It was the "bromance" that supposedly saved the country, right up until the moment it didn't. If you’ve been following the Trump and Musk feud, you know it’s been a wild ride. One minute Elon Musk is literally jumping for joy on a stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the next, he’s calling Donald Trump’s flagship legislation a "disgusting abomination."
Politics is weird. Billionaire politics is even weirder.
Honestly, seeing these two go at it is like watching a Godzilla movie where the giant lizard and the giant monkey decide to stop fighting the aliens and just punch each other for a while. We saw them get cozy in 2024. Musk dumped over $200 million into the campaign. Trump called him a "star." Then, 2025 hit, and the wheels fell off the Tesla.
Why the Trump and Musk Feud Exploded in 2025
The whole thing started over a bill. Not just any bill, but the "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB) Act. This was supposed to be Trump’s second-term crown jewel—a massive mix of tax cuts and spending. But Musk, who had been leading the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), wasn't having it.
He didn't just disagree. He went nuclear.
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On June 5, 2025, the world watched as Musk used X (formerly Twitter) to basically torch the administration he had just been a part of. He called the bill "pork-filled" and suggested that the Republican lawmakers who backed it were betraying the country. Trump, never one to take a punch without throwing three back, hit Truth Social to vent. He said Musk was "wearing thin" and claimed he’d actually asked Musk to leave the White House.
The Epstein Allegations and the "America Party"
Things got dark fast. At the height of the Trump and Musk feud, Musk did the unthinkable for a former ally. He suggested on X that Trump’s name was buried in the Jeffrey Epstein files. That’s a "burn the bridges and salt the earth" kind of move.
- June 5, 2025: Musk floats the idea of a new "America Party" to represent the "80% in the middle."
- The Reaction: Trump threatens to cancel SpaceX’s lucrative government contracts.
- The Fallout: Tesla stock plummeted 15% in a single day. Musk lost $34 billion on paper.
It felt like the end of an era. Democratic leaders like Hakeem Jeffries called it a "GOP civil war." Steve Bannon even suggested Trump should seize SpaceX via executive order. It was total chaos.
The Competitive Edge: Truth Social vs. X
You can't talk about this spat without talking about the platforms. Trump has his kingdom on Truth Social. Musk has X. While they were allies, Musk was sharing Trump’s posts to his massive audience. When the feud kicked off, that digital bridge collapsed.
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Trump stayed on Truth Social, mocking Musk's "driverless cars that crash" and "rocketships to nowhere." Musk, meanwhile, was using X to poll his millions of followers on whether they should "fire all politicians." It wasn't just a personal fight; it was a battle for the attention economy of the American right.
The Quiet Thaw at Mar-a-Lago
So, are they still enemies? Kinda, but not really.
By late 2025, the fire started to simmer down. They were spotted shaking hands at a memorial service for Charlie Kirk in September. Then, just a few days ago in January 2026, Musk posted a photo of a "lovely dinner" at Mar-a-Lago with the President and First Lady.
Trump’s tone has shifted back to that classic "he’s a good guy" rhetoric. He recently called Musk an "80% super genius" while acknowledging the "20% mistakes." It seems the reality of governing—and the need for Starlink’s help with global issues like the Iranian internet blackouts—has forced a strategic truce.
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What Most People Get Wrong
People think this feud was just about egos. It wasn't. It was about fiscal policy versus political reality. Musk wanted to cut $1 trillion from the budget. Trump wanted to pass a bill that satisfied his caucus and kept the economy humming. When the "efficiency expert" met the "art of the deal" politician, the friction was inevitable.
Practical Takeaways for 2026
If you're trying to figure out what this means for the future, keep these points in mind:
- Watch the Contracts: The health of the relationship is best measured by SpaceX and Starlink government contracts. If those stay steady, the "feud" is just theater.
- Tesla’s Political Risk: Musk’s brand is now inextricably linked to Trump. For investors, this means Tesla stock is now a political volatility play.
- The 2026 Midterms: Musk has already signaled he might fund Republican candidates again. This suggests the "America Party" idea is dead and he's back in the MAGA tent for now.
The Trump and Musk feud proved that no alliance is permanent in Washington. These are two men who both want to be the smartest person in the room. Right now, they’ve agreed to share the room again, but keep your eyes on the social media feeds. One "disgusting abomination" tweet is all it takes to start the fire all over again.
Next Steps for Following This Story:
To stay ahead of the next shift in this dynamic, monitor the Federal Register for changes in EV subsidies or space launch allocations. These policy shifts usually precede the public blowups on social media. Additionally, check the FEC filings for Musk's America PAC in the coming months to see if his financial commitment matches his recent "lovely dinner" rhetoric.