The relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk has shifted from closeness to heated arguments on social media.
Elon Musk had once publicly supported Donald Trump, especially after a failed assassination attempt targeting Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024. Musk posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that he fully supported Trump and wished him a speedy recovery.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk (right) jumped onto the stage as he joined Donald Trump at a campaign rally held at the site of the first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on October 5, 2024.
Between August and October 2024, the two held a live conversation on social media platform X, despite encountering technical issues. They discussed a wide range of topics, from then–Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump’s response to the failed assassination attempt, to climate change. Musk even hinted at his willingness to serve in the government and appeared alongside Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat in a clear show of support.
How did Musk join the Trump administration?
After Donald Trump was re-elected President in November 2024, Musk was appointed to lead a newly created government agency called DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), alongside Vivek Ramaswamy — a former Republican presidential candidate. DOGE’s mission was to cut public spending, streamline bureaucracy, and restructure federal agencies.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump welcomed Elon Musk as he attended the launch of SpaceX’s sixth test flight of the Starship rocket on November 19, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas.
Trump had previously stated that this was an opportunity for his administration to dismantle the bloated bureaucracy, cut unnecessary regulations, and reduce waste. Two weeks after the election, Musk joined Trump at the Starship launch in Texas — a gesture that underscored the growing bond between them.
President Donald Trump and White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk sit inside a Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Early signs of a rift between Musk and Trump
In the early months of 2025, Musk led DOGE and pushed for aggressive cost-cutting measures, such as mandating employees to return to office and eliminating certain government remote work programs. However, Musk’s team faced backlash for overstepping in several agencies, including the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Billionaire Elon Musk speaks alongside President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
In March 2025, Trump reminded his cabinet that they—not Musk—were the ones in charge of running government agencies. Nevertheless, he continued to defend Musk when Tesla faced financial troubles, even turning the White House lawn into a showroom to display Tesla vehicles.
The public clash erupts
In May 2025, during an interview with CBS News, Musk publicly criticized Trump’s key spending and tax bill, arguing that it contradicted DOGE’s efforts to cut government spending and would worsen the budget deficit. Trump responded by saying he wasn’t pleased with parts of the bill but was satisfied with others.
Just one day after going public with his criticism, Musk left the White House, thanking Trump for the opportunity to lead DOGE. However, Trump still held a farewell event for Musk and stated that Musk would “occasionally return” since DOGE was his “brainchild.”
Tensions escalate between Trump and Musk
By June 2025, Musk intensified his criticism of Trump’s spending bill on social media platform X, calling it “a disgusting disgrace” and predicting it would cause the federal deficit to spiral out of control. The online feud between the two escalated rapidly, with harsh back-and-forth exchanges that lasted for hours.
Trump threatened to withdraw billions of dollars in government contracts from Musk’s companies, while Musk implied that Trump couldn’t win the election without him. Trump admitted they once had a good relationship but wasn’t sure it could continue.