When Donald Trump met privately with White House officials on Wednesday, little suggested he was about to publicly break with Elon Musk. The billionaire had helped Trump win a second term.
Two White House officials said Trump expressed confusion and frustration during the meeting about Musk’s attacks on his tax and spending bill. However, Trump held back because he wanted to keep Musk’s political and financial support ahead of the midterm elections.
By Thursday afternoon, Trump’s mood had shifted. He had not spoken to Musk since the attacks began and was angry over what a White House aide described as a “completely batshit” tirade by Musk on X, his social media platform.
Musk blasted Trump’s tax bill as fiscally reckless and a “disgusting abomination.” He vowed to oppose any Republican lawmaker who supported it. The bill would fulfill many of Trump’s priorities but add $2.4 trillion to the $36.2 trillion US debt, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Privately, Trump had called Musk volatile. On Thursday, he told his team it was time to take the gloves off.
Sitting next to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office, Trump said he was “very disappointed” in Musk. Musk quickly hit back on social media, and their back-and-forth escalated.
“The easiest way to save billions in our budget is to terminate Elon’s government subsidies and contracts,” Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media site.
Minutes later, Musk suggested creating a new political party. He also endorsed a post from a prominent Musk supporter calling for Trump’s impeachment.
The Trump-Musk relationship was unprecedented in Washington. A sitting president gave a billionaire tech CEO influence inside the White House. Musk spent nearly $300 million backing Trump’s campaign and other Republicans last year.
For months, Musk played both insider and disruptor. He shaped policy conversations behind the scenes, amplified Trump’s agenda online, and attacked federal spending through his self-styled Department of Government Efficiency.
Just last week, Trump hosted a farewell for Musk, saying, “Elon is really not leaving.”
Now, Musk had left and turned into a top critic. A third White House official said Musk’s turnaround “caught the president and the entire West Wing off guard.”
Musk did not respond to emails seeking comment about the fallout. His super PAC and spokeswoman also did not respond to requests.
The White House called the breakup an “unfortunate episode” caused by Musk’s unhappiness with the One Big Beautiful Bill, which lacked the policies he wanted.
From Allies to Adversaries
The breakup sent Tesla’s stock price down 14 percent on Thursday. It created uncertainty among Trump’s allies in Congress. They are working to pass the spending bill, which Democrats and some Republicans oppose.
The split could reshape both men’s futures. Trump risks losing support from tech donors, social media audiences, and younger male voters — key groups for the midterms. It could also hurt his fundraising.
For Musk, the stakes are higher. The breakup risks increased scrutiny of his business practices. This could threaten government contracts and invite regulatory probes.
Some of Musk’s friends were stunned by the fallout. Several recently expressed confidence the partnership would last, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
The split had been simmering for weeks, say two White House officials. The breaking point came when Trump withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination as NASA administrator. Isaacman is a billionaire and Musk ally key to Musk’s space exploration vision.
Musk was unhappy about Isaacman’s removal, the officials said.
After the nomination was scrapped, Isaacman thanked Trump and supporters in a post on X.
The move signaled a loss of political clout for Musk and deepened his rift with Trump’s team.
Before this, White House aides had already begun limiting Musk’s influence, quietly reducing his authority over staffing and budget decisions.
In early March, Trump told his cabinet that department secretaries, not Musk, had final say over agency operations.
At the same time, Musk hinted his government role was ending. He expressed frustration that he could not cut spending more aggressively.
His complaints about Trump’s bill grew louder. Inside the White House, few believed Musk could change the bill’s course. Some worried his warnings to cut political spending could hurt the midterms.
Still, a fourth White House official dismissed Musk’s impact on the bill. “We’re very confident,” he said. “No one has changed their minds.”
White House staff remained baffled at how a relationship praised just last week had deteriorated so quickly.
Time will tell if the rift can be healed. White House aides scheduled a call between Trump and Musk on Friday.
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