‘No-one-has-been-arrested-O’clock’: Elon Musk takes fresh swipe at Trump over Epstein silence

Donald Trump with his then-girlfriend, Melania Knauss, and Jeffrey Epstein with Ghislaine Maxwell at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., in February 2000. (Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images/Sourced from Washington Post)

What began as a disagreement over a controversial Senate bill has now turned into a full-blown public spat between two of America’s most high-profile figures, Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

On Monday, Musk posted a meme on X (formerly Twitter) mocking the lack of arrests in the Epstein case. Without naming anyone directly, the Tesla and SpaceX chief shared an image reading: “The Official Jeffrey Epstein Arrest Counter: 0 0 0 0”, captioned with a jab: “What’s the time? Oh look, it’s no-one-has-been-arrested-o’clock again.”

What’s the time? Oh look, it’s no-one-has-been-arrested-o’clock again … pic.twitter.com/CO9xJz68Tf

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2025

While seemingly vague, the timing and context of the post point squarely at President Trump, especially after Musk recently accused Trump of being named in sealed Epstein-related documents.

What triggered the latest round?

Musk’s dig came just hours after reports emerged that the Trump-era Department of Justice and FBI had closed their internal review into Epstein’s death, concluding there was no murder, no client list, and no evidence of blackmailing powerful figures.

Musk has repeatedly claimed otherwise, and his latest post appears to mock not only the lack of accountability but also the institutions under Trump’s watch.

A timeline of a feud gone wild

The Trump-Musk split began with a Senate bill dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill,' a sweeping economic package which Musk criticised harshly, warning it would 'destroy millions of American jobs.'

Here’s how the fallout escalated:

May 28: Musk mocks the bill: “A bill can be big or beautiful, not both.”

June 5: Trump praises Musk’s insight on the bill… hours before Musk posts that Trump is "in the Epstein files."

June 28–30: Musk ramps up pressure, warning lawmakers they'll lose re-election over the bill.

July 1: Trump hits back, threatening to cut Musk’s government subsidies and contracts.

Same day: Musk announces SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft in response.

July 4: Trump reaffirms the bill, calling it “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

July 6: Musk launches a new political outfit,  the America Party.

Later that day: Trump says Musk has gone “completely off the rails.”

Why the Epstein post matters

Musk’s Monday post on Epstein wasn’t just a meme, it signals his intent to keep pushing on an explosive topic that touches political, legal, and personal nerves.

Trump, who was photographed with Epstein in the early 2000s but denies any deeper links, has long dismissed conspiracy theories. But Musk's repeated suggestions that Trump is connected to the scandal, coupled with his public pressure campaign, are making waves.

This also comes amid renewed public interest in why so few high-profile individuals have been held accountable in the Epstein case.