Trump vs Musk: Perils of confronting POTUS
During Tesla CEO Elon Musk's tenure heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for President of the United States (POTUS) Donald Trump, their relationship was characterised by some as a bromance. Indeed, when Musk left DOGE on May 30, President Trump gave him a gold key to the White House.
The Trump-Musk relationship, which at that time appeared to be rapturous, unravelled shortly thereafter. That occurred when Musk publicly opposed Trump's major legislative initiative — the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act — calling it a 'disgusting abomination' in a post on X on June 3. After that, there was an exchange of insults between Musk and Trump on their respective social media platforms X and Truth Social. For about one week, it appeared this war of words might go on for some time. Then, on June 10, Musk walked back his comments, expressing regret over some of his recent posts about President Trump stating that 'they went too far'. His post on X, which appeared at 3:04 a.m. in Washington on June 10, was not completely surprising. Trump's self-styled First Buddy had gone conspicuously quiet in the past few days, as he rebuffed overtures from Musk's camp seeking a rapprochement.
This public capitulation of the world's richest man before the world's most powerful individual came just a week after their alliance collapsed in such a chaotic and very public fashion. It underscores who holds the upper hand in this clash between two of the most influential people in the world today.
Musk's retreat proves he is no fool. He understands that Trump can be vengeful and especially dangerous given his executive power. The President's threat last week to pull federal contracts from Tesla and SpaceX made clear what was at stake.
It definitely appears that Musk's apology was about self-preservation. It underscores an undeniable truth of Washington: When it comes down to it, political power prevails. And Trump, for now, holds the cards. His return to the White House has re-established him as the most feared and courted figure in American politics. Musk may command legions of fans online and billions in market value, but he is not the commander-in-chief.
There's also an instructive — and cautionary — lesson here for Democrats eager to welcome Musk into their fold. One of those is Indian American Representative Ro Khanna, who reportedly spoke with people close to Musk about the billionaire possibly helping the Democratic Party in next year's midterms. 'Having Elon speak out against the irrational tariff policy, against the deficit exploding Trump Bill, and the anti-science and anti-immigrant agenda can help check Trump's unconstitutional administration,' the lawmaker whose congressional district includes much of Silicon Valley told Semafor on June 6. 'I look forward to Elon turning his fire against MAGA Republicans instead of Democrats in 2026.'
The Democrats need to remember that this is the same Musk who reportedly bankrolled nearly $300 million to help secure Trump's election in 2024. He also spent millions of dollars on an April Supreme Court election in the state of Wisconsin supporting a conservative Republican candidate who lost. Expecting that same Musk to carry their water in November 2026, and hoping to use his shoulder to fire at Trump, is most likely wishful thinking and, given Musk's diminishing reputation, probably undesirable.
Musk's personal approval rating is in freefall. In the most recent Economist/YouGov poll, Musk's favourability is 23 points underwater — and a striking 74% of Republicans say they would back Trump over him. In addition, Musk's political activities have cast a long shadow over his company Tesla. The company went from being ranked eighth in 2021 to 95th now, in the Axios Harris corporate reputation poll of America's most visible companies.
Another major reason Democrats should keep their distance from Musk is that he remains beholden to Trump's positions on many things. For example, before his public mea culpa, he enthusiastically supported Trump's crackdown on immigration protests in Los Angeles. Even with Musk's apology, it remains unclear whether Trump will ever welcome him back into his inner circle. Perhaps he will — if the Tesla CEO pours hundreds of millions more into Trump's political machine. Or, if he makes a deal with the Trump family regarding business ventures.
In closing, there is no question who won this tussle. It was Donald Trump, not Elon Musk.
Frank F Islam is an entrepreneur, civic leader, and thought leader based in Washington DC. The views expressed are personal.
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