Trump Vs. Musk: All The Details On Their Famous Bromance & Explosive Breakup

Who cares about the celebrity breakups of 2025 when the real drama is unfolding between the world's richest man and the supposed leader of the free world? That's right, in case you haven't heard, Elon Musk and Donald Trump, once thick as thieves, have officially gone from bromantic BFFs to bitter fiends. And judging by the jabs flying back and forth, it's only a matter of time before one tries to launch the other into space.

It's almost hard to believe, considering how Musk once had a "fiery" love for Trump — and vice versa (sort of). When Musk's brief four-month stint as a "special government employee" (read also: DOGE) ended, Trump had even given him a proper send-off. The president showered him with praise, calling him "one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced," glossing over the fact that the Tesla founder hadn't delivered anywhere near the $1 trillion in budget cuts he once promised. Trump also said that Musk "delivered a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington" and that his "service to America has been without comparison in modern history." Meanwhile, Musk, who planned to return to running his companies, promised he'd still be available as Trump's consultant and that DOGE would remain operational. "I hope to continue to provide advice whenever the president would like," he said, and Trump echoed the sentiment, "Elon's really not leaving, he's going to be back and forth... It's his baby."

Now, as you can tell by the way they're hurling insults at each other, that arrangement didn't stick at all. So, what gives? Let's break down and see how the Musk and Trump bromance bloomed — and crashed.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump have had what can best be described as a chaotic situationship — and that's putting it mildly. Musk was initially not shy about his criticism of Trump, declaring in 2016 that he didn't think that the "The Apprentice" star had the capabilities of becoming president. "I feel a bit stronger that he is not the right guy," Musk said in an interview with CNBC. "He doesn't seem to have the sort of character that reflects well on the United States." At a Vanity Fair event, he also said that the idea of Trump in the White House gave him the ick. "I don't really have strong feelings except that hopefully Trump doesn't get the nomination of the Republican party, because I think that's, yeah... That wouldn't be good," he mused. "I think at most he would get the Republican nomination, but I think that would still be a bit embarrassing." It's also worth noting that at the time, Bloomberg reported that Musk was also part of the elite crowd helping California rake in big bucks for Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Despite all that early shade, however, Musk accepted seats on not one but two of Trump's White House advisory councils once he got elected. Then again, just when you thought they might be warming up to each other for good, Musk hit reverse again, saying that Trump is basically too old for office and should therefore give up his efforts to return to the Oval Office. "I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset," he tweeted in July 2022. "Dems should also call off the attack – don't make it so that Trump's only way to survive is to regain the Presidency."

It's funny how fast things change. Just months after Elon Musk basically told Donald Trump to call it quits on his White House comeback, the Tesla founder started singing a different tune. After buying X (formerly Twitter) in late 2022, Musk promptly unbanned Trump's account — the same account that had been banned on the platform since the Capitol riots. And that wasn't all. Around the same time, Musk began cozying up to the Republican party (not quite Trump, but he was inching there). "In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party," he told his millions of followers. "But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican." Initially, though, Musk threw his support behind Florida governor Ron DeSantis, saying he'd vote for him if he ran. "My preference for the 2024 presidency is someone sensible and centrist. I had hoped that would the case for the Biden administration, but have been disappointed so far," he explained. But as we all know, Trump's popularity among his party didn't really falter, and he ended up winning the ticket.

Then came the turning point. After an assassination attempt on Trump during his campaign in July 2024, Musk didn't just offer well wishes — he went all in on his subscription to MAGA-nism. "I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," he declared. And as if a blatant endorsement wasn't enough, Musk dropped nearly $300 million to support Trump's campaign, making him the biggest individual donor of the 2024 race. In return, during Trump's victory speech after he had won, he made sure to give a shout out to Musk, cementing their bromance altogether. "Let me tell you, we have a new star. A star is born, Elon," he said. "No, he is. Now he's an amazing guy."

Donald Trump and Elon Musk's bromance hit a fever pitch in the early days of Trump's second term. Musk officially joined the administration as a "special government employee" — a fancy title for his role in the shiny new Department of Government Efficiency (yes, DOGE), which he reportedly pitched to Trump himself. The initiative was meant to significantly reduce wasteful spending, gut the federal workforce by 75%, and nuke a few agencies while they were at it. Originally, Musk was supposed to co-chair the project with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, but when he ditched the plan to run for governor, the job fell squarely on Musk's shoulders, which he didn't seem to mind, obviously.

Unsurprisingly, the whole thing sparked immediate backlash, but Trump and Musk banded together to defend the whole thing. "The people voted for major government reform, and that's what people are going to get," Musk told reporters. "They're going to get what they voted for." Meanwhile, Trump brushed off conflict of interest concerns involving Musk's many businesses. "If we thought that, we would not let him do that segment or look in that area, if we thought there was a lack of transparency or a conflict of interest," he said. And in the first cabinet meeting that Musk joined, Trump noted that Musk was pretty much doing selfless work with DOGE. "He's sacrificing a lot," he told the cabinet. "He's getting a lot of praise, I'll tell you, but he's also getting hit."

And just when you thought the bromance couldn't get any more cringe, Musk publicly declared himself as "first buddy" and unapologetically declared his love for the president. "I love @realDonaldTrump as much as a straight man can love another man," he tweeted, seemingly without an ounce of irony.

Given Elon Musk's role as a "special government employee" came with a 130-working-day shelf life, it wasn't exactly shocking when he bowed out. In late May 2025, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce his exit from DOGE. "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," he said. "The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."

Then, days later, the bromance started to unravel — and fast. On June 3, Musk went on a tirade against Trump's highly publicized "One Big Beautiful Bill," which promised tax cuts, tougher Medicaid and SNAP requirements, zero taxes on tips and overtime, and more. "I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination," Musk wrote in a tweet. "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it." In a follow-up post, he added, "It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt."

In response, Trump, unsurprisingly, admitted that he was not happy with Musk's statements, and even implied that their friendship is effectively over. "Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore. I was surprised," he told reporters. "You were here. Everybody in this room practically was here as we had a wonderful send-off. He said wonderful things about me. You couldn't have nicer — said the best things. He's worn the hat." He also said that Musk's outrage had less to do with politics and more to do with protecting his bottom line, as the bill also removed EV tax credits.

And so chaos ensued. Once Elon Musk came out swinging against Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," the bromance fully imploded, in real time, across the platforms they owned. Musk ranted on X (formerly Twitter), Trump fired back on Truth Social, and both men seemed determined to out-post each other into oblivion. Musk denied ever seeing the bill despite Trump's claims that he did, calling the process shady at best. "False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!" He also said that Trump practically owed him his 2024 election win.

Not wanting to be trumped (pun intended) just like that, Trump went on a tirade on his own, arguing that there was a reason for Musk's incessant whining. "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!" He then threatened to axe Musk's government contracts and subsidies, adding that he was shocked Biden hadn't done it already.

But Musk wasn't done. In what he clearly thought was a mic-drop moment, he accused Trump of being in the Epstein files. "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public," he said, but Trump, shockingly, didn't even acknowledge the jab, and instead doubled down on his bill. "I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress," he said. What happens next is anyone's guess, but it's pretty clear that the bromance is officially dead.