The Elon Musk and Donald Trump Breakup Has Started

Elon Musk may person yet reached nan extremity of his statement pinch President Donald Trump—and vice versa. While nan world’s richest man wars pinch nan US president connected X, Republican strategists and insiders successful Trumpworld show WIRED that Musk’s broader early successful Republican authorities is connected shaky ground.

Over nan past fewer days connected X, Musk has posted progressively individual criticisms astatine Trump and nan Republican fund reconciliation package known arsenic nan Big Beautiful Bill. This came to a caput connected Thursday, erstwhile Trump addressed nan narration during a property convention pinch German chancellor Friedrich Merz.

“Elon and I had a awesome relationship. I don’t cognize if we will anymore,” said Trump, who compared Musk to past aides who have, he said, developed “Trump derangement syndrome” aft leaving his administration.

Trump and Musk person been successful lockstep since Musk endorsed nan president successful July 2024. Musk poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Trump’s reelection bid, and their adjacent narration has been promoted by nan brace countless times. Just past week, nan 2 held a associated property convention arsenic an evident ceremony of and conclusion to Musk’s clip arsenic a typical authorities worker progressive pinch his alleged Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Today’s remarks, though, uncover really fractured that narration has become. “Without me, Trump would person mislaid nan election,” Musk posted connected X soon aft Trump’s comments. “Dems would power nan House and nan Republicans would beryllium 51-49 successful nan Senate.”

Behind nan scenes, Trumpworld Republicans show WIRED, this hostility is astir much than conscionable a bromance falling apart. If Musk continues to escalate, he whitethorn resistance down authorities that Trump sees arsenic a cardinal portion of his governmental legacy.

“If [Musk] really successfully gets immoderate votes switched to vessel this measure and kills it,” a elder Trumpworld strategist tells WIRED, “then I deliberation astatine that constituent he’s fucking dormant to Donald Trump.”

This Republican—who, for illustration nan 4 WIRED said to for this story, requested anonymity to support what’s near of their governmental futures live aft nan existent implosion of nan Trump-Musk relationship—went connected to opportunity that Musk meddling successful nan Big Beautiful Bill came astatine nan worst clip and pinch nan highest stakes for nan Trump White House.

At best, they say, Trump has “18 months” to cement his bequest pinch his signature legislation. “Some of nan priorities of President Trump are not imaginable extracurricular of this bill.” After that, this aforesaid elder Republican said, nan remainder of Trump’s word will apt beryllium hamstrung by an expected Democratic triumph successful nan House successful nan midterms that would forestall immoderate awesome legislative wins.

“Whatever,” Musk tweeted minutes aft Trump’s remark astir their narration and nan president’s claims that Musk was only upset astir nan imaginable effect to his automotive business. “Keep nan EV/solar inducement cuts successful nan bill, moreover though nary lipid & state subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch nan MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK successful nan bill. In nan full history of civilization, location has ne'er been authorities that (sic) some large and beautiful. Everyone knows this! Either you get a large and disfigured measure aliases a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is nan way.” Musk has continued posting, attacking, he says, what he believes is Trump’s about-face connected raising nan indebtedness ceiling.