When Donald Trump met privately with White House officials on Wednesday, there was little to suggest that the US president was on the verge of a public break with Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman credited with helping him secure a second term in office. Two White House officials, familiar with the matter, stated that Trump expressed confusion and frustration during the meeting regarding Musk’s outspoken attacks on his extensive tax and spending bill. However, the officials noted, Trump initially held back from a public confrontation, aiming to preserve Musk’s political and financial support ahead of the midterm elections.
By Thursday afternoon, Trump’s disposition had shifted dramatically. He had not communicated with Musk since the onset of the attacks and was reportedly fuming over what one White House aide described as a “completely batshit” tirade by the Tesla CEO on X, his social media platform.
Musk had publicly denounced Trump’s tax bill as fiscally reckless and a “disgusting abomination,” vowing to oppose any Republican lawmaker who supported it. The bill, if passed, would fulfill many of Trump’s priorities while, according to the Congressional Budget Office, adding an estimated $2.4 trillion to the already staggering $36.2 trillion US public debt.
Privately, Trump had previously characterized Musk as volatile. On Thursday, he instructed his team that it was time to “take the gloves off.” Sitting alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office, Trump informed reporters that he was “very disappointed” in his former adviser. Musk swiftly retaliated on social media, and the exchange rapidly devolved into a public spat.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget — billions and billions of dollars — is to terminate Elon’s governmental subsidies and contracts,” Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform. Within minutes, Musk responded by suggesting it might be time to establish a new political party and endorsed an X post from Ian Miles Cheong, a prominent Musk supporter and right-wing activist, explicitly calling for Trump’s impeachment.
The Trump-Musk relationship, at its peak, was unprecedented in Washington: a sitting president granting a billionaire tech CEO unparalleled access and influence within the White House and across his administration. Musk had reportedly contributed nearly $300 million to support Trump’s campaign and other Republican candidates last year. For months, Musk operated as both an insider and a disruptor—shaping policy conversations behind the scenes, amplifying Trump’s agenda to millions online, and vigorously attacking bureaucracy and federal spending through his self-styled Department of Government Efficiency.
Just last week, Trump had hosted a farewell event for Musk and publicly declared that “Elon is really not leaving.” Now, however, he had not only departed but had transformed into a vocal critic. Hours after Trump’s Oval Office remarks, a third White House official expressed surprise at Musk’s sudden turnaround, stating that it “caught the president and the entire West Wing off guard.”
Musk did not respond to emails seeking comment regarding the downturn in relations. His super PAC spending group, America PAC, and spokeswoman Katie Miller also did not respond to calls and texts requesting comment. In an official statement, the White House characterized the breakup as an “unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted.”
From Allies to Adversaries
The highly public Musk-Trump breakup sent Tesla’s stock price plummeting by 14% on Thursday and introduced a wave of uncertainty among Trump’s congressional allies, who are working to pass the monumental spending package that faces opposition from Democrats and a small number of vocal Republicans.
This dramatic separation could profoundly reshape the futures of both men. For Trump, losing Musk’s backing threatens his burgeoning influence among tech donors, social media audiences, and younger male voters—key demographics that may now become more challenging to reach. It could also complicate fundraising efforts ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
For Musk, the stakes are potentially even higher. The break risks intensifying scrutiny of his business practices, which could jeopardize lucrative government contracts and invite regulatory probes, potentially threatening his companies’ profits.
Some of Musk’s friends and associates expressed their astonishment at the fallout, with several having only recently conveyed confidence that the partnership would endure, according to two other sources familiar with the dynamics.
The split had been simmering for weeks, according to the first two White House officials, but the definitive breaking point revolved around personnel: Trump’s decision to withdraw his nomination of Jared Isaacman, Musk’s hand-picked candidate to be the next National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator.
“He was not happy” about Isaacman’s nomination withdrawal, one of the White House officials said of Musk.
Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and close Musk ally, was widely seen as crucial to advancing Musk’s vision for space exploration and commercial space ventures. After his nomination was scuttled, Isaacman posted on X: “I am incredibly grateful to President Trump, the Senate and all those who supported me.”
The move was viewed within the administration as a direct snub to Musk, the two officials stated, signaling a loss of his political clout and deepening the rift between him and Trump’s team. Before the Isaacman episode, top White House aides had already begun to discreetly limit Musk’s influence, quietly curtailing his authority over staffing and budget decisions. Trump himself reinforced this message in early March, informing his cabinet that department secretaries, not Musk, held the final say over agency operations.
Concurrently, Musk began hinting that his tenure in government would conclude, at times expressing frustration that he could not more aggressively cut spending. His threats and complaints regarding Trump’s bill grew louder, but inside the White House, few believed they would seriously alter the course of the legislation—even as some expressed concern about the potential impact on the midterms from Musk’s warnings to reduce political spending, as noted by the first two White House officials.
Still, a fourth White House official dismissed the impact of Musk’s words on the president’s signature bill. “We’re very confident,” he stated. “No one has changed their minds.” However, there was palpable bafflement at the White House regarding how a relationship that had been publicly celebrated in the Oval Office just last week had taken such a dramatic turn.
Time will tell whether the rift can be repaired. White House aides have scheduled a call between the two men for Friday.
