Trump–Musk: Autopsy of a Highly Mediated Political and Personal Breakup

From Romance to Implosion
The alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, once hailed as a groundbreaking pact between political power and technological might, has spectacularly collapsed in full public view. On Thursday, June 5, after months of ambiguity, simmering tensions, and fiery messages, the relationship between the U.S. president and the world’s richest man came to an abrupt end, against a backdrop of budgetary clashes, strategic disillusionment, and oversized egos.

A Brief but Spectacular Honeymoon
It all began in the spotlight. After surviving an assassination attempt in the summer of 2024, Donald Trump received Elon Musk’s public support, along with more than $270 million injected into his presidential campaign. The Tesla CEO quickly became a key player in the Republican comeback, even appearing at rallies alongside the candidate, cheered as his “number one buddy” and soon nicknamed “Uncle Elon” by the Trump family itself.

The euphoria peaked with Trump’s victory in November 2024. Musk then celebrated “the return of the king,” and joined the administration in January 2025, taking the helm of a commission tasked with “streamlining” federal spending: the DOGE, or Department of Government Efficiency.

A Mission Undone by Reality
Reality quickly curbed Musk’s ambitions. Initially promising $2 trillion in cuts, the DOGE ultimately delivered only $160 billion in actual savings, according to its own numbers—figures widely disputed by experts. Numerous agencies, such as USAID, were hastily dismantled, sparking criticism, lawsuits, and logistical failures around the globe.

Amid internal tensions and disappointing outcomes, Musk announced in April his partial withdrawal from political life, describing the experience as “not very fun.” At the end of May, he officially stepped down from DOGE, before launching a series of public attacks on the presidential budget, which he called an “abomination” on his platform X.

The Hour of Reckoning
The breakup turned brutal. Donald Trump said he was “very disappointed” and accused Musk of “ingratitude.” The president even threatened Tesla and SpaceX with sanctions, suggesting the cancellation of federal contracts and subsidies. Musk fired back by (briefly) announcing the shutdown of the Dragon space mission, used by NASA. Then, in a move as dramatic as it was explosive, he insinuated on X that Trump’s name might appear in the Jeffrey Epstein files—an accusation both serious and unfounded.

This public showdown rattled Wall Street: Tesla stock plummeted over 14%, while political circles watched, stunned, as a duo that once embodied such high expectations fell apart.

A Clash That Confuses Even Their Supporters
While some view the rupture as a mere clash of egos, others see it as a deeper signal: Elon Musk now seems intent on pulling out of the political swamp. Yet his influence remains intact. On X, he attacks lawmakers who supported Trump’s budget bill, calls for their ousting in the upcoming 2026 elections, and even floats the idea of dissolving Congress if inflation spikes.

All of which sows confusion among his followers—torn between loyalty to the MAGA movement and adherence to the billionaire’s provocations. One supporter summed up the unease in a single message posted beneath a Musk tweet:
“I don’t even know if we’re supposed to support Trump or overthrow him anymore.”