Inside the Musk-Trump fallout - and the flashpoints to come
Ever since the tech billionaire entered Donald Trump’s orbit during the presidential campaign, it has been clear the relationship had the potential to be highly combustible.
When Elon Musk lambasted President Trump’s flagship tax and spending bill as “a disgusting abomination” in an X post this week, few in the Republican Party were surprised. For the president’s inner circle, it has been a matter of “when, not if” Musk would explode.
Ever since the tech billionaire entered Trump’s orbit during the presidential campaign, it has been clear the relationship had the potential to be highly combustible. For all the warm words the pair have shared, the president is used to having the final say while Musk, the richest man in the world, wants it too.
After Musk’s official employment leading the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) came to an end on Friday, one question hovered over Washington: would he be a bigger headache to the Trump administration from outside of the tent?
This latest outburst may be a sign of things to come. It was already a matter of public record that Musk takes issue with the “big, beautiful bill” – speaking frankly just last week. But the tone of this latest missive, in which Musk said he “just can’t stand it any more”, points to a wider unhappiness behind the scenes. Or as Musk himself put it menacingly in a reply to a user on his social media platform: “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.” This leaves open the possibility that Musk could turn on some Republicans in the midterms.
Tensions have run high between Musk and members of Trump’s inner circle since the billionaire’s arrival in Washington. The president’s powerful chief of staff, Susie Wiles, adopts a mantra in the White House of “no drama or divas”. As she herself has put it: “My team and I will not tolerate backbiting, second-guessing inappropriately, or drama.” Musk is seen to have at times fallen guilty of all three.
His personal relationship with Trump has remained positive – at least publicly. Now, that is beginning to change. There are whispers that Trump himself has grown frustrated with his old friend both on the Doge effort – Musk rowed back from initial targets to cut $2 trillion of spending – and by Musk’s public criticism. Meanwhile, supporters of Musk suggest he has taken recent decisions by the White House on electric vehicle tax credits and staffing decisions personally.
In the days after the Oval Office exit press conference where Musk and Trump paid each other compliments, actions suggested something else. Trump withdrew the nomination of the Musk ally Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator. One source told Axios: “Elon was butthurt.” The official line is that Isaacman had donated to the Democrats, so there was unease from the Republican Party at large – rather than this being an attempt to put Musk in his place. But one Republican told The Times: “Howard Lutnick [Trump’s commerce secretary] donated to Hillary Clinton and he’s still in the cabinet.”
While Trump aides and figures in Maga-land initially celebrated Musk’s departure, describing it as “a good day”, it is becoming clear that the billionaire is too prominent to ignore just because he is out of the administration.
Several Republicans worry about their campaign funds if Musk is out of the picture. Then there’s the optics of one of the world’s richest men raising the alarm about the US economy. Trump’s flagship bill includes more defence spending and huge tax breaks at a time when JP Morgan’s Jamie Dimon recently predicted a “crack” in the bond market – one of the few things Trump cannot control. As the Clinton-era adviser James Carville quipped, if he could be reincarnated he’d choose to be the bond market, as “you can intimidate everybody”.
In a sign of Musk’s continuing influence, his comments have led Republicans to raise further concerns with the bill – now in the Senate – to the House speaker, Mike Johnson, who in turn spent Wednesday morning in a private meeting pushing back on Musk’s criticisms. Aware that Musk is a powerful live wire with $400 billion at his disposal, some House Republicans are trying to get him back on side.
Yet even if they succeed, there are other issues coming up the track that could see Musk pit himself against the Trump administration. The first is immigration; Musk’s support for pathways to be open to talented individuals such as himself moving to the US for work or to study puts him against both the Maga base and some of the recent decisions by the Trump administration relating to Harvard University and the education sector.
Then there’s artificial intelligence, with Musk more concerned about regulation of the sector than Trump’s vice-president, JD Vance, who has said the future of AI would not be won “by hand-wringing about safety”.
And then there are supply chains – as Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs remain in place for now, Musk is in a position to raise the alarm if they cause further serious disruption.
Ultimately, there have been two aspects that have allowed Trump to keep his party in line: positive polling and ample funding. If that starts to change, things will get much harder for the president – and on both, Musk could be a thorn in the side.
The Times
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout