Trump and Musk friendship: Where it began and what happens now it’s all over

US President Donald Trump and his (now former) biggest fanboy, Elon Musk, are breaking up successful nan astir tech measurement connected their ain societal media platforms.

The tech billionaire initially supported Trump successful his re-election bid connected X, but is now utilizing his societal media web to allege that nan president is mentioned successful nan precocious convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein's files.

Here is simply a timeline of their narration and nan infinitesimal it went sour.

Pre 2024

The brace primitively did not support each other. Musk had said he voted for Democrats successful 2016 and 2020. Musk resigned from 2 White House advisory councils successful 2017 aft nan Trump management near nan Paris ambiance accord.

In 2022, Trump claimed Musk had voted for him and called him a “b******* artist”.

2024

Musk officially endorsed Trump aft an assassination effort astatine a rally successful Pennsylvania successful July 2024.

"I afloat endorse President Trump and dream for his accelerated recovery," Musk wrote connected X conscionable aft nan shooting.

Musk past proceeded to financially support Trump’s statesmanlike bid and donated astir $277 cardinal (€242 million) successful nan predetermination cycle.

At his triumph reside successful November 2024, nan president slapped connected nan praise connected Musk, announcing, “We person a caller star. A prima is born. Elon!”

January 2025

Musk, alongside nan CEOs of Meta, Google, and Amazon, attended Trump’s inauguration ceremony.

At different moreover that day, Musk sparked outrage erstwhile he took to nan shape and appeared to execute a salute affiliated pinch Nazis.

February–March 2025

Musk advised an organisation called nan Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created by Trump done an executive order. It intends to oversee cost-cutting astatine authorities agencies. It besides forces return-to-office mandates.

But DOGE quickly received backlash aft trying to power agencies specified arsenic nan US Institute of Peace.

On March 6, Trump told furniture members that they were successful complaint of occupation cuts astatine their agencies, not Musk.

Following backlash successful Europe and nan US complete Musk’s engagement successful authorities and his support for far-right parties, specified arsenic successful Germany, Trump made a show of support for Musk’s EV company, Tesla.

Trump sat wrong a Model S pinch Musk, which was displayed pinch different Tesla models connected nan White House lawn, and announced he would bargain a Tesla.

May 2025

Musk announced he is leaving nan government, arsenic it was nan extremity of his “scheduled time” arsenic a typical authorities employee. Trump past praised him arsenic "one of nan top business leaders and innovators nan world has ever produced".

On May 22, nan narration took a move aft nan US House of Representatives passed a important portion of legislation.

The document, called nan One Big Beautiful Bill Act, intends to fast-track argumentation astir spending and has hundreds of projected changes, specified arsenic taxation cuts to changes successful societal benefits, specified arsenic wellness care.

June 2025

On Tuesday, Musk wrote connected X: “I’m sorry, but I conscionable can’t guidelines it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending measure is simply a disgusting abomination”.

Musk based on nan bill's spending would summation nan "already gigantic fund deficit" and "burden American citizens pinch crushingly unsustainable debt".

One chairwoman of nan DOGE committee, Marjorie Taylor Greene, said connected X she now regrets endorsing nan woody arsenic it prevents individual states from regulating artificial intelligence (AI) for nan adjacent decade.

“We person nary thought what AI will beryllium tin of successful nan adjacent 10 years, and giving it free rein and tying states' hands is perchance dangerous,” she said.

Trump said that Musk knew astir his plans for nan measure but only opposed it erstwhile he learned it would effect Tesla.

“He only developed a problem erstwhile he recovered retired that we’re going to person to trim nan EV mandate,” Trump said, referring to authorities policies that support nan accumulation and waste of electrical vehicles.

“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took distant his EV Mandate that forced everyone to bargain Electric Cars that cipher other wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he conscionable went CRAZY!” Trump wrote connected his platform, Truth Social.

Trump besides said: “The easiest measurement to prevention money successful our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was ever amazed that Biden didn’t do it!”

In response, Musk screenshot that station and wrote he would decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft arsenic a consequence of nan president’s statement.

What happens now?

We are apt to spot much accusations connected their respective societal media accounts.

“For Trump, this is simply a clear lawsuit of billionaire backfire. Losing a high-profile state for illustration Musk weakens his 'pro-business, champion people' communicative and paints a image of a presidency built connected convenience alternatively than conviction,” said Josh Wheeler, PR master astatine pr agency Be Broadcast successful nan UK.

For Musk, nan consequences are “equally brutal,” he added, saying that nan driblet successful Tesla shares shows conscionable really quickly cognition tin vessel valuation. 

Calling for nan impeachment of a sitting president, accusing him of being tied to Epstein, and threatening to decommission NASA-linked spacecraft is “less maverick brilliant and much nationalist meltdown,” Wheeler said.

“Both men person built reputations connected power and disruption. Right now, neither is controlling nan narrative. They person mislaid nan room, nan market, and, successful Musk’s case, perchance early authorities contracts”.