Timeline: How Trump and Musk’s relationship has unfolded through the years — from feud to alliance, and again once more

The alliance between President Trump and Elon Musk went up in flames Thursday, days after the world’s richest man left the administration and tried to wield his affect to kill an enormous funds invoice that’s central to enacting the president’s prime legislative priorities. 

Their spat performed out in public and marked one other exceptional flip for Musk, who spent tens of tens of millions on Mr. Trump’s reelection marketing campaign and was given the reins to slash the scale of the federal authorities. 

Here is a glance again at how Mr. Trump and Musk received right here: 

Trump “not the proper man,” Musk says in 2016 

The Tesla CEO praised Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s financial and environmental insurance policies as “the proper ones” in an interview with CNBC earlier than the 2016 election. 

“I really feel a bit stronger that he’s not the proper man,” Musk stated of Mr. Trump on the time. “He would not appear to have the form of character that displays effectively on america.”

“I do not suppose that is the best second in our democracy,” Musk added. 

Musk joins — and quits — Trump administration roles

Shortly after Mr. Trump’s first time period started, Musk joined a handful of White Home advisory boards, together with Mr. Trump’s “manufacturing jobs council.”

However Musk left these roles simply months later, citing Mr. Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Local weather Accords.

“Local weather change is actual. Leaving Paris just isn’t good for America or the world,” Musk tweeted in June 2017.

Musk continued to have an in depth relationship with the federal authorities, nevertheless, as his rocket firm SpaceX has billions in contracts with NASA and different businesses. 

Mr. Trump praised Musk at a 2020 SpaceX launch in Florida, saying at one level: “I communicate to him on a regular basis. Nice man. He is considered one of our nice brains. We like nice brains. And Elon has executed a implausible job.”

Musk sours on Democrats in 2022 — however nonetheless feuds with Trump

In Could 2022, Musk stated he was ending his assist for Democrats as a result of “they’ve change into the social gathering of division & hate.” 

“So I can now not assist them and can vote Republican,” Musk tweeted, later including that he voted for Clinton in 2016 and former President Joe Biden in 2020. 

However simply two months later, Musk recommended he did not assist Mr. Trump launching one other run for the White Home amid a public spat with the then-former president over the course of a number of days in July 2022. Mr. Trump referred to as the Tesla CEO a “b—s— artist” at a rally and stated his corporations can be “nugatory” with out federal backing, whereas Musk tweeted Mr. Trump ought to “hold up his hat & sail into the sundown.”

Later in 2022, Musk bought Twitter, now often called X, and shortly reinstated Mr. Trump’s account, which had been suspended because the assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The reinstatement got here 4 days after Mr. Trump introduced his third run for the presidency after shedding to Biden.

Within the Republican presidential main, Musk initially threw his assist behind considered one of Mr. Trump’s rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. In Could 2023, the billionaire and the Floridian appeared collectively on a glitchy Twitter livestream to launch DeSantis’ marketing campaign.

Musk endorses Trump in 2024, wields affect  

The tech billionaire formally endorsed Mr. Trump on July 13, 2024, moments after Mr. Trump survived an assassination try at a marketing campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

“I totally endorse President Trump and hope for his speedy restoration,” Musk wrote alongside video of the bloodied presidential candidate elevating his fist within the air as he was surrounded by Secret Service brokers. 

Musk joined Mr. Trump on the marketing campaign path and spent roughly $277 million to assist elect him and different Republican candidates, principally via a Musk-backed tremendous PAC referred to as America PAC, marketing campaign finance information present.

Mr. Trump shouted Musk out throughout his election night time victory speech: “A star is born,” Mr. Trump stated. “He is an incredible man.”

Earlier than Mr. Trump was inaugurated for a second time period, Musk used his political affect in December 2024 to whip up outrage towards a bipartisan spending invoice and torpedo it days earlier than a possible authorities shutdown. 

Musk joins Trump administration, spearheading DOGE 

Mr. Trump appointed Musk to steer the Division of Authorities Effectivity, or DOGE, which was tasked with slicing federal authorities spending, however fell far in need of Musk’s $1 trillion aim. 

Musk shortly grew to become a member of Mr. Trump’s inside circle, taking part in Cupboard conferences and touring on Air Power One along with his younger son. Lower than a month into his authorities service, Musk professed on X: “I like @realDonaldTrump as a lot as a straight man can love one other man.” 

DOGE shortly gained huge affect inside the Trump administration, slashing authorities employees and practically dismantling some federal businesses. 

Musk and Mr. Trump appeared collectively within the Oval Workplace in February — with Musk’s son in tow — and collectively answered questions from the press.

Mr. Trump stood by Musk as a few of his efforts drew backlash. In late February, a DOGE-backed electronic mail telling federal staff to report what they’d achieved within the previous week sparked confusion in some businesses. Throughout a Cupboard assembly days later, Mr. Trump referred to as Musk “tremendously profitable” and stated folks had been “thrilled” along with his efficiency — and stated federal staff who have not responded to the emails are “on the bubble.”

When Tesla confronted protests from Trump opponents, the president boosted Musk, climbing right into a Tesla on the White Home South Garden in March and calling the automobile “stunning.” Days prior, Mr. Trump stated on Reality Social he would “purchase a model new Tesla” as a present of assist for Musk, who the president stated was “doing a FANTASTIC JOB.”

Musk clashed with White Home commerce adviser Peter Navarro in April over Mr. Trump’s tariff technique. Musk referred to as Navarro “dumber than a sack of bricks” after Navarro stated Tesla depends on “low cost international components.” Mr. Trump’s White Home did not take sides: “Boys might be boys,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated.

In a late April Cupboard assembly, Mr. Trump praised and thanked Musk — however recommended his time in authorities may finish quickly. 

“You are invited to remain so long as you need. Sooner or later, he needs to get again house to his vehicles,” Mr. Trump stated, as he and his Cupboard led a spherical of applause for the billionaire.

Musk leaves administration and ramps up criticism 

Days earlier than wrapping up his work for the federal authorities, Musk started criticizing an enormous piece of laws geared toward advancing Mr. Trump’s second-term agenda. Musk instructed “CBS Information Sunday Morning” he was “dissatisfied” within the price ticket of the package deal, which would prolong Mr. Trump’s signature 2017 tax cuts, increase border safety spending, impose work necessities on Medicaid recipients and roll again clear vitality tax credit.

Musk left his place within the administration on Could 30 after reaching the utmost variety of days he may function a particular authorities worker. Musk, who had a black eye, stood subsequent to Mr. Trump within the Oval Workplace because the president praised the billionaire’s authorities work and referred to as him “one of many biggest enterprise leaders and innovators the world has ever produced.” 

“Elon’s actually not leaving. He will be forwards and backwards, I feel, I’ve a sense,” Mr. Trump stated. Musk stated he would proceed to function a “good friend and adviser” to the president.

Musk-Trump spat bursts broad open

Within the following days, Musk escalated his criticism of the laws Mr. Trump has dubbed a “huge, stunning invoice,” calling it a “disgusting abomination” in a prolonged early June tirade on his social media platform. The insults continued via the week, reaching a climax on June 5 with Mr. Trump threatening to cancel Musk’s profitable authorities contracts and Musk claiming that Mr. Trump couldn’t have received the presidency with out him. 

Musk stated he would shut down a SpaceX program that NASA depends on to move astronauts — earlier than later backtracking — and appeared to endorse an X publish calling for Mr. Trump to be impeached. Musk additionally warned Republican lawmakers: “Trump has 3.5 years left as President, however I might be round for 40+ years.”

Throughout the back-and-forth, Mr. Trump claimed that he requested Musk to go away his administration and upset him with a provision within the funds invoice that will finish tax credit for electrical automobiles.

“Elon was ‘carrying skinny,’ I requested him to go away, I took away his EV Mandate that compelled everybody to purchase Electrical Vehicles that no person else needed (that he knew for months I used to be going to do!), and he simply went CRAZY!” the president wrote.

Musk then alleged that Mr. Trump’s identify appeared within the recordsdata associated to the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by suicide in federal custody in 2019 whereas going through expenses of intercourse trafficking.

“@realDonaldTrump is within the Epstein recordsdata. That’s the actual motive they haven’t been made public,” Musk wrote. “Have a pleasant day, DJT!” 

In response to the spat, Leavitt referred to as it an “unlucky episode from Elon.”