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News18
13 minutes ago
- Business
- News18
From Frenemy To Fanboy To Fallout: Elon Musk's Rollercoaster Ride With Trump Explained
Last Updated: Elon Musk is set to exit the Trump administration. The duo were not besties since ever as they hurled insults at each other until some years ago. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is set to exit the Donald Trump administration as his term comes to a close by the end of May. A lot took place during his short tenure as a government employee, as his much-talked-about bromance with the US President appeared to sour towards the end of his term. Nonetheless, he expressed gratitude to Trump for giving him the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending in the government. '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. The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government," Musk posted on X, announcing his exit. After his victory in the 2024 Presidential election, Trump announced Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, as a 'Special Government Employee", which allows a person to work in the government capacity for 130 days a year. advetisement Since the January 20 inauguration, Musk has worked closely with Trump to reduce government spending. However, lately he has had some public disagreements with Trump, including the law proposed by the government, which Trump dubbed a 'big beautiful bill". Musk's relationship with Trump has not been rosy since ever, with the duo hurling insults at each other not too long ago, until the Tesla CEO ended up endorsing Trump as a candidate for the US President last year. A look at how critics turned 'besties" and then the ultimate fallout. Pre-Trump-Musk Bromance Era In 2016, Musk was not the biggest fan of his future bestie, as he publicly said that Trump was not fit to run for the US President. '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," Musk had told CNBC during an interview at that time. However, his doubts didn't seem to last long. Just a month after Trump won his first election, Musk was appointed to an economic advisory council by Trump, along with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. In June 2017, the duo's professional relationship took a hit after Trump announced that the US would be withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, as Musk went on to tender his resignation from his positions on the presidential advisory boards. 'Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world," Musk then tweeted. 2022 saw see-saw remarks by Trump about Musk as he described Musk as one of the world's 'great geniuses" in January that year, while also likening him to Thomas Edison. However, by July, Trump flipped his stance to refer to Musk as 'another bulls*** artist". Advertisement While speaking about free speech at a rally in Anchorage, Alaska, Trump talked about Musk's promise to buy the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. 'Elon is not going to buy Twitter… he said the other day 'Oh, I've never voted for a Republican'. I said 'I didn't know that'. He told me he voted for me. So he's another bulls*** artist," Trump said. Musk responded to the video clip, 'I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset." By October, Musk officially completed the acquisition of Twitter. Timeline Of Musk's Tenure With Trump By September 2023, Musk started aligning himself with Trump's policies, including those on immigration. He spoke in favour of a US border wall with Mexico, which was a hot topic during the election campaign. advetisement 'We actually do need a wall and we need to require people to have some shred of evidence to claim asylum to enter, as everyone is doing that…" Musk said. In March 2024, Musk had said that he would not donate to either candidate in the presidential election. However, in July, when Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the billionaire extended support to Trump. Soon after bullets were fired at Trump, during which he suffered injuries to his right ear, Musk endorsed the Republican leader and committed nearly $45 million a month to a new pro-Trump super PAC called America PAC. In October 2024, Musk made his first public appearance with Trump at a rally and jumped onto the stage, donning a black 'Make America Great Again' cap. 'As you can see, I'm not just MAGA — I'm dark MAGA," he told the crowd. advetisement Musk has also attended the Cabinet meetings chaired by Trump, during which he detailed the work being done by his department to cut down spending. He had joined the administration with a promise to cut at least $1 trillion from the US federal budget. However, according to the DOGE website, it has only saved around $175 billion so far — which comes out to about $1,088.96 for each US taxpayer. During the first Cabinet meeting in February this year, he even claimed that he was getting death threats for the work they were doing for the department. 'I'm taking a lot of flak and getting a lot of death threats, by the way. We simply cannot sustain, as a country, $2 trillion deficits," he had said. Tesla Boycott After Musk joined Trump's second term as DOGE chief, his department either fired or offered early retirement deals to around 100,000 federal workers. It also gained access to the private personal and financial details of millions of Americans. As Musk became a firm voice of the administration, Tesla bore the brunt as its facilities across the country faced protests and vandalism. Thousands of citizens hit the roads in parts of the US, launching 'Tesla Takedown" protests – many of them were peaceful, however, some were even violent with fires intentionally set at Tesla showrooms and charging stations in Colorado and Massachusetts. Hundreds of protesters had also occupied a Tesla showroom in New York, leading to the arrest of six persons. Trump-Musk Fallout Musk had recently expressed his 'disappointment" with the Trump administration's main legislative plan, which the President described as a 'big beautiful bill". This legislation included tax cuts and tougher immigration policies. In a CBS interview, Musk described it as a 'massive spending bill" that he believed would increase the national debt and hurt the progress his DOGE team had been working on. 'I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don't know if it could be both," Musk said. Reacting to Musk's remarks, Trump still backed the bill, stating, 'I'm not happy about certain aspects of it, but I'm thrilled by other aspects of it." top videos View All Sources earlier told Mediate that Trump is now becoming 'annoyed" with his 'first buddy" after Musk engaged in a public spat with other members of the MAGA over H1B visas. '100 percent Trump is annoyed," a source who worked on Trump's re-election campaign told the outlet earlier this year. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : donald trump elon musk Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: May 29, 2025, 07:50 IST News world From Frenemy To Fanboy To Fallout: Elon Musk's Rollercoaster Ride With Trump Explained
Business Insider
14 minutes ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Elon Musk says his time as a government employee is coming to an end and thanks Trump
The "first buddy" is standing down. Elon Musk said Wednesday he plans to leave the Trump administration, ending his time at the White House DOGE office focused on cutting spending and reshaping the federal government. The announcement came a day after Musk criticized President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill" for undermining the White House DOGE team's work and adding to the deficit. The billionaire has also signaled he plans to focus more of his efforts on his companies and that he plans to reduce his political spending. "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," Musk wrote in a post on X on Wednesday. "The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." A White House official confirmed that Musk's offboarding was beginning. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO previously said he would be stepping back from his government work in May. Musk was designated a " special government employee." Federal law stipulates that those with this title cannot serve for more than 130 days in a 365-day period. The tech titan had been closely involved in the White House DOGE office 's efforts to cut government spending and eliminate fraud and waste. Musk has also recently said he spent "too much time" on politics this year and that he plans to cut back his political spending. The billionaire spent at least $277 million supporting Trump and the GOP in the 2024 election. Musk said in an X post on Saturday that he was back to "spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms," to the relief of Tesla investors. Tesla's share price has been on the rise since his announcement in April that he'd be stepping back from his White House work. The company had been targeted by boycotts and protests over its CEO's work with the White House DOGE office.
Mint
17 minutes ago
- Business
- Mint
Donald Trump brushes off Elon Musk's disappointment over Tax Bill spending, says, ‘have to get a lot of votes'
US President Donald Trump brushed off criticism from billionaire donor and adviser Elon Musk regarding the cost of his flagship tax bill, telling reporters Wednesday that certain compromises were necessary to ensure the legislation's passage. 'Number one, we have to get a lot of votes,' Trump said. 'We can't be cutting — you know, we need, we need to get a lot of support.' Elon Musk, who headed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce federal spending, expressed his frustration in an interview with CBS News. He said he was 'disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.' Musk's comments echo some fiscal hawks who have argued that Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' — which pairs new tax cuts with an increase to military and border spending — could add trillions to the deficit. 'I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both,' Musk said. The bill narrowly cleared the House last week, but it is anticipated to undergo substantial revisions in order to gain the backing of the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate. 'We will be negotiating that bill, and I'm not happy about certain aspects of it, but I'm thrilled by other aspects of it,' Trump said. 'That's the way they go.' The president said ultimately the legislation was worth it because of 'the level of tax cutting that we're going to be doing.' In a separate interview with the Washington Post, Elon Musk expressed frustration that DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency he led, had become a scapegoat for criticism. 'DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything,' Musk said at the Starbase launch site in Texas ahead of SpaceX's latest launch on Tuesday. 'Whenever something goes wrong anywhere, we get blamed even if we have nothing to do with it.' I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both. He also remarked, 'The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized. I knew there were problems, but trying to improve things in D.C. is definitely an uphill battle, to say the least.' (With inputs from agencies) Number one, we have to get a lot of votes.
France 24
19 minutes ago
- Business
- France 24
Elon Musk confirms he is leaving his role in the Trump administration
Billionaire Elon Musk on Wednesday announced he was leaving his role in US government, intended to reduce federal spending, shortly after his first major break with President Donald Trump over his signature spending bill. "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," he wrote on his social media platform X. "The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government," he added. The South African-born tech tycoon had said Trump's bill would increase the deficit and undermine the work of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has fired tens of thousands of people. Musk -- who was a constant presence at Trump's side before pulling back to focus on his Space X and Tesla businesses -- also complained that DOGE had become a "whipping boy" for dissatisfaction with the administration. "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," Musk said in an interview with CBS News, an excerpt of which aired late Tuesday. Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" -- which passed the US House last week and now moves to the Senate -- offers sprawling tax relief and spending cuts and is the centerpiece of his domestic agenda. But critics warn it will decimate health care and balloon the national deficit by as much as $4 trillion over a decade. "A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion," Musk said in the interview, which will be aired in full on Sunday. The White House sought to play down any differences over US government spending, without directly naming Musk. "The Big Beautiful Bill is NOT an annual budget bill," Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said on Musk's social network, X, after the tech titan's comments aired. All DOGE cuts would have to be carried out through a separate bill targeting the federal bureaucracy, according to US Senate rules, Miller added. But Musk's comments represented a rare split with the Republican president whom he helped propel back to power, as the largest donor to his 2024 election campaign. - 'Whipping boy' - Trump tasked Musk with cutting government spending as head of DOGE, but after a feverish start Musk announced in late April he was mostly stepping back to run his companies again. Musk complained in a separate interview with the Washington Post that DOGE, which operated out of the White House with a staff of young technicians, had become a lightning rod for criticism. "DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything," Musk told the newspaper at the Starbase launch site in Texas ahead of Space X's latest launch on Tuesday. "Something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it." Musk blamed entrenched US bureaucracy for DOGE's failure to achieve all of its goals -- although reports say his domineering style and lack of familiarity with the currents of Washington politics were also major factors. "The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized," he said. "I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least." Musk has previously admitted that he did not achieve all his goals with DOGE even though tens of thousands of people were removed from government payrolls and several departments were gutted or shut down. Musk's own businesses suffered in the meantime. Protesters against the cost-cutting targeted Tesla dealerships while arsonists even torched a few of the electric vehicles, and the firm's profits slumped. "People were burning Teslas. Why would you do that? That's really uncool," Musk told the Post. Musk has also been focusing on Space X after a series of fiery setbacks to his dreams of colonizing Mars -- the latest of which came on Tuesday when its prototype Starship exploded over the Indian Ocean. The tycoon last week also said he would pull back from spending his fortune on politics, having spent around a quarter of a billion dollars to support Trump.
eNCA
20 minutes ago
- Business
- eNCA
Musk to exit US government role after rare break with Trump
WASHINGTON - Billionaire Elon Musk announced he was leaving his role in US government, intended to reduce federal spending, shortly after his first major break with President Donald Trump over his signature spending bill. "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," he wrote on his social media platform X. "The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government," he added. The South African-born tech tycoon had said Trump's bill would increase the deficit and undermine the work of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has fired tens of thousands of people. Musk -- who was a constant presence at Trump's side before pulling back to focus on his Space X and Tesla businesses -- also complained that DOGE had become a "whipping boy" for dissatisfaction with the administration. "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," Musk said in an interview with CBS News, an excerpt of which aired late Tuesday. Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" -- which passed the US House last week and now moves to the Senate -- offers sprawling tax relief and spending cuts and is the centerpiece of his domestic agenda. But critics warn it will decimate health care and balloon the national deficit by as much as $4 trillion over a decade. "A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion," Musk said in the interview, which will be aired in full on Sunday. The White House sought to play down any differences over US government spending, without directly naming Musk. "The Big Beautiful Bill is NOT an annual budget bill," Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said on Musk's social network, X, after the tech titan's comments aired. All DOGE cuts would have to be carried out through a separate bill targeting the federal bureaucracy, according to US Senate rules, Miller added.
