The once-powerful alliance between President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk has collapsed in spectacular fashion, culminating this week in personal insults, political threats, and even whispers of impeachment.

Just days after Musk stepped down from his controversial White House advisory role, the two men—who for nearly a year reshaped American politics as a unified force—are now at war.

“I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago,” Trump said Thursday, after Musk called his new tax and spending bill a “disgusting abomination.”

The feud marks a stunning reversal for two of the most influential figures in modern American politics. Their relationship, forged in the heat of Trump’s 2024 campaign and solidified by Musk’s billion-dollar backing, had positioned Musk as a de facto policy czar inside the White House. Now, it’s devolved into a digital shouting match and threatens to fracture key parts of the Republican base.

Musk’s formal alliance with Trump began after the July 2024 assassination attempt on the then-GOP nominee. In a stunning reversal, Musk—who had long criticized Trump—endorsed him and committed massive resources to his return to the White House.

Musk reportedly contributed over $290 million to pro-Trump super PACs and emerged as the largest donor in the 2024 election cycle. Trump rewarded him by tapping the Tesla CEO to co-lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a sweeping initiative to slash federal spending.

At its peak, DOGE claimed to have saved $180 billion, though critics and courts questioned its authority and transparency.

Cracks Emerge in the Cabinet

By early 2025, tensions between Musk and Trump’s Cabinet began surfacing. Musk’s aggressive cost-cutting efforts led to mass federal layoffs and accusations of overreach. Friction peaked in March during heated Cabinet meetings, where Musk clashed with Secretaries Marco Rubio and Sean Duffy.

Even Trump, who had fiercely defended Musk, signaled a shift: “We say the scalpel, not the hatchet,” he posted on Truth Social, referring to Musk’s cuts.

Musk’s Departure—and a Warning Shot

Musk formally stepped down from DOGE on May 31. At a press event in the Oval Office, Trump presented him with a symbolic gold key, and both men insisted they remained allies.

But just days later, Musk publicly condemned Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act, calling it bloated and corrupt. The bill extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, boosts defense and border spending, and reduces funding for food assistance and Medicaid.

In response, Trump accused Musk of hypocrisy and hinted he might cut federal contracts with Musk’s companies. Musk retaliated with bombshell accusations, including suggesting Trump may be implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein files—a claim with no public evidence—and even floated impeachment.

The Fallout

By Friday, Musk appeared to extend an olive branch, replying to billionaire Bill Ackman’s call for peace: “You’re not wrong.” But Trump told CNN, “I won’t be speaking to him for a while. I wish him well.”

 

Whether this is a permanent rupture or a temporary rift remains to be seen. Trump has a long history of fallouts with close allies, only to later reconcile—Rubio, for example, is now a senior figure in his Cabinet despite a bitter 2016 primary.

Yet for now, the breakup between Musk and Trump leaves a power vacuum—and raises serious questions about the future of the administration’s agenda, Musk’s role in politics, and the direction of the GOP heading into 2026.