renewed threats by his Administration to roll back birthright citizenship, the President singled out fellow New Yorker Rosie O’Donnell.

“Because Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship,” said Trump on July 12.

O’Donnell responded by posting a picture of Trump alongside convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Hey Donald–you’re rattled again? 18 years later, and I still live rent-free in that collapsing brain of yours,” she said. “You want to revoke my citizenship? Go ahead and try.”

The two clashed again in December when O’Donnell took a stance against Trump’s decision to add his own name to the Kennedy Centre. The TV presenter condemned the Trump administration and called the name change a “debacle” that has “gone too far.”