Elon Musk and Donald Trump were once an unlikely power duo, but their bromance has turned into a full-blown public spat by June 2025. From trading barbs on social media to threatening each other’s empires, their falling out has been a wild ride. Here’s how it all started, how it blew up, and where things stand now, broken down step by step.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Rocky Beginnings (2016–2022)
Back in 2016, Musk wasn’t exactly Team Trump. He backed Hillary Clinton and called Trump unfit to lead, saying he lacked the character for the job. Things got tense when Musk joined Trump’s business advisory councils but bailed in 2017 over disagreements, especially on the Paris Climate Agreement. Fast-forward to 2022, Musk started leaning Republican, fed up with what he called the Democrats’ “division and hate.” But even then, sparks flew—Trump called Musk a “b—s— artist” at a rally, and Musk hit back, suggesting Trump should hang up his political hat. Their egos were already clashing, setting the stage for drama.
Step 2: Teaming Up for the 2024 Election (July–November 2024)
By 2024, Musk was all in for Trump. He poured nearly $300 million into Trump’s campaign, turning X into a megaphone for MAGA. After an assassination attempt on Trump in July, Musk posted a video on X wishing him well and officially endorsed him. He even showed up at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, rocking a “Make America Great Again” cap and dubbing himself “Dark MAGA.” When Trump won in November, he gave Musk a shout-out in his victory speech, saying, “A star is born — Elon!” Musk’s cash and influence helped tip the scales in key states. At this point, they were thick as thieves.
Step 3: Musk’s White House Stint (November 2024–May 2025)
Once Trump took office, he tapped Musk to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with Vivek Ramaswamy, aiming to gut federal spending. Musk was everywhere—chumming it up with Trump at a SpaceX launch, joining Cabinet meetings, and even posting on X about his “love” for Trump (in a totally platonic way, he clarified). Trump backed Musk when Tesla’s sales tanked, even turning the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom. But cracks started showing. Musk’s pushy cost-cutting ideas ticked off Cabinet members, and Trump had to remind everyone he was still the boss, not Musk. By May, with Tesla’s stock down over 40%, Musk stepped back from DOGE to focus on his companies. Trump threw him a farewell party with a shiny golden key, calling him a “great business leader.” All seemed well, but trouble was brewing.
Step 4: Policy Fights Spark Tension (April–May 2025)
Things started to sour over policy. Musk hated Trump’s new tariffs, calling trade adviser Peter Navarro “a moron” on X and begging Trump to ditch them. Trump didn’t budge until markets forced his hand. Then, rumors swirled about a heated clash between Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—some say it got physical. By late May, Musk was done with his White House gig. Despite the golden key send-off, the vibe was off. Their differences on spending and trade were pulling them apart.
Step 5: The Big Blowup Over “Big Beautiful Bill” (June 3–5, 2025)
The real fireworks came with Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB), a massive tax and spending package. Musk thought it was a disaster, calling it a “pork-filled abomination” on X and slamming Republicans for backing it. On June 5, things got nasty. While meeting with the German Chancellor, Trump took a swipe at Musk, saying he was just mad about losing electric vehicle subsidies and missed the White House spotlight. Musk fired back on X, claiming Trump hid the bill’s details and bragging, “Without me, Trump would’ve lost.” He even suggested Trump’s tariffs could tank the economy.
Trump wasn’t having it. On Truth Social, he called Musk “CRAZY” and threatened to pull billions in government contracts from SpaceX and Tesla. Musk upped the ante, making wild claims about Trump being in the Jeffrey Epstein files and retweeting a call for Trump’s impeachment, with JD Vance taking over. He even threatened to mothball SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which NASA relies on for ISS missions. It was a no-holds-barred slugfest.
Step 6: Fallout and Backpedaling (June 6–7, 2025)
The feud hit fever pitch. On June 6, Trump told reporters Musk had “lost his mind” and said he might sell his Tesla Model S. Musk deleted his wildest X posts, like the Epstein jab and the Dragon threat, as Tesla’s stock crashed 14%, wiping out $150 billion in value. Trump’s ally Steve Bannon went nuclear, calling for probes into Musk’s immigration status, security clearance, and even rumored drug use. He floated seizing SpaceX under the Defense Production Act. Democrats jumped in, with Rep. Dan Goldman demanding Epstein file releases, though Musk’s claims had zero proof. By June 7, Musk’s dad, Errol, told him to chill out, and House Speaker Mike Johnson hoped they’d patch things up. Musk kept criticizing the OBBB but toned down the personal attacks.
Step 7: Where Things Stand Now (June 2025)
As of June 11, 2025, the feud’s cooled a bit. Musk’s backed off his crazier claims, likely to protect his $38 billion in government contracts. Trump’s focused on pushing the OBBB through the Senate, where Musk’s lobbying is causing headaches. Tesla’s stock has stabilized, but the damage is done—Republican unity is shaky, and markets are jittery. X posts show people are split: some see it as two big egos duking it out, others think Musk betrayed Trump.
What’s next? They might make up—Trump’s done it before with guys like Steve Bannon. Or things could get uglier, with Trump targeting Musk’s contracts or Musk bankrolling Trump’s rivals. Either way, this clash shows what happens when two larger-than-life figures with massive influence—Trump’s political clout and Musk’s tech empire—go head-to-head.
Wrapping It Up
The Musk-Trump saga went from bad blood in 2016 to a tight alliance in 2024, only to crash and burn over a spending bill in 2025. Their public war of words, from X to Truth Social, has rocked politics, markets, and even space exploration. It’s a classic tale of egos, power, and betrayal, and we’re all just watching the fallout.