The rapid and intense bromance between two of the world’s strongest males – Donald Trump and Elon Musk – grew quick through the election season. It got here to a crashing halt lower than six months after Trump’s return to the White Home.
“With out me, Trump would have misplaced the election, Dems would management the Home and the Republicans can be 51-49 within the Senate,” Musk wrote on X within the tweet that seemingly killed the friendship.
Musk was as soon as Trump’s critic and have become his pal because the Tesla head pushed additional proper in his political leanings. It hit its apex after the assassination try on Trump in July. Musk then joined Trump on the marketing campaign and rapidly dubbed himself ‘first buddy.’ That led to Musk changing into the pinnacle of the Division of Authorities Effectivity, which was tasked with slashing the federal funds.
The connection turned bitter as the 2 disagreed over Trump’s spending invoice. Musk left the White Home and the 2 remained pleasant, not less than in public. That modified as Musk posted criticism of the invoice on-line and culminating with the meltdown on social media between the 2.
“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that pressured everybody to purchase Electric Cars that no person else wished (that he knew for months I used to be going to do!), and he simply went CRAZY!“ the president wrote on TruthSocial.
Here’s a take a look at their historical past collectively:
November 2016
In 2016, Musk was not the largest fan of his future bestie, stating publicly that Trump was not match to run for the nation’s highest workplace.
“I really feel a bit stronger that he’s not the fitting man. He doesn’t appear to have the kind of character that displays properly on the USA,” the billionaire advised CNBC on the time.
His skepticism didn’t seem to final lengthy nevertheless, after he was appointed by Trump to an economic advisory council, alongside Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, the following month following Trump’s first election win.
June 2017
The pair’s first skilled relationship didn’t finish properly.
After Trump’s announcement that the U.S. can be withdrawing from the Paris Local weather Settlement, Musk tendered his resignation from his positions on the presidential advisory boards.
“Am departing presidential councils. Local weather change is actual. Leaving Paris isn’t good for America or the world,” Musk wrote on X, then-Twitter, and never but underneath his possession.
January 2022
5 years later, it was Trump who rekindled the connection after describing Musk as one of many world’s “nice geniuses” and likening him to Thomas Edison.
The President-elect advised CNBC that the SpaceX boss was “one in every of our very good folks.”
Foreshadowing the current, Trump went on to say that Musk was not solely good at electrical automobiles, however “he does good at rockets, too, by the way in which. “I by no means noticed the place the engines come down with no wings, no something, they usually’re touchdown,” he stated.
July 2022
That complimentary angle was quick lived, as simply six months later Trump referred to Musk as “one other bulls*** artist.”
Talking about free speech at a rally in Anchorage, Alaska, Trump mused over Musk’s vow that he would purchase the social media platform previously referred to as Twitter, whereas selling his personal – the soon-to-be-infamous Reality Social.
“Elon isn’t going to purchase Twitter… he stated the opposite day ‘Oh, I’ve by no means voted for a Republican’. I stated ‘I didn’t know that’. He advised me he voted for me. So he’s one other bulls*** artist.” Musk replied to a clip of the rally: “I don’t hate the person, but it surely’s time for Trump to hold up his hat & sail into the sundown.”
In one other social media publish he claimed that Musk would have “dropped to his knees and begged” if he had requested. “Lmaooo [laughing my *** off],” Musk responded.
November 2022
Musk’s claims have been finally not, as Trump claimed, “bulls***” – and Musk formally accomplished the acquisition of the platform in October 2022.
It appeared as if the July remarks have been forgiven or forgotten nevertheless, after Musk reinstated Trump’s account, reversing a ban that had stored Trump off the platform because the revolt on the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
Musk made the announcement after holding a ballot that requested Twitter customers to click on “sure” or “no” on whether or not Trump’s account ought to be reinstated. The “sure” vote gained, with 51.8 p.c. “The folks have spoken. Trump will probably be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” he wrote.
September 2023
Musk seemingly started to align extra with Trump insurance policies, together with these on immigration, posting in favor of a U.S. border wall with Mexico – one of many President-elect’s most championed insurance policies.
“We truly do want a wall and we have to require folks to have some shred of proof to say asylum to enter, as everyone seems to be doing that…” Musk wrote.
March 2024
Regardless of transferring towards Trump, the billionaire tech boss was nonetheless publicly ambivalent in backing both celebration, asserting on X that he wouldn’t donate to a candidate within the presidential election.
July 2024
That angle modified rapidly following the tried assassination of Trump at a marketing campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Musk endorsed Trump as a candidate seconds after he was rushed off stage by secret service brokers, and it was later reported that he stated Musk would commit round $45 million a month to a brand new pro-Trump tremendous PAC referred to as America PAC.
August 2024
Musk hosted Trump on X for a “dialog” that changed into a marathon ramble paying homage to the president-elect’s marketing campaign rallies. In the course of the chat he recommended that Trump ought to kind a fee targeted on “authorities effectivity” and appoint him to it.
Later that month he posted “I’m keen to serve.”
October 2024
Musk made his first public look with Trump after the previous president returned to Butler. Bouncing onto the stage excitedly and carrying a black “Make America Nice Once more” cap, he advised crowds: “As you may see, I’m not simply MAGA — I’m darkish MAGA.”
The billionaire later introduced that he would give away $1 million a day to voters in swing states who’ve signed a petition from his America PAC to help free speech and the fitting to bear arms.
November 2024
Musk spent the night with Trump and other MAGA die-hards on the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to look at the vote returns and the sweeping Republican victory.
Shortly after, Trump introduced that Musk and his former presidential candidate rival Vivek Ramaswamy would lead a brand new “Division of Authorities Effectivity” (DOGE – a tongue-in-cheek reference to an web meme favored by Musk), which can function as an unbiased advisory group to chop authorities spending and streamline forms.
Later that month Trump traveled to Texas to witness SpaceX’s Starship launch alongside Musk – who now refers to himself as “First Buddy” – with experiences additionally rising that the pair spend “virtually every single day collectively.” Musk can also be reported to have sat in on and even held talks with overseas leaders.
December 2024
The dynamic duo teamed up for a coordinated however finally unsuccessful effort to tank a stopgap government spending bill from passing in Congress, leaving each Democrats and even Republicans exhausted with the rising political affect of the world’s wealthiest particular person.
Ensuing considerations and descriptions of the Tesla boss as “president Musk” finally led Trump to deal with their relationship dynamic head-on. “No, he’s not taking the presidency,” Trump declared in a speech. “That’s not taking place.”
Nonetheless, the pair nonetheless seem like considerably inseparable. A report from The New York Occasions revealed that Musk spent a lot of the final two months because the election renting a $2,000-per-night cottage on the grounds of the president-elect’s Florida residence – which is positioned simply a number of hundred ft from the primary home.
However all might not be roses for lengthy, with sources telling Mediate simply earlier than the New 12 months that Trump is now becoming “annoyed” with his “first buddy” following Musk’s public spat with different members of the MAGA hardcore over H1B visas.
“one hundred pc Trump is aggravated,” a supply who labored on Trump’s re-election marketing campaign advised the outlet. “There’s a Chinese language saying: ‘two tigers can’t dwell on one mountaintop.’”
Early 2025
Quickly after Trump was elected, he introduced Musk and former Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy would co-head a brand new “Division of Authorities Effectivity,” or DOGE for brief, with the purpose of slashing authorities spending.
Ramaswamy later backed out to run for governor of Ohio in 2026, and Musk took the reigns, however was not in a position to accomplish almost as a lot as he promised.
Musk claimed to have saved the federal government $175 billion – a far cry from his preliminary goal of $2 trillion – and his revised purpose of $1 trillion. His cutthroat workforce discount efforts totaled in additional than 100,000 layoffs, although the Trump administration is going through authorized challenges associated to the cuts.
As Musk solid ahead, members of Trump’s cupboard have been rising bored with his meddling. Experiences additionally emerged that the tech billionaire and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent got into an explosive West Wing brawl inside earshot of President Donald Trump within the Oval Workplace earlier this 12 months.
April 2025
Musk bid the White Home farewell to his authorities work throughout an April 30 Cupboard assembly, saying it was “an honor to work along with your unimaginable Cupboard.” Although he wouldn’t go away ‘full time’ till Might.
On the time, Musk stated DOGE was in a position to run by itself and he was trying to spend much less time in Washington, with the intention to deal with his corporations.
Might 2025
Musk and Trump appeared to crusing on clean waters whilst the 2 held a press convention on Might 30 to mark Musk’s departure from the White Home.
Nonetheless, issues grew to become rocky when Musk voiced criticism of Trump’s tax and home coverage invoice, which he has nicknamed the “Big, Beautiful Bill.” The Tesla and SpaceX CEO first criticized the invoice throughout a CBS Information interview, and later doubled down on his critiques on his social media platform, X.
June 2025
Musk stood by complaints concerning the invoice, writing on X on June 3, “I’m sorry, however I simply can’t stand it anymore. This large, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending invoice is a disgusting abomination. Disgrace on those that voted for it: you understand you probably did fallacious. You recognize it.”
Trump lashed out at his former adviser whereas talking from the White Home on June 5, telling reporters:“I am very disenchanted, as a result of Elon knew the inside workings of this invoice higher than virtually anyone sitting right here … He knew every part about it. He had no drawback with it.”
Musk quickly after took to X referred to as the allegation “false.”
“This invoice was by no means proven to me even as soon as and was handed at nighttime so quick that lamost nobody in Congress might even learn it!” Musk wrote.
The 2 highly effective males proceeded to commerce blows from their respective social media websites – Reality Social and X – as their high-profile bromance got here to an abrupt and very public finish June 5.
“The simplest means to save cash in our Budget, Billions and Billions of {Dollars}, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I used to be at all times stunned that Biden didn’t do it!”
Musk later chimed in: “With out me, Trump would have misplaced the election, Dems would management the Home and the Republicans can be 51-49 within the Senate.”
“Such ingratitude,” he added.
Musk went on to say that Trump is within the “Epstein recordsdata” and reminded congressional Republicans that he will probably be round for much longer than Trump.
“That’s the actual purpose they haven’t been made public,” Musk wrote, signing off: “Have day, DJT!”
