The rise and fall of Trump and Musk’s partnership

Last week, the Internet witnessed the spectacular implosion of 1 of the astir unconventional alliances successful modern American politics. What had erstwhile been an uneasy concern betwixt the billionaire CEO of Tesla and X, Elon Musk, and U.S. President Donald Trump, blew into a full-blown nationalist feud.

Mr. Musk accused the 78-year-old President of “total ingratitude”, posting connected X: “Without me, Trump would person mislaid the election. Dems would power the House and the Republicans would beryllium 51–49 successful the Senate.”

To this, Mr. Trump changeable backmost connected Truth Social, saying, “I would person won Pennsylvania careless of Elon. I’m precise disappointed with Elon.”

But the rift had not appeared overnight. Their narration had been fraying for months — softly astatine first, past much openly, until it yet collapsed.

A rocky commencement

Mr. Musk was ne'er a instrumentality of Mr. Trump.

In the lead-up to the 2016 election, Mr. Musk openly supported Democratic statesmanlike nominee Hillary Clinton. “I consciousness a spot stronger that helium is not the close guy,” helium said of Mr. Trump astatine the clip successful an interrogation with CNBC. “He doesn’t look to person the benignant of quality that reflects good connected the United States.”

Yet, aft Mr. Trump won the election, Mr. Musk joined a fistful of White House advisory boards, including Mr. Trump’s ‘manufacturing jobs council’. The confederation did not past long. Mr. Musk near those roles conscionable months later, citing Mr. Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords. “Climate alteration is real. Leaving Paris is not bully for America oregon the world,” helium tweeted successful June 2017.

Over the years, their paths occasionally crossed, but the narration remained distant.

In 2020, Mr. Trump, astatine the SpaceX motorboat successful Florida, praised Mr. Musk, saying: “I talk to him each the time. Great guy. He’s 1 of our large brains. We similar large brains. And Elon has done a fantastic job.”

Mr. Musk, however, did not reciprocate the praise.

Later successful 2022, Mr. Musk purchased Twitter and aboriginal rebranded it arsenic ‘X’ successful July 2023. One of his archetypal moves was to reinstate Mr. Trump’s antecedently banned relationship (after uncovering his tweets were “highly apt to promote and animate radical to replicate the transgression acts” that took spot successful the January 6 Capitol attack.)

Though Mr. Trump did not instantly instrumentality to posting connected X, Mr. Musk’s determination was mostly seen arsenic pro-Trump. Around the aforesaid time, helium besides began aligning much openly with Republicans. “In the past I voted Democrat, due to the fact that they were (mostly) the kindness party. But they person go the enactment of part & hate, truthful I tin nary longer enactment them,” Mr. Musk tweeted.

Growing camaraderie

By 2024, arsenic Mr. Trump prepared for a 2nd word successful the White House, their camaraderie deepened, with Mr. Musk playing an progressively disposable relation successful backing Mr. Trump’s run and policies.

He officially endorsed the Republican candidate, pursuing an assassination effort connected Mr. Trump successful Butler, Pennsylvania. “I afloat endorse President Trump and anticipation for his accelerated recovery,” Mr. Musk had tweeted. It was seen arsenic a striking infinitesimal of nationalist solidarity.

Not lone did Mr. Musk usage his X societal media level to boost Mr. Trump’s efforts to get re-elected, but besides offered fiscal support. Mr. Musk’s pro-Trump spending radical America PAC besides played a large relation successful helping mobilise and registry voters successful battleground States that could determine the election. The Guardian reported that Mr. Musk spent astir $300 cardinal successful enactment of Mr. Trump.

On the nighttime of the predetermination victory, Mr. Trump had said, “A prima is born”, referring to Mr. Musk. And days later, the Tesla CEO emerged arsenic a cardinal state of the President. He was appointed to pb a recently created authorities cutting agency, called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Two weeks into the job, Mr. Musk said helium loved Mr. Trump “as overmuch arsenic a consecutive antheral tin emotion different man”.

Their closeness was connected afloat show from flying unneurotic connected Air Force One to dancing unneurotic connected New Year’s Eve to the disco deed YMCA. Democrats jokingly adjacent referred to Mr. Musk arsenic “President Elon.”

In a associated interrogation with Fox News successful February, some heaped praise connected each other. Mr. Trump said that Mr. Musk and his “100 geniuses” were ensuring his enforcement orders got implemented to debar the acquisition of past administrations that were frustrated by bureaucracy.

“He has got immoderate precise superb young radical moving for him that formal overmuch worse than him actually. They formal successful conscionable t-shirts; you would not cognize they person 180 IQ,” Mr. Trump said, praising Mr. Musk arsenic a “leader” who “gets it done”. Mr. Musk, successful return, praised the leader.

And successful March, the White House tract was turned into a Tesla showroom. Mr. Trump stepped retired from a shiny reddish Model S alternatively of his accustomed achromatic Limousine, and aboriginal helium adjacent purchased the car.

However, 7 months later, the bromance began to cool. In April, Mr. Musk said helium would beryllium spending little clip astatine the DOGE.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr. Musk’s White House visits declined towards the extremity of his tenure. At first, helium was determination 5 to 7 days a week. Then three. By the end, lone occasionally.

Tensions boil

In May, hostility started to simmer. Mr. Musk criticised the White House-backed taxation and fund proposal, known arsenic the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act. “I was, like, disappointed to spot the monolithic spending Bill, frankly, which increases the fund deficit, not decreases it, and undermines the enactment that the DOGE squad is doing,” Mr. Musk told the TV programme CBS Sunday Morning.

Mr. Trump, however, was reportedly little aggravated than immoderate of his advisers astir Mr. Musk’s criticism, according to The Wall Street Journal.

On May 31, the 2 men made a nationalist quality unneurotic successful the Oval Office to people the extremity of the tech billionaire’s tenure arsenic a peculiar authorities employee, aft 138 days successful the office. Even then, Mr. Trump insisted that Mr. Musk was “not truly leaving” his team.

Breaking constituent

But erstwhile out, the billionaire resumed his disapproval against the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, saying it would thrust up the national fund shortage and undo the cost-cutting enactment of DOGE. “I’m sorry, but I conscionable can’t basal it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending measure is simply a disgusting abomination,” Mr. Musk wrote connected X connected June 1.

Mr. Trump responded sharply days later, expressing dismay. “ I’m precise disappointed due to the fact that Elon knew the interior workings of this Bill amended than astir anybody sitting here,” helium said. “ He had nary occupation with it. All of a sudden, helium had a problem.”

The spat intensified to a level that Mr. Musk adjacent floated the thought of launching a caller governmental enactment successful America successful a canvass connected X, that would correspond “the 80% successful the middle”.

He besides levelled large allegations against Mr. Trump, saying the President was named successful the unreleased Epstein files, a notation to documents linked to the precocious convicted enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein. He aboriginal deleted this tweet.

To this, Mr. Trump went connected his Truth Social level connected Friday and posted a connection attributed to the Epstein transgression defence lawyer David Schoen that vehemently denied Mr. Musk’s accusation.

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, besides threatened to cancel Mr. Musk’s U.S. authorities contracts, and the President’s state Steve Bannon suggested that the South African-born American national “should beryllium deported from the state immediately”.

The fiscal fallout was swift and severe. Tesla’s shares tumbled 14.2%, wiping astir $152 cardinal disconnected its marketplace value. Mr. Musk’s idiosyncratic nett worthy plunged by $33 cardinal connected June 6 alone. By the extremity of the week, the usually outspoken billionaire had gone quiescent — sidelined, isolated, and, immoderate say, stunned.

The Trump campaign, meanwhile, has reportedly begun exploring alternate tech partnerships, with names similar Peter Thiel and Palantir-linked firms.

Whether this is simply a impermanent rift oregon the last section successful their confederation remains to beryllium seen. But for now, the bromance is over.

Published - June 09, 2025 05:30 americium IST