7 Republicans stuck in the middle of the Trump-Musk divorce
The tension between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk finally burst into the open Thursday, likely closing the chapter on one of the most significant alliances in recent political history.
In the wake of the schism, some Republicans are stuck in the middle debating their next moves. Do they side with Trump, the leader of the party whose influence and authority looms over so many aspects of life? Or do they back Musk, whose massive fortune could provide a boost to anyone running for reelection — or running to succeed Trump in 2028 — even as he threatens to withhold donations to lawmakers who back the Republican megabill? Could they attempt to appease both?
Musk, 53, is already drawing a future-forward line between himself and Trump, 78, and urging Republicans to come to his side.
'Some food for thought as they ponder this question,' Musk wrote on X in response to far-right activist Laura Loomer wondering how Republicans would react. 'Trump has 3.5 years left as President, but I will be around for 40+ years.'
Here are the Republicans who we're watching closely to determine how to navigate the fallout:
The vice president and possible heir to Trump's political movement could be the biggest loser of the blowout.
With Musk's future potential campaign contributions now in jeopardy, Vance, an expected 2028 presidential candidate, would have an incentive to mediate the relationship. Vance wouldn't want to jeopardize a donor relationship with Musk, but he also needs Trump's support if he wants to inherit his base. He will be constrained in how much he can realistically break from Trump if the feud continues.
Musk appeared to endorse Vance in 'in an X post calling from Trump to be impeached and the vice president to take his place, suggesting their relationship remains intact for now. And the two appear to share some political stances, including supporting Germany's far-right party Alternative for Deutschland (AfD).
In April, after it was first reported that Musk intended to leave the White House, Vance said he expected Trump and Musk to remain close, a seemingly lousy prediction in hindsight.
'DOGE has got a lot of work to do, and yeah, that work is going to continue after Elon leaves,' Vance said in April. 'But fundamentally, Elon is going to remain a friend and an adviser of both me and the president.'
The Florida governor has had a tortured relationship with Trump, his former political benefactor-turned-2024 rival who bulldozed him during the presidential campaign.
But since Trump took office, DeSantis has publicly supported the president and signed into law a Florida immigration law that furthered Trump's immigration agenda.
He's also a big fan of Musk.
Musk was an early booster of the Florida governor's failed presidential campaign, offering to host a glitchy, error-ridden launch event via X Spaces, the audio livestream feature on the Musk-owned social media site. Musk also contributed $10 million to DeSantis' campaign before he dropped out and endorsed Trump.
In Musk's final week as part of the Trump administration, DeSantis praised his work leading the Department of Government Efficiency and echoed Musk's criticisms of the reconciliation package for not doing enough to reduce the deficit, calling the bill 'a betrayal of the voters.'
He went further on Wednesday, singling out Musk in a fundraising solicitation.
'Elon Musk stood tall and took the hits to lead the fight on DOGE, cutting wasteful spending and exposing bloated government programs,' said a fundraising email Wednesday from one of DeSantis' political committees. 'The media attacked him. The Left panicked. But now? Even Republicans in Congress are backing down.'
It's unclear what DeSantis' political future holds — he's term-limited as governor from 2026 — but Musk's backing could play a role in whatever he does next.
A spokesperson for the governor's political operation said the fundraising language was approved May 29 — the day before Trump prepared to extol Musk during a friendly send-off at the White House.
The Trump-Musk rift sets up some potential awkwardness between Stephen Miller, Trump's powerful deputy chief of staff, and his wife Katie Miller, who joined DOGE as an aide to Musk and left last week to work for the billionaire entrepreneur.
The New York Times reported in January that Stephen Miller had been advising Musk on his political donations. But it's unclear if that relationship is still strong. And after Musk started attacking the Republican megabill, Stephen Miller became a staunch defender of the legislation.
On Thursday, after Trump and Musk traded barbs, Musk appeared to unfollow Miller on X. If there was ever a path to peace between Trump and Musk, the Millers could play a role — or it could cause a rift in their marriage.
Once tapped to co-lead DOGE with Musk, Ramaswamy split off from the administration before Inauguration Day and ultimately mounted a run for governor of Ohio.
But the former presidential candidate, who raised his profile by passionately defending Trump in the 2024 Republican primaries, has always aligned himself with the cost-cutting, Libertarian brand of conservatism that Musk embraces. However, if Ramaswamy seeks to grow closer to Musk in the vacuum left by Trump when he leaves office, he'll have to overcome the fact that Musk thinks he's annoying.
Sacks, a South African entrepreneur, came into Trump's orbit by way of Musk, and now heads artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency policy for the White House. But if the White House withdrawing Jared Isaacman's nomination to head NASA is any indication, Sacks may not be long for Washington.
On the other hand, Trump's embrace of the crypto industry — and Sacks' role as crypto czar — could prove to be tempting enough for Sacks to side with the president against his longtime friend.
As Trump and Musk clash over the reconciliation bill, Senate Republicans are left to pick up the pieces as they continue to argue over changes to satisfy at least 50 members and pass the bill. Tillis in particular is facing a tough reelection battle and could surely use strong support from Trump and Musk.
On Wednesday — day two of Musk tweeting attacks against the bill — Tillis told CNN Musk is a 'brilliant guy,' while noting he's 'got resources.'
With Republicans looking to approve the bill this summer, Tillis could be forced to take a side earlier than he might like. How he navigates the rift may offer a roadmap for other battleground Republicans ahead of 2026.
Vance, DeSantis, Stephen Miller, Katie Miller, Ramaswamy, Sack and Tillis did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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