It was probably the most expensive friendship in the history of the world. Two guys, basically the same amount of ego, sitting in the Oval Office and thinking they could just rewrite how a whole country works.
If you followed the 2024 election, you remember the "jumping Musk" memes. The tech mogul was all in, pouring over $200 million into the campaign and practically living at Mar-a-Lago. People were calling him the "First Buddy" or even the "Co-President." But by June 2025, the whole thing didn't just crack—it went supernova.
Honestly, watching the trump musk feud summary unfold on social media was like watching a high-speed car crash between a Cybertruck and a gold-plated limo.
The "Big Beautiful Bill" That Broke Everything
Everything was fine until it wasn't. After Trump took office in January 2025, he gave Musk the keys to a new project: the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Musk was supposed to be the "slash and burn" guy. He wanted to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. But there’s a massive difference between running a private rocket company and trying to fire thousands of government workers who have unions and lawyers.
By May 2025, the honeymoon was over. Musk had to step back from DOGE because of federal ethics rules that limited "special government employees" to 130 days of work.
Then came the "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB).
Trump loves that name. The bill was his centerpiece—a massive package of tax cuts, green energy subsidy removals, and Medicaid reform. Trump thought it was a masterpiece. Musk thought it was a "pork-filled abomination" that would bankrupt the country.
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On June 3, 2025, Musk basically hit the self-destruct button on the relationship. He posted on X: "I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore... Shame on those who voted for it."
Trump, who isn't exactly known for taking criticism quietly, shot back on Truth Social. He said Musk had been "wearing thin" and that he’d actually asked Musk to leave the administration. He even suggested Musk only cared because Trump was cutting the electric vehicle subsidies that helped Tesla.
It Got Personal, Fast
This wasn't just a policy debate. It turned into a schoolyard fight with world-ending stakes.
At one point during that wild week in June, Musk dropped what he called the "really big bomb." He claimed Trump was in the Jeffrey Epstein files and that’s why they hadn't been released. He later deleted the post, but the internet never forgets.
Trump’s response? He hinted at canceling SpaceX’s government contracts.
Think about that for a second. The President of the United States and the world’s richest man were threatening to dismantle the country’s space program and its primary EV manufacturer over a social media spat.
Musk even floated the idea of starting a new political party called "The America Party."
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Talk about a mess.
Why the Trump Musk Feud Still Matters Today
You might be wondering why we're still talking about this in early 2026.
It’s because they’re "kinda" friends again, but the trust is gone. The trump musk feud summary isn't just a gossip story; it’s a lesson in how power works at the very top.
By September 2025, the two were spotted together at a memorial service for Charlie Kirk in Arizona. They were seen shaking hands. It was the first sign of a "thaw."
Fast forward to January 2026, and the vibe is... complicated.
Just a few days ago, on January 12, 2026, reports surfaced that they had a "lovely dinner" at Mar-a-Lago. Trump has been calling Musk a "super genius" again, mostly because he wants Musk's help with Starlink to bypass internet blackouts in Iran.
But make no mistake. The scar tissue is there.
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The Midterm Shadow
We are heading into the 2026 midterms.
Musk has already said he’s going to spend "a lot less" on politics this time around. He told a crowd in Qatar back in May 2025 that he'd "done enough."
If Musk sits out the midterms, the Republican party loses its biggest ATM. Trump knows this. Musk knows Trump knows this.
It’s a leverage game.
The Takeaway: How to Read the Room
If you're trying to figure out if these two are actually "back together," look at the actions, not the tweets.
- Subsidies: Watch if Trump actually follows through on gutting the EV tax credits. If he does, Musk will likely go nuclear again.
- SpaceX Contracts: If the government starts moving more business to competitors like Blue Origin, that's a sign the feud is simmering under the surface.
- The "America Party": If Musk mentions this again, the truce is officially dead.
The reality is that both men are too big to ignore each other. Trump needs the tech and the money; Musk needs the regulatory environment to keep Tesla and SpaceX alive.
They are essentially two planets in the same orbit. Sometimes they align, and sometimes they collide. Right now, we’re in a period of alignment, but the gravity is still pulling them in opposite directions.
If you want to stay ahead of the next blow-up, pay attention to the federal budget. That’s where the real "abominations" live, and that’s exactly where Musk likes to point his flamethrower.
Keep an eye on the 2026 primary endorsements. If Musk starts backing candidates that Trump hates, we’re going to see a "Big Beautiful Breakup" Part 2. And honestly? It’ll probably be even louder than the first one.