The alliance between President Trump and Elon Musk Flames rise Days after the world's wealthiest people left the government and tried to kill a massive budget bill, it was crucial to establishing the president's highest legislative priorities.
Their spit was another extraordinary turn for Musk, who spent tens of millions on Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign and was awarded an in-rope to cut the size of the federal government.
Let's review how Mr. Trump and Musk got here:
Trump "is not the right person," Musk said in 2016
Tesla CEO praised Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's economic and environmental policies as the "right" policy in an interview with CNBC ahead of the 2016 election.
"I feel stronger about him not the right person," Musk said of Mr. Trump at the time. "He doesn't seem to have that kind of role reflected in the United States."
"I don't think this is the best moment in our democracy," Musk added.
Musk joins and exits - Trump administration role
Shortly after Mr. Trump's first term began, Musk joined several White House advisory committees, including Mr. Trump's "Manufacturing Working Committee."
But Musk left the roles just a few months later, citing Mr. Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.
"Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for the United States or the world," Musk tweeted in June 2017.
Musk continues to have close ties with the federal government Rockets Spacex Billion dollar contracts were signed with NASA and other agencies.
Mr. Trump praised Musk during his 2020 SpaceX launch in Florida, saying: "I've been talking to him all the time. Good man. He's one of our brains. We love the brain. Elon did a great job."
Musk acid against Democrats in 2022 - But still having a dispute with Trump
Musk said in May 2022 that he was ending his support for Democrats because “they have become the party of division and hatred.”
"So, I can no longer support them and will vote for Republicans," Musk said on Twitter, adding that he voted for Clinton in 2016 and former President Joe Biden voted in 2020.
But just two months later, Musk suggested he didn't support Mr. Trump launching another run for the White House amid a public spat with the then-former president over the course of several days in July 2022. Mr. Trump called the Tesla CEO a "b--s--- artist" at a rally and said his companies would be "worthless" without federal backing, while Musk tweeted Mr. Trump should "hang up his hat & sail into the sunset."
Later in 2022, Musk bought Twitter, now called X, and quickly bought it recover Mr. Trump's account has been suspended since the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The rehabilitation comes four days after Mr. Trump announced his third presidential run after losing to Biden.
In the Republican presidential primary The initial support he gave Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is one of Mr. Trump's rivals. In May 2023, billionaires and Floridians appeared together on a glitched Twitter live stream to launch the DeSantis campaign.
Musk recognises Trump in 2024 and exerts influence
The tech billionaire formally recognized Mr. Trump on July 13, 2024, after Mr. Trump survived, in a campaign to assassinate Butler, Pennsylvania.
"I fully acknowledge President Trump and hope for his quick recovery," Musk wrote on the video. The bleeding presidential candidate raised his fists in the air as he was surrounded by Secret Service agents.
Musk joined Mr. Trump in the campaign Spend about $277 million Campaign financial records show that to help elect him and other Republican candidates, it is mainly through Musk's super PAC America PAC.
"A star was born," Trump said, yelling Musk during his victory speech on election night. "He is an amazing person."
Musk used his political influence before Mr. Trump took office in his second term December 2024 Anger at the bipartisan spending bill and torpedoes in the days leading up to the potential government shutdown.
Musk joins the Trump administration and takes the lead in becoming the Avenue
Mr. Trump appointed Musk to lead the government's efficiency department or threshold, whose mission is to reduce federal spending, but far exceeds Musk's $1 trillion target.
Musk soon became a member of Trump's inner circle, attended cabinet meetings and traveled on Air Force One with his youngest son. Musk claimed on X within less than a month of service in his administration: "I love @realdonaldtrump, love another man like a straight man."
Doge quickly gained a huge influence in the Trump administration, cutting government staff, Almost some federal agencies were removed.
Musk and Mr. Trump Appear together In the Oval Office in February - Musk's son dragged it - and jointly answered questions from the press.
Mr. Trump stood with Musk as some of his efforts caused a rebound. In late February, a Doge-backed email told federal employees to report on their achievements that had been triggered last week Puzzled In some institutions. A few days later, at the cabinet meeting, Mr. Trump called Musk "very successful" and said people were "excited" by his performance - and said federal workers who did not respond to the email were "on the bubble."
When Tesla faced protests from Trump's opponents, the president promoted Musk, climbing onto the South Lawn of the White House in March and calling the car "beautiful." A few days ago, Mr. Trump said in Truth Society that he would "buy a brand new Tesla" as support for Musk, and the president said he "has done a great job."
Musk clashed with Mr. Trump's tariff strategy in April. After Navarro said Tesla relied on "cheap external parts", Musk called Navarro "a fool than a bag of bricks." Mr. Trump's White House Not standing aside: "Boys will be boys," said press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
At the cabinet meeting in late April, Mr. Trump praised and thanked Musk - but suggested that his time in administration would end soon.
"You are invited to the time you want. At some point, he wants to go back to his car."
Musk leaves administration and raises criticism
A few days before ending his work for the federal government, Musk began criticizing a large-scale legislation aimed at advancing Trump’s second term agenda. Musk told "CBS News Sunday Morning" He is"Disappointed“In the price tag of the package, Will extend Mr. Trump signed a tax cut in 2017, boosting border security spending, imposing work requirements on Medicaid recipients, and returning a clean energy tax credit.
Musk left the government on May 30 after reaching the maximum number of days he could be a special government employee. Musk has a dark-eyed Musk standing next to Mr. Trump in the Oval Office as the president praised the billionaire's administration and called him "one of the world's greatest business leaders and innovators."
"Elon really didn't leave. I think he'll come back and forth. I have a feeling," Trump said. Musk said he will continue to serve as "friend and adviser" to the president.
Musk - Trump spits and bursts
Over the next few days, Musk escalated his criticism of Mr. Trump, calling it a "big and beautiful bill" and calling it "Annoying aversion"In his early June novel on his social media platform. The insult continues until mid-week, Reaching orgasm On June 5, Mr. Trump threatened to cancel Musk's lucrative government contract, who claimed that Trump would not be able to win the presidency without him.
Musk said he would shut down NASA's SpaceX program (later before backtracking) that relied on transport astronauts and seemed to endorse X's post asking Mr. Trump to improvise each. Musk also warned Republican lawmakers: "Trump has 3.5 years left for president, but I will stay for more than 40 years."
In the round trip, Mr. Trump claimed he asked Musk to leave the administration and disturbed him by a provision in the Budget Act that would terminate the tax credit for electric vehicles.
"Elon 'wears thin', I asked him to leave, I took his EV mission and forced everyone to buy the electric car that others wanted (he knew I was going to be for months!), and he just went crazy!" the president wrote.
Musk then claimed Trump's name appeared Documents related to Jeffrey Epstein caseThe shameful financier died in federal custody after suicide when facing allegations of sex trafficking.
"@realdonaldtrump is in the Epstein file. That's the real reason they haven't made public," Musk wrote. "Have a great day, DJT!"
In response to spit, Leavitt calls it "Elon's unfortunate plot."
