A no-holds-barred and very public blow-up between the world’s richest man and the President of the United States has had social media stunned in recent days. Elon Musk appears to have cooled the spat somewhat – deleting some of his more incendiary social media posts but dear Donald appears to be in no mood to make up.
Tensions erupted over Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB).
The OBBB proposes extensive tax cuts which could add roughly US$3 trillion
(A$4.62 trillion) to the US national debt. Musk criticised the OBBB as
“disgusting abomination” that would “burden American citizens with
unsustainable debt”. Trump returned fire, suggesting “Elon was ‘wearing thin’.
In a dramatic escalation, Musk responded by
calling for Trump’s impeachment. Musk also tweeted allegations that Trump was
implicated in the Epstein files related to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org
Why has the much-hyped “bromance” between Musk and Trump suddenly ended? And what was the basis of their alliance in the first place?
Like many billionaires, Musk had previously been hesitant to get involved in frontline politics. Across 2020-2024, Musk engaged with accounts sharing MAGA and far-right conspiracy theories. These include the antisemitic Great Replacement Theory, and the related South African white genocide conspiracy. Musk’s posts also show the obsession with opposing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies characteristic of the MAGA movement. After endorsing Trump, Musk spent US$288 million (A$444 million) supporting Trump’s election and appeared at campaign events around the country.
There were also clear practical benefits for both men. Trump gained the financial backing of the world’s wealthiest man. Musk gained not only unparalleled access to the US president, but also a role leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
In the early months of the Trump administration,
Musk cut government programs and employees at a remarkable rate. The USAID program was
particularly hard hit, as were the Department of Education and the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau.
As the spending cuts picked up pace, Musk began to attract more controversy. Critics questioned the apparent power wielded by the unelected billionaire. Musk’s ties to the far right were also in the spotlight after he appeared to perform two “Roman salutes”, which many observers believed to be a Nazi salute.
Musk’s apparent rampage through government did not last long. As Trump’s executive appointees assumed control of their departments, Musk and DOGE experienced increasing resistance. After a series of fractious cabinet meetings, Trump reportedly reduced the power of DOGE in March.
Political attention was also clearly affecting Musk’s businesses. The negative publicity has significantly damaged the Tesla brand, leading to declining sales around the world and repeated falls in Telsa’s share price.
On May 1, Musk announced he would be leaving DOGE, claiming the department had saved the government US$180 billion (A$277 billion) in spending. This number is likely an exaggeration. Musk departed his role in a muted White House ceremony, where Trump thanked him for his service and presented him with a ceremonial “golden key” to the White House.
Trump and Musk had originally claimed that
the US$2 trillion (A$3.02 trillion) in DOGE savings could be used to fund a
substantial tax cut. With the efficiency savings not eventuating, Musk worried
the OBBB would significantly increase US public debt. Unable to convince Trump
or other Republican legislators, Musk took to X, launching a “Kill the Bill”
campaign that ultimately led to his incendiary showdown with Trump. For his
part, Trump has belittled Musk, suggesting Musk only opposed the OBBB because
it cut subsidies for electric vehicles.
Trump has used and discarded many other powerful figures in his chaotic political career. Musk has more power than most and might be able to strike back at Trump. Yet, with his public reputation and brands already tarnished, Musk would be ill-advised to pick further fights with Trump and his adoring MAGA movement.
More concerning are the prospects for
democracy. With wealth and power continuing to concentrate in a handful of
billionaires, voters appear reduced to the role of viewers forced to watch the
reality TV drama unfold. If only this would be a TV series, we could have a
couple of seasons up to 2028!
Reference:
The blow-up between Elon Musk and Donald
Trump has been entertaining, but how did things go so bad, so fast? Henry Maher, The Conversation, 8 June 2025
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