NEED TO KNOW
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Elon Musk publicly endorsed President Donald Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign
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After winning the election, Trump appointed Musk as part of his administration
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The Tesla CEO left the White House in late May 2025 after a disagreement over the president’s recent spending plan, which sparked an online feud between them
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s friendship has gone south.
During the 2024 presidential election season, Trump and Musk grew closer after the SpaceX founder publicly endorsed him and showed his support on the campaign trail. After Trump won the election, he brought Musk into the Oval Office to serve as co-lead of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
On May 30, Musk left his role in the administration after a disagreement over the president’s spending plan, otherwise known as the “Big, Beautiful Bill.” In the days to follow, Trump and Musk began feuding online on June 5, exchanging a series of insults on social media.
In one of his jabs made on X, Musk claimed that “Trump would have lost the election” without him.
That day, Trump was asked about Musk’s online comments during an Oval Office press conference, to which he admitted that their friendship had soured.
“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” he said, adding that he is “very disappointed” in Musk.
From supporting each other to exchanging a war of words online, here’s a timeline of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s friendship-turned-feud.
July 13, 2024: Elon Musk endorses Donald Trump in presidential campaign following assassination attempt
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President Donald Trump and Elon Musk during a rally on Jan. 19, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
On July 13, 2024, Trump was injured after a bullet grazed his ear during an assassination attempt at one of his campaign rallies in Pennsylvania.
That evening, Musk shared a video of Trump in the moments after the incident on X, writing, “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.”
August 2024: Donald Trump and Elon Musk engage in a friendly live stream on X
Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Donald Trump and Elon Musk pose for a photo during the UFC 309 event on Nov. 16, 2024, in New York City.
In mid-August 2024, Trump and Musk engaged in a friendly conversation over a livestream on X, in which they discussed immigration, the economy, and then-President Joe Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris, per The New York Times.
During the two-hour conversation, Trump congratulated Musk, seemingly on his 2022 acquisition of the platform formerly known as Twitter, per the outlet.
Days later, Musk wrote on X that he was “willing to serve,” posting a photo of himself as a representative of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Oct. 5, 2024: Elon Musk attends Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania at site of assassination attempt
AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks during a campaign rally on Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa.
On Oct. 5, 2024, Trump returned to the site of the July assassination attempt, with his ally Musk there in full support.
According to the Associated Press, the billionaire wore a black cap with the “Make America Great Again” slogan of Trump’s campaign, and called himself “Dark MAGA” in his remarks.
Nov. 6, 2024: Donald Trump wins election and calls Elon Musk a “star”
Brendan Gutenschwager/Anadolu via Getty
Donald Trump makes a speech during an election night event on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
On Nov. 6, 2024, after being called the projected winner of the election, Trump gave a speech from his watch party and gave Musk a special shout-out.
“Let me tell you, we have a new star. A star is born, Elon,” Trump said, adding that Musk is an “amazing guy.”
Later in the speech, Trump added, “He’s a character, he’s a special guy, he’s a Super Genius.”
Nov. 12, 2024: Donald Trump announces Elon Musk will co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
Kevin Dietsch/Getty
Elon Musk shakes hands with Donald Trump as they speak to reporters in the White House on May 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
A few days after winning the presidential election, Trump announced that the “Great Elon Musk” had been appointed to co-lead DOGE alongside former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
“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 – Essential to the “Save America” Movement,” Trump said in a statement at the time.
He added, “I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans. … I am confident they will succeed!”
Ramaswamy left the role in January 2025 to pursue a gubernatorial campaign in Ohio, leaving Musk as the sole leader of DOGE.
Nov. 19, 2024: Donald Trump attends SpaceX ‘Starship’ launch with Musk
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Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on Nov. 19, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas.
On Nov. 19, 2024, Trump attended a SpaceX “Starship” rocket launch in Texas alongside the SpaceX CEO.
“I’m heading to the Great State of Texas to watch the launch of the largest object ever to be elevated, not only to Space, but simply by lifting off the ground,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time. “Good luck to Elon Musk and the Great Patriots involved in this incredible project!”
Jan. 20, 2025: Elon Musk attends Donald Trump’s inauguration and displays a controversial gesture
Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty
Donald Trump speaks after being sworn in during his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
On Jan. 20, 2025, Musk attended Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., — and delivered a controversial speech at one of the events.
“It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured,” Musk said before delivering a one-armed salute that many believed resembled a Nazi-style gesture.
Musk responded to the backlash the following month during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience.
“I did not see it coming,” he said, putting “not” and “see” together to sound like “Nazi.”
March 11, 2025: Donald Trump turns White House into a temporary Tesla showroom
Andrew Harnik/Getty
Donald Trump and Elon Musk deliver remarks next to a Tesla Model S on March 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
In early March, Trump turned part of the White House’s lawn into a temporary Tesla showroom to support Musk’s company amid its struggles, per NBC News.
Five Tesla vehicles were lined up on the driveway for Trump to inspect and show off, prompting him to call them “beautiful” and claim he’d buy one himself.
“As soon as I saw it, I said, ‘That is the coolest design,’ ” Trump said of the Cybertruck model, per NBC News.
After the showcase, Trump ultimately purchased a red Model S, valued at around $80,000.
May 2025: Elon Musk publicly criticizes Donald Trump’s signature tax and spending bill — then left the White House
Kevin Dietsch/Getty
Elon Musk speaks alongside Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office on May 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
In an interview with CBS News in late May 2025, Musk said he was “disappointed” by Trump’s signature tax and spending 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,” he explained.
One day later, Musk announced that he was leaving the White House.
“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,” he wrote on X.
They met in the Oval Office for a final joint press conference on May 30, in which the billionaire wore a black “DOGE” cap and a shirt that read “The Dogefather.”
June 3, 2025: Elon Musk calls Trump’s spending bill a “disgusting abomination”
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty
Elon Musk looks during a Cabinet Meeting on March 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Shortly after parting ways with the White House, Musk continued to speak out about Trump’s spending bill on X, writing that he couldn’t “stand it anymore.”
“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” he wrote. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
The budget legislation passed the House of Representatives on May 22. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, it funds tax cuts and increased military spending in part by slashing federal health and energy programs, while potentially adding an estimated $3.8 trillion to the national deficit.
June 5, 2025: Donald Trump and Elon Musk exchange a series of insults on social media
Marc Piasecki/Getty; Win McNamee/Getty
Elon Musk ; Donald Trump.
One day after Musk called Trump’s bill an “abomination,” their feud escalated online as they continued to insult each other over social media in a series of posts.
It began with Musk further criticizing the bill, leading him to resurface Trump’s old posts from the 2010s, including one in which Trump said he was “embarrassed” to be a Republican in 2013 and several that expressed contrary viewpoints to the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
They then went back and forth for hours throughout the day, prompting Trump to threaten to cut billions in federal subsidies and tax cuts for Musk’s companies in a post on Truth Social.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” he wrote, per The New York Times. “I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
Musk continued to make explosive comments, writing on X, “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”
He followed up in another post, “The truth will come out.”
Trump had been previously linked to disgraced financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after his name was mentioned seven times in flight logs released earlier in 2025.
Musk later deleted the post referencing Trump and Epstein. In a separate message on X, Epstein’s former lawyer, David Schoen, wrote that his client “had no information to hurt President Trump.”
Later that day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Musk’s claims an “unfortunate episode” in a statement to CNN.
“This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted,” Leavitt said. “The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again.”
June 6, 2025: Donald Trump says Elon Musk has “a problem” and is allegedly selling his Tesla
Andrew Harnik/Getty
Donald Trump and Elon Musk sit in a Tesla Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
On June 6, Trump told CNN that he is “not even thinking about Musk,” adding that he “won’t be speaking to him for a while.”
“He’s got a problem,” Trump said. “The poor guy’s got a problem.”
A White House official then told The New York Times that Trump had decided to sell the red Tesla he acquired back in March, while ABC News reported that a White House official indicated Trump would either sell or give away the vehicle.
Read the original article on People
