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From ally to adversary: A timeline shows how Elon Musk turned against Donald Trump
Elon Musk and Donald Trump's relationship has shifted from cool indifference to mutual admiration, and now, public hostility. A major donor and Trump's once close White House adviser, Musk has turned on the US president — opposing his top legislation and making explosive allegations read more
Elon Musk greets US President Donald Trump as they attend the NCAA men's wrestling championships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, March 22, 2025. File Image/Reuters
The relationship or rather partnership between United States President Donald Trump and Elon Musk was one for the ages. The most powerful man in the world working in cahoots with the richest man on the planet.
The bond between the two has been on full display for the public for a long time as it witnessed an initial indifference and mutual admiration to deep political partnership and, now most recently, a public and personal feud.
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Here's a timeline that shows how the ties between the US president and the tech magnate have evolved — and now unravelled.
Back in 2016
In the lead-up to the 2016 US presidential election, Elon Musk made his feelings about Donald Trump clear. Speaking to CNBC, Musk said, 'I feel a bit stronger that he is not the right guy. He doesn't seem to have the sort of character that reflects well on the United States.'
He remarked, 'I don't think this is the finest moment in our democracy.' Musk supported Hillary Clinton at the time, aligning himself with her economic and environmental policies.
However, despite this early scepticism, Musk agreed to serve on Trump's advisory boards after the 2016 election, including the 'manufacturing jobs council.' His tenure on these panels was brief.
By June 2017, Musk had stepped down in protest over Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. He posted on social media: 'Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.'
Nevertheless, Musk maintained beneficial ties with the federal government during Trump's first term. His company SpaceX continued to secure significant contracts with Nasa and other US agencies.
Trump himself complimented Musk during a 2020 SpaceX launch, stating, 'I speak to him all the time. Great guy. He's one of our great brains. We like great brains. And Elon has done a fantastic job.'
Musk goes Republican
In May 2022, Musk distanced himself from the Democratic Party. In a public statement, he declared that 'they have become the party of division & hate' and confirmed that he had voted for Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020, but no longer supported Democrats.
Despite his apparent shift toward the Republican camp, Musk clashed with Trump just two months later.
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During a multi-day public dispute in July 2022, Trump insulted Musk at a rally, calling him a 'b—s— artist' and questioning the value of his companies without federal support.
Musk responded on Twitter: 'Trump should hang up his hat & sail into the sunset.'
Shortly after, Musk acquired Twitter (now known as X) and reinstated Trump's account, which had been suspended following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. The reinstatement occurred four days after Trump announced his third presidential campaign.
Despite this gesture, Musk initially supported Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the 2024 Republican primaries, appearing with him in a glitch-prone Twitter livestream in May 2023 to launch DeSantis' campaign.
Musk finally endorses Trump 2.0
The dynamic changed drastically on July 13, 2024, when Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
In a high-profile post, Musk wrote, 'I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,' sharing a video of the wounded candidate raising a fist amid Secret Service protection.
From then on, Musk became a key Trump backer. He joined the campaign trail and reportedly contributed over $270 million through two super PACs, including one called America PAC.
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He spent the election night of November 5, 2024, at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate and stayed for several days, helping with staffing decisions and being present during calls with global leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On November 12, 2024, Trump announced Musk — alongside former GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — as the head of a newly formed 'Department of Government Efficiency' (Doge).
Trump's statement read, 'Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.'
Ramaswamy later exited to pursue a gubernatorial campaign in Ohio, leaving Musk to spearhead Doge.
Musk inside Trump's White House
Trump and Musk's public alignment grew deeper. They appeared together at a SpaceX launch in Texas. On January 20, 2025, Musk and other tech CEOs were front-row guests at Trump's inauguration.
Musk quickly became an influential figure in the administration, attending Cabinet meetings and travelling aboard Air Force One with his young son.
Doge, under Musk's leadership, carried out aggressive cuts to federal agencies and workforce. At a February 2025 Cabinet meeting, Trump jested, 'Is anybody unhappy with Elon? If you are, we'll throw him out of here,' drawing laughter and applause from his Cabinet.
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Musk, wearing a 'Make America Great Again' hat, was the first to speak — despite not being an official Cabinet member.
On March 6, Trump clarified at another meeting that Cabinet secretaries retained control of their departments, not Musk. Musk later described the meeting on X as 'very productive.'
In March, Trump showcased Tesla vehicles on the White House lawn. Speaking to reporters, he said, 'I just want people to know that you can't be penalised for being a patriot… People should be going wild, and they love the product.' Trump even claimed to have purchased one himself.
By late May, Musk had completed his 130-day appointment as a special government employee.
On May 29, he posted, 'As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.'
He added that Doge would 'only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.'
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During a farewell appearance from the Oval Office, Musk said the department would 'only grow stronger over time,' claiming to have saved $175 billion through asset sales, cancelled contracts, and workforce reductions — far below his $1 trillion goal.
Sporting a bruise from a playful incident with his son, he said, 'I look forward to continuing to be a friend and adviser to the president.'
Musk-Trump bond explodes
Barely a week after his exit from the administration, Musk began publicly attacking Trump's key legislative initiative — the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
On June 3, 2025, he denounced it on X: 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.'
He accused it of massively increasing the deficit and undermining DOGE's work. He followed up on June 4 with calls for his followers to pressure lawmakers to 'KILL THE BILL.'
On June 5, the fallout exploded.
Musk slammed Trump for 'ingratitude' and backed an X post calling for Trump's impeachment. He even wrote, '@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!'
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In turn, Trump declared on social media: 'Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!'
Trump hinted at pulling Musk's government contracts, calling it 'the easiest way to save money.'
Musk, meanwhile, claimed that Trump couldn't have won without him, threatened to suspend a vital NASA-linked SpaceX programme (before walking it back), and warned Republicans, 'Trump has 3.5 years left as President, but I will be around for 40+ years.'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt summarised the split as an 'unfortunate episode from Elon.'
With inputs from agencies
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