How Trump and Musk went from bromance to bitter dispute
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The bromance of President Trump and Elon Musk appears to be over after a public fracturing on Thursday.
The big picture: The Tesla CEO initially seemed to leave the Trump administration on a good note and was expected to remain one of the president's most influential outside advisers. That no longer appears to be the case.
- While both men are known to go on social media rampages, the president admitted Thursday he was bothered by his former adviser's posts criticizing his "big, beautiful" spending bill.
Here's a look at how the pair's relationship took off and came to an end:
June 5: Trump admits rupture
President Trump said Thursday he doesn't know if he and Musk will still have "a great relationship" after the former DOGE head spent days blasting the spending bill.
- Musk fired back in an X response writing, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate."
June 3: Musk criticizes "One Big, Beautiful Bill"
Musk slammed the bill as a "disgusting abomination," writing in a post on X, "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."
- In another post, Musk responded to a user's criticism of the bill writing, "In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people."
May 30: Trump gives Musk warm public sendoff
Trump during a press conference said Musk is "really not leaving" and was "going to be back and forth."
- Musk said he would continue to visit as a "friend" and adviser to the president.
May 28: Musk confirms he's departing administration
Musk confirmed he is leaving the Trump administration, thanking Trump "for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending."
- The billionaire CEO pivoted to damage control in his final days as a "special government employee," publicly recommitting to Mars, cars and robots after a bruising year in the political limelight.
Feb. 11, 2025: Musk joins Trump in Oval Office
Musk, with his young son in tow, appeared alongside Trump in the Oval Office.
- The pair defended their efforts to enact major changes to the government and to limit spending.
Nov. 12, 2024: DOGE announced
Trump announced that Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would lead a new "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), operating as an independent advisory group to cut government spending and streamline bureaucracy.
Nov. 6, 2024: Election night
Musk was with Trump on election night as the latter was declared the winner of the presidential election.
Oct. 16, 2024: Musk becomes GOP mega-donor
Musk gave nearly $75 million in three months to his pro-Trump America PAC, underscoring his commitment to getting Trump elected.
- He eventually donated more than $250 million to the super PAC during the 2024 election campaign, making Musk Trump's biggest financial booster.
Oct. 5, 2024: "Dark MAGA"
Musk appeared at a Trump rally for the first time since his endorsement, wearing a black "Make America Great Again" cap, and said: "As you can see, I'm not just MAGA — I'm dark MAGA."
Aug. 12, 2024: Musk suggests role in White House
Musk hosted Trump on X for a "conversation" that turned into an extension of a campaign speech, where he suggested that Trump should form a commission focused on "government efficiency" and appoint him to it.
July 13, 2024: Musk endorses Trump
Musk endorsed Trump on X minutes after he was ushered off stage by Secret Service agents at a rally in Pennsylvania when the then-presidential hopeful came under fire.
Go deeper: Republicans scramble to avoid a war with Elon Musk
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional dates.
