If you had asked anyone in November 2024 what the most powerful duo in America looked like, they wouldn't have said a political ticket. They would’ve pointed at the guy in the "Dark MAGA" hat jumping on a stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the man behind the podium calling him a "star."
The Trump and Elon Musk feud seemed impossible back then. They were the ultimate power couple. One had the keys to the White House; the other had the richest bank account on the planet and a fleet of rockets.
Fast forward to June 2025. The bromance didn't just hit a rocky patch—it imploded on a level we usually only see in reality TV or messy celebrity divorces. One day they’re eating steak at Mar-a-Lago, and the next, Musk is dropping "bombs" about Epstein files while Trump is basically telling him to take his electric cars and shove them.
It was wild. It was public. And honestly? It was probably inevitable.
The Bromance That Burned Too Bright
You’ve gotta remember how this started. Before they were besties, they actually hated each other. In 2022, Trump called Musk a "bullshit artist." Musk fired back saying Trump was too old to be president and should "sail into the sunset."
But 2024 changed everything. Musk didn't just endorse Trump; he went all in. We’re talking over $200 million donated through his America PAC. He basically turned X (formerly Twitter) into a pro-Trump megaphone.
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When Trump won, Musk was everywhere. He was in the family photos. He was sitting in on calls with world leaders like Zelenskyy. Trump even gave him a whole (semi-official) department to play with: the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
The goal was simple: Musk was going to "delete" $2 trillion in government waste. It was the peak of their alignment. Trump even turned the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom in March 2025 just to show some love when Tesla’s stock was taking a beating.
Why the Trump and Elon Musk Feud Actually Started
So, what went wrong? Money and ego. Usually is, right?
The breaking point was something Trump called the "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB). It was a massive tax and spending package that was supposed to be the centerpiece of Trump’s second term.
Musk hated it.
He called it a "disgusting abomination" and a "pork-filled" mess. He was furious because he felt it undermined everything he was trying to do with DOGE. While Musk was trying to cut spending, Trump was signing a bill that increased the deficit.
But there was a side hustle to the anger. Trump’s bill also took a sledgehammer to electric vehicle (EV) subsidies.
Trump basically said, "Elon, I love you, but nobody wants these cars." He claimed Musk knew the cuts were coming for months. Musk claimed he was never even shown the bill.
On June 5, 2025, the gloves came off.
The 24-Hour War of Words
The timeline of that day is genuinely insane. Here is how it basically went down:
- Morning: Trump is meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Instead of talking about NATO, he tells reporters Musk is "upset" about the EV mandates being cut. He says Musk has a "problem" and "Washington nostalgia."
- Afternoon: Musk hits back on X. He says Trump would have lost the election without him. He calls Trump ungrateful.
- The "Epstein" Bomb: Then it got dark. Musk posted that Trump’s name was in the "Epstein files" and that’s why they hadn't been released.
- The Threat: Trump goes on Truth Social and threatens to cancel all of SpaceX’s government contracts.
- The Counter-Threat: Musk responds by saying SpaceX will "decommission" the Dragon spacecraft immediately, which would basically strand NASA astronauts on the ISS.
It was a game of chicken between the leader of the free world and the guy who owns the sky. Tesla stock dropped 14% in a single day. People were panicking.
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The Thaw: Can Billionaires Stay Mad?
Here’s the thing about the Trump and Elon Musk feud: it’s never really over, and it’s never really "on." These are two guys who value leverage above everything else.
By September 2025, they were already being seen in the same room again. They publicly "reunited" at a memorial service for Charlie Kirk. By January 2026, reports surfaced of them having a "lovely dinner" at Mar-a-Lago.
Why? Because they need each other.
Trump needs Musk’s satellites, his money, and his control over the digital town square. Musk needs the federal government to keep writing checks for SpaceX and to keep the regulators off Tesla’s back.
It’s a "transactional friendship."
What This Means for You
If you're watching this play out, don't look at the tweets. Look at the policy. The Trump and Elon Musk feud showed exactly where the power lies in 2026.
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- Government Contracts are the Ultimate Weapon: Trump proved he can threaten Musk's empire with a single pen stroke. Musk’s companies rely on billions in federal "subsidies" that he ironically rails against.
- DOGE was more PR than Policy: The Department of Government Efficiency struggled to make the $2 trillion dent Musk promised. When the "Big Beautiful Bill" passed, it proved that traditional political spending usually wins over tech-bro efficiency.
- Market Volatility is the New Normal: If you’re a Tesla investor, you’re basically an investor in a soap opera. One tweet can wipe out $150 billion in market cap.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Watch the SpaceX Contracts: Keep an eye on NASA's upcoming budget cycles. If SpaceX starts losing bids to Blue Origin or Boeing, the feud is back on.
- Monitor X's Algorithm: See how Trump-related content is performing. Musk's control over the platform is his biggest shield against the White House.
- Look at the Deficit: If the OBBB spending continues to climb, expect Musk to use his platform to attack the administration again under the guise of "fiscal responsibility."
The reality is that these two are too big to stay enemies, but too "big" to stay friends. Expect the cycle to repeat.