THE only question is why it has taken so long. But there was no doubt that the break-up between US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk and their two big egos was inevitable. Washington was just holding its breath for that to happen.
And when it did happen last week, it turned out to be an entertaining, if astonishing, political spectacle.
It started when Musk ratcheted up his attacks on Trump’s signature tax-and-spending Bill, aka the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, calling it a “disgusting abomination”.
The president replied that he was disappointed because Musk had known what was in the Bill all along. The tech billionaire demanded from his followers on social media platform X to “Kill the Bill”.
In response, Trump attributed Musk’s frustration with the Bill to provisions in the legislation that repealed tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs). Musk owns Tesla, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of EVs. The president also said that Musk was angry about his decision to withdraw the nomination of a key ally of his to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Then things got more heated. Musk argued that Trump would have lost the 2024 presidential election if it wasn’t for the hundreds of millions he had thrown into the campaign, adding: “Such ingratitude”. Trump’s retort: “I would have won Pennsylvania easily anyway.”
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The president then suggested that the easiest way to save money in the Budget “is to terminate Elon’s governmental subsidies and contracts”. In response, Musk announced that his SpaceX would begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft “immediately”.
Then came what amounted to a political nuclear bomb. Musk posted that Trump “is in the Epstein files”, referring to disgraced New York financier Jeffrey Epstein, adding “that is the real reason they have not been made public”. And, ouch, “Have a nice day, DJT!”
This trading of barbs and insults signalled the rupturing of the relationship between the world’s most powerful man and its richest, a marriage of convenience that seemed to have had a major impact on American politics.
The bromance helped to energise the Maga (Make America Great Again) base, as well as bring in financial rewards thanks to Musk’s support, while at the same time also boosting the billionaire’s business interests.
The dispute could therefore have major consequences for the two. Musk seemed to suggest that he would contribute to toppling the campaigns of lawmakers who supported the tax-and-spending Bill, and pondered the idea of starting a new political party. At the same time, eliminating federal government subsidies and contracts to Musk’s businesses could hurt the billionaire whose Tesla shares continued to decline last week. Overall, the split threatens what was seen as a growing alliance between Silicon Valley’s titans and President Trump’s Washington.
All of this has led some politicos in Washington to speculate that Trump and Musk would try to mend their relationship and limit the business and political damage from last week’s explosive bust-up.
Hedge fund titan Bill Ackman called for the two men to bury the hatchet after their feud exploded in spectacular fashion. “I support @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk and they should make peace for the benefit of our great country,” he wrote on X on Thursday (Jun 5).
By the end of the week, tensions between Trump and Musk seemed to have simmered down. Ackman, and the rest of the world, would be waiting and watching to see what happens next.
