Elon Musk’s sudden departure from the Trump administration and his vocal opposition to the president’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” have sparked a dramatic public fallout between the two former allies. Their escalating feud, unfolding across press conferences and social media, raises serious questions about the future of their political alliance and its impact on Trump’s policy agenda.
Musk departs as head of DOGE
In a surprise move early into Donald Trump’s presidential term, Elon Musk stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
In a statement posted on Twitter (or X), Musk wrote, “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending” [1].
Trump sent Musk off with some kind words and a symbolic gift: a gold White House Key. But, their farewell press conference raised eyebrows, as Musk appeared unusually tense and distracted, with social media speculation erupting, with claims he was “tweaking out”. This comes after a New York Times report that claimed Musk had been using drugs during his political work [2]. Plus, the Tesla CEO also had a very visible black eye during the press conference, stating that he got it from roughhousing with his 5-year-old son.
The Big, Beautiful Bill
Following Musk’s departure, Republicans rolled out a sweeping Tax and Spending Bill championed by Trump as the “Big, Beautiful Bill”. The bill includes a range of policies such as: extended tax cuts, raising the national debt ceiling, new work requirements for federal aid programs like Medicaid, and significant funding for Trump’s mass deportation initiative, including $46 billion to restart construction on the Southern border wall.
It also proposes controversial cuts such as defending Planned Parenthood and slashing federal education aid, including reductions to Pell Grants. Oddly, it also eliminates taxes on indoor tanning services. However, the bill also has some popular measures, such as the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime pay, and the introduction of the “Trump Savings Accounts”, allowing parents to save for their newborns with up to $5,000 annually, plus a $1,000 government-funded starting deposit [3].
Musk quickly turned on the bill, denouncing it as an “abomination” and calling out lawmakers who supported it, saying they need to “Kill the bill” [4]. Now there are three big reasons for Musk’s opposition to this bill and the souring relationship with Trump. Firstly, because the legislation cuts the electric vehicle tax credit, which Tesla benefits from. Secondly, due to the increase in the national debt ceiling proposed in the bill, which directly contradicts Musk’s goals in reducing debt and wasteful spending. Thirdly, because Trump withdrew his nomination of Jared Isaacman as NASA ambassador, someone who was a close Musk ally and supported both the Mars exploration initiatives and rebuilding the Moon Program.
The online feud
The disagreement between Musk and Trump, once political allies, dramatically spilt onto social media, culminating in a days-long digital confrontation that resembled a public unravelling of their partnership.
On June 5, Musk ignited controversy by resurfacing a decade-old Trump tweet in which Trump criticised Republicans for raising the debt ceiling—ironically echoing Musk’s current position [5].
Responding during a White House press conference, Trump dismissed Musk’s criticism as sour grapes, implying Musk was upset over the loss of electric vehicle subsidies. He suggested Musk had insider knowledge of the bill and accused him of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a term he frequently applies to former allies turned critics [6].
Later that day, Musk launched a barrage of posts claiming that without his support and $250+ million in donations, Trump wouldn’t have won the election, the Republicans would have lost the House, and the Senate would have been 51-49 [7].
Musk also insinuated that the Trump White House was withholding Epstein-related FBI files due to Trump’s alleged involvement [8].
By the evening of that day, Musk engaged with content which suggested Trump should be impeached and replaced by JD Vance, reposted posts predicting Republican losses in 2026 and warned that Trump’s tariff policies would trigger a recession [8].
Trump, in the meantime, told ABC News that he was not interested in speaking to Musk, suggesting he had “lost his mind” [9]. Trump later even said he was considering selling his Tesla Model S, which he had flaunted earlier that year to show support for Musk [10].
Retractions and Regrets
By June 7, signs of regret emerged. Musk deleted the tweet implying Trump’s involvement in the Epstein case, along with the one endorsing impeachment. However, he left other sceptical comments, including the claim that Trump would have lost the election without him.
On June 9, Musk retweeted Trump and Vance's condemnation of protests in Los Angeles, appearing to re-engage with some conservative causes.
By June 11, Musk attempted to cool tensions, saying on Twitter (X): “I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week…They went too far” [11].
Trump responded vaguely, telling the New York Post that he appreciated the sentiment but stopped short of accepting the apology [12].
What does America think?
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Source: YouGov USA June 6-9, 2025 [13].
Looking at polling data from YouGov, 50% of America is siding with nobody, with 34% supporting Trump and a mere 9% supporting Elon. That 34% seems to be the diehard MAGA supporters, who would support Trump even if he shot someone on Fifth Avenue.
Among Republican voters, the overwhelming majority back the President, with 74% choosing to side with Trump over Elon. MAGA republicans support the President by a whopping 92%, and even a majority of non-MAGA Republicans support Trump, showcasing the chokehold that he has on the party and the little influence Musk really has on the party.
Sources
[1]https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518
[2]https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/us/elon-musk-drugs-children-trump.html
[3]https://www.whitehouse.gov/obbb/
[4]https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930336497208832059
[5]https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930645855285231914
[6]https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/elon-musk-trump-derangement-syndrome-rcna211232
[7]https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930667528696828120
[8]https://www.forbes.com.au/news/uncategorized/musk-vs-trump-meltdown-timeline/
[9]https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/day-after-blistering-exchange-trump-calls-elon-musk/story?id=122567621
[10]https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/06/06/donald-trump-elon-musk-white-house-live/?msockid=2fdaf57ff76c60273c67e74cf64b6182
[11]https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1932695486684950962
[12]https://nypost.com/2025/06/11/us-news/donald-trump-responds-to-elon-musks-apology-after-public-feud/
[13]https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/52317-donald-trump-elon-musk-biggest-issues-ice-immigration-deportations-budget-supreme-court-cases-june-6-9-2025-economist-yougov-poll