Once a key member of President Donald Trump’s inner circle, a major campaign donor and a scene-stealing presence at Cabinet meetings, Elon Musk’s relationship with the president has deteriorated into a bitter public feud since leaving the White House last week.
Musk departed from his highly visible White House role leading the Department of Government Efficiency after reaching his 130-day limit as a special government employee. The war of words began shortly after Musk left the White House and voiced his opposition to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed the House last month by a single vote and is now in the Senate.
Here’s a rundown of the relationship between Trump and Musk — and how it devolved.
President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk watch the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket in Brownsville, Texas, Nov. 19, 2024.
Brandon Bell via Reuters, FILE
July 13, 2024
In the wake of the attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, Musk posts a video of a bloodied Trump pumping his fist in the air on X and writes, “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.”
Aug. 12, 2024
Musk hosts an interview with Trump on X. The event is plagued with technical difficulties, but sees a reported audience of 1.3 million.
Musk praises Trump for how he handled the assassination attempt and blasted Trump’s opponent, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, but he pushes back on some of Trump’s claims about climate change.
Oct. 5, 2024
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk jumps on stage as he joins former President and Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on Oct. 5, 2024.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
Musk appears with Trump at a second rally in Butler, the site of the earlier assassination attempt.
Musk urges people to register to vote and made ominous warnings about the consequences of the upcoming election.
“If they don’t, this will be the last election. That’s my prediction,” Musk says, echoing sentiments similar to Trump’s.
Later, Federal Election Commission filings show Musk spent over $270 million of his own money through two super PACs that promoted Trump’s candidacy and other Republicans in the 2024 election.
Nov. 5, 2024
Musk spends election night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida — and stays there for the next several days, weighing in on key staffing decisions.
Musk is also present for at least two phone calls Trump had as president-elect, including a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Nov. 12, 2024
A week after the election, Trump announces that Musk — and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — would lead a newly created “Department of Government Efficiency.”
“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement.
Ramaswamy would later step down from the role to run for governor of Ohio.
Later that month, Trump joined Musk in Texas for a launch of SpaceX’s Starship rocket.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk cheers as President Donald Trump speaks after being sworn in as the 47th President in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025.
Saul Loeb, Pool via AFP via Getty Images
Jan. 20, 2025
Musk — along with other tech CEOs — take ringside seats at Trump’s inauguration.
President Donald Trump speaks to Elon Musk’s son in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 11, 2025.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
Feb. 11, 2025
In an appearance in the Oval Office, Musk defends his aggressive cost-cutting efforts across the federal government, which by that point has prompted a slew of federal lawsuits.
Musk’s son “X,” who clambers around the Resolute Desk as his father and the president address reporters, takes the spotlight.
Feb. 26, 2025
Musk takes center stage at Trump’s first Cabinet meeting of his second term. At the time, DOGE’s actions were the subject of controversy — from efforts to fire federal employees to an email demanding federal workers list their weekly accomplishments.
When Musk is asked by a reporter if any Cabinet members are unhappy about the email ultimatum, Trump interrupts.
Elon Musk and Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, April 30, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP, FILE
“Is anybody unhappy with Elon?” Trump said to the group, many of whom started laughing. “If you are, we’ll throw him out of here. Is anybody unhappy? They have a lot of respect for Elon,” he said as Cabinet members started applauding.
At the meeting, Musk, in a black “Make America Great Again” hat — despite not being an official member of the Cabinet — is the first to speak.
March 6, 2025
At another meeting a few weeks later, Trump tells members of the Cabinet they are in charge of the agencies and departments they oversee — not Musk.
Musk later posts on X that the meeting was “very productive.”
The meeting came as some Cabinet secretaries had privately expressed frustration over Musk’s efforts to reduce the size and scope of their agencies.
Trump later tells reporters he warned the Cabinet members that if they don’t make necessary cuts to reduce “bloat” in the federal government, Musk and DOGE would take over.
March 11, 2025
President Donald Trump and White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk deliver remarks next to a Tesla Model S on the South Lawn of the White House, on March 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images, FILE
Amid a sliding bottom line at Musk’s Tesla car company and a string of vandalism and other attacks on the cars, Trump hosts a showcase of the Teslas on the White House lawn.
“I just want people to know that you can’t be penalized for being a patriot,” Trump tells reporters during a photo-op with Musk and his vehicles. “People should be going wild, and they love the product.”
The president, who climbs into the front seat of a Tesla for photos, tells reporters he’s bought one of the vehicles himself.
May 27, 2025
In an interview with CBS News, Musk first airs his grievances with Trump’s signature bill: “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk says.
May 29, 2025
Musk announces on X he’s departing the White House. As a “special government employee,” he is limited to a 130-day appointment.
At that point, White House officials insist Musk is leaving on good terms and would continue to serve as an unofficial adviser to the president.
Musk posts on X his thanks to Trump, saying his DOGE team will continue to work throughout the government.
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk posts. He said the DOGE mission “will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
May 31, 2025
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump laugh as they listen to a question from reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, on May 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
During brief remarks from the Oval Office at a farewell appearance, Musk tells reporters he believes the Department of Government Efficiency will “only grow stronger over time.”
By that point, Musk’s team claimed DOGE has so far cut $175 billion through asset sales, canceled contracts and leases and workforce reductions — a figure that falls considerably short of the $1 trillion goal.
Musk, sporting a bruise he said he received after he asked his 5-year-old son to punch him in the face, said he looks forward to being back in the Oval Office.
“I look forward to continuing to be a friend and adviser to the president,” he said.
June 3, 2025
Musk issues a flurry of posts on X attacking the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as it awaits a vote in the Senate. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk writes. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
Musk claims the bill would “massively increase” the federal budget deficit.
June 4, 2025
Musk continues his attacks on Trump’s bill with a series of posts on social media, instructing followers to call members of Congress to “KILL THE BILL.”
June 5, 2025
The war of words between Elon Musk and Trump erupts into a full-on feud, with Musk slamming Trump for “ingratitude” over the 2024 election, agreeing with a call for his impeachment, knocking the president’s signature legislation and even claiming that Trump is in the Epstein files, referring to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein
Trump, speaking on television from the Oval Office, responds to Musk’s barrage of criticism, saying he is “disappointed” in Musk.
Later in a social media post, Trump states: “Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!”
Trump goes on to say the “easiest way to save money” would be to “terminate Elon’s governmental subsidies and contracts.”
