President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk are in the midst of a spectacular and tawdry breakup that has the world riveted.
Right here’s a historical past of their rise and fall as finest buds.
Don and Elon: The Union Begins
The Trump-Musk coupling started in earnest in July 2024, about 4 months earlier than that yr’s presidential election. On July 13, minutes after an tried assassination on Trump, Musk stopped dancing round his yearslong march to the MAGA proper and formally endorsed Trump’s marketing campaign.
The shotgun marriage ceremony occurred at lightning velocity, as Musk started throwing out tens of millions of {dollars} to again Trump and despatched tens of millions extra to his political motion committee and different extra underhanded autos to assist Trump within the election.
Musk couldn’t comprise his pleasure at becoming a member of the MAGA motion and even bounced throughout the stage at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, launching hundreds of mocking memes.
The DOGE Honeymoon
After Trump gained the election, each males have been over the moon and needed everybody to find out about it. Trump shortly introduced that Musk would get to go his Division of Authorities Effectivity and would successfully be allowed to do no matter he needed, with none actual oversight or ethics constraints.
In January, Musk attracted an early spherical of criticism when he provided up a Nazi salute at ceremonies commemorating Trump’s first day in workplace. That foreshadowed the months of chaos he and Trump would quickly discover themselves enmeshed in.
Nonetheless, Trump started fulfilling his a part of the deal and pulled again authorities sources investigating Musk’s constellation of companies.
Elon Musk throws up a Nazi salute at an indoor presidential Inauguration occasion in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20.
Musk vs. Trump: First Pictures Fired
Cracks started to emerge within the bromance across the time of Trump’s inauguration. Each males have lengthy observe information of eager to be seen because the so-called alpha male, the man in command of issues. However as Trump started to permit Musk and DOGE to do as they wished with an array of federal businesses, the president’s workforce bristled at reporting and rumors that hinted that Musk was actually in cost or was one thing of a co-president.
From the surface, People have been now making it clear they didn’t just like the course through which Trump and Musk have been trying to take the nation. In February, one prankster broke into the video system on the Division of Housing and City Growth and broadcast an AI-generated video of Trump sucking on Musk’s toes, with superimposed textual content studying, “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING.”
Early polling began to point out that Musk was a legal responsibility for Trump. As Trump’s second strive on the presidency kicked off, his “first buddy” already had underwater approval rankings. Trump would quickly be part of him there.
Musk and Trump Maintain Palms In opposition to the World
The 2 males continued to place up a courageous, joint entrance regardless of the slings and arrows directed their manner. As Musk danced onstage with a chainsaw at a conservative convention in February to exhibit his assist of Trump and hatred for presidency providers, Trump was rewarding Musk’s corporations for his or her boss’ loyalty.
Starlink, Musk’s satellite tv for pc web firm, was out of the blue within the operating for billions in authorities contracts, additional entwining Musk’s appreciable fortune with taxpayer {dollars}—at the same time as he claimed he was slicing wasteful spending.
President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk converse to reporters close to a Tesla car on the South Garden of the White Home on March 11.
There was a little bit of a clumsy second at Trump’s joint handle to Congress in March. The president slammed “unelected bureaucrats” in Washington … as Musk regarded on admiringly from the viewers as Trump’s invited visitor to the occasion.
Whereas pushing DOGE to destabilize the federal government, Musk continued to make pro-Trump gestures. His America PAC spent $1 million on advertisements praising Trump for doing a terrific job. It’s like a bouquet of roses, simply rather more costly.
Towards the tip of February, Musk bought to sit down in on Trump’s Cupboard assembly. After protests in opposition to DOGE started to crush Tesla’s inventory worth, Trump staged a gross sales pitch for Tesla in entrance of the White Home.
Musk and Trump Hit a Tough Patch
Then issues went bitter, they usually went bitter shortly.
In early March, Musk reportedly had a struggle with Secretary of State Marco Rubio throughout a White Home assembly, and complained that Rubio hadn’t fired sufficient folks. Rubio additionally apparently didn’t like that, by way of DOGE, Musk had fired officers on the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth, which handles a lot of the authorities’s overseas support and is below the State Division’s jurisdiction.
Musk’s actions at USAID additionally generated dangerous headlines for Trump after it was decided that key support, meals, and drugs was being denied to determined folks internationally.
Musk, using excessive after his tens of millions helped Trump win an election, appeared to consider he had a magic contact, so he spent over $20 million to elect the conservative candidate for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court docket seat. Nevertheless, Democrats efficiently identified the position of the unpopular billionaire interfering in state enterprise, and in April, liberal candidate Susan Crawford simply gained.
President Donald Trump speaks throughout a information convention with Elon Musk within the Oval Workplace of the White Home on Might 30.
After that public face-plant, stories emerged that Trump was looking for an exit for Musk. The broadly reported loss in Wisconsin clearly ran counter to the picture Trump has tried to construct up for himself as a winner.
Awkward.
Knives Out
In April, Musk stated White Home commerce advisor Peter Navarro was a “moron” after Navarro slammed Musk for criticizing Trump’s failing tariff coverage. That very same month, Trump reportedly banned Musk from attending a gathering on the Pentagon on China coverage. In keeping with an official quoted by Axios, Trump stated, “What the fuck is Elon doing there? Make sure he doesn’t go.”
Musk benefitted immensely from Trump’s first 100 days in workplace, getting authorities oversight off his again and inserting his affect into the federal authorities. However the writing was on the wall.
Final Friday, Trump ceremonially handed Musk a golden key, and the 2 males declared that Musk’s time in authorities was over (at the same time as DOGE continues to wreak havoc).
This was across the time Musk first introduced his opposition to Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” complaining that it doesn’t harm the middle-class and poor folks sufficient. And he solely ramped it up after that.
Warfare
“Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” Trump stated on Thursday because the breakup went world.
On the identical day, Musk stated Trump lied about displaying him the laws earlier than it went to Congress. Then he accused Trump’s administration of masking up authorities information round convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein as a result of Trump appeared in them. Musk additionally argued that Trump would have misplaced the election with out his monetary assist.
Caught within the crossfire have been figures like Vice President JD Vance and Home Speaker Mike Johnson, who’ve tied themselves to Trump’s political fortunes however need the tens of millions that Musk can present in addition to the pro-Republican messages which might be amplified on X, previously Twitter.
“The rift between these two men, I’ll be the first to say, it’s sad, it’s unfortunate,” Hannity stated.
In the meantime, the hosts of Fox & Associates appeared to largely take Trump’s aspect within the divorce. Co-host Brian Kilmeade in contrast Musk’s feedback to getting drunk and lashing out at a romantic accomplice.
Democrats Level and Giggle
Democrats couldn’t comprise their enjoyment on the very public feud.
“So I heard Republicans are confused and waiting for Jerry Springer to tell them who their daddy is before any legislation can move! Is Elon their daddy or Trump?” Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas requested.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois, famous, “And some say women are too emotional for positions of leadership,” adopted by an eye-rolling emoji.
Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico stated, “Breakups are hard, especially when they play out in the public sphere.”
Requested by reporters to react to the meltdown, New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez replied, “The girls are fighting, aren’t they?”
They certain are.
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