Predictions of a fallout between Elon Musk and Donald Trump have recently come true, sooner than might have been expected. The break-up between the world’s most powerful man and the wealthiest person on the planet, both alpha males with fragile egos, could not have been dreamt up by a mere writer of thriller fiction. Yet, the partnership had a promising start. Both men agreed on many fronts. Musk publicly endorsed Trump after the latter survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. The former Democratic Party donor went on to give $288 million to Trump’s 2024 election campaign, making him the largest single financial contributor. Algorithmic manipulation on Musk’s social media platform X further amplified Trump’s already clear message as it propagated pro-Trump content. Months later, however, Musk would take to X to claim that: “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude.”
Elon Musk was duly rewarded when Trump made him a special government adviser, with oversight of the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Initially, the task was to be shared with biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who soon read the writing on the wall and withdrew to run for Governor of Ohio instead. The task of slashing federal bureaucracy has, in retrospect, turned out to be a somewhat poisoned chalice, with considerable reputational damage to both Musk personally and, in particular, his Tesla brand. The unedifying sight of the world’s richest man cutting the jobs of federal employees, dismantling government agencies, and withholding grants to government programmes has proved too much for many to tolerate. DOGE has a way to go before it can deliver on targets of 75% cuts to the federal workforce and savings of $2 trillion from cuts to government spending.
Early indications of trouble came at a Cabinet Room meeting on 6 March 2025, when Musk accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio of failing to fire any State Department workers in response to DOGE mandates. Rubio responded by confirming that 1,500 State Departments had taken early buyouts and took aim at Musk for dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which was under State Department control. On 2 April, Musk, who is a globalist when it comes to international trade, openly criticised Trump’s tariffs on X. Then came a physical confrontation, described in the media as a “rugby tackle”, by Musk on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in mid-April. This encounter, just outside the Oval Office, followed a dispute in which Trump backed Bessent’s pick for acting IRS Commissioner in place of Musk’s recommendation for the post.
On 30 May, at a press conference in the Oval Office, Musk was presented with a golden key to the White House. Trump praised Musk at his formal send-off, after 130 days with DOGE, as “one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced.”
Shortly thereafter, matters unravelled. Musk’s personal choice for NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman, had his nomination withdrawn by the White House on 31 May for having contributed to Democratic candidates in the past. On the same day, The New York Times reported on Musk’s alleged drug use, which included ketamine (originally prescribed for treatment of depression), ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms. His use of drugs, while on the 2024 campaign trail, had led some to demand that Musk be refused a top-secret security clearance once in federal government.
On 3 June, Musk condemned the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ on X, stating: “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination” and recommending that Congress “KILL THE BILL.” In Musk’s view, the Bill would negate the savings generated by DOGE, and instead increase government spending and the national debt. Trump was ‘very surprised’ and ‘very disappointed’ at Musk’s comments. He attributed Musk’s opposition to the bill as driven by the failure to renew the Biden administration’s tax incentive of $7,500 for the purchase of an electric vehicle (EV). Despite his well-publicised full-price purchase of a red Tesla Model S in March, Trump is no fan of EVs and claims that “nobody else” wants them either.
In a 5 June post, Musk grew bolder and claimed that “@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.” The post, which implied that Trump was mentioned in FBI files concerning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has since been deleted.
Musk has made many enemies, including in the nativist and populist wing of MAGA Republicans. Steve Bannon, a long-time Trump ally and an influential MAGA podcaster, has identified the South African-born, Canadian-educated, naturalised US citizen as “an illegal alien” and recommended Musk’s immediate deportation from US. He has also demanded the revocation of Musk’s existing security clearance and an official investigation into the billionaire’s alleged drug use.
In the conflict between two great men with open-book minds and their very own social media platforms, Trump is likely to come on top as the winner, with his considerable popular support across America and the unstinting loyalty of the Congressional Republican Party. Musk is indeed the beneficiary of lucrative federal contracts, as well as loans, subsidies, and tax cuts, which Trump has since threatened. Musk has been warned of “serious consequences” were he to donate to Democratic Party candidates in future. He, in turn, has threatened to withdraw SpaceX from defence contracts and Nasa partnerships, which could potentially compromise national security and America’s space programme. Trump has apparently confirmed that he has no immediate desire to reconnect to, and build bridges with, Musk, who has since toned down his rhetoric and has even approved of the Trump administration’s handling of the ongoing anti-ICE demonstrations in Los Angeles. It has been reported that, despite everything, Trump will hang on to his Tesla Model S for the moment and that the White House will continue with Starlink as its broadband provider. Who knows, the “bromance” between the President and his “First Buddy” may even be rekindled over time. Meanwhile, America continues on its unstoppable journey towards Greatness.
Ashis Banerjee