Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s feud of the century: A timeline of how their turbulent friendship crumbled

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's friendship has gone south. This relationship has shifted repeatedly over the past decade, moving from early opposition to public endorsement and, most recently, back to criticism. Here's a rundown of how US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk landed here:

2016 :

In the lead-up to the 2016 US presidential election, Elon Musk publicly criticised Donald Trump’s suitability for office while speaking to media, "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, at the time supported Hillary Clinton. Though, after Trump’s victory, he agreed to serve briefly on two White House advisory boards before eventually stepping down in June 2017 following the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
He posted on social media: “Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.”

2020: Public Praise from Trump

Despite their earlier differences, Trump, in 2020, publicly praised Musk, even calling him one of the great geniuses' of the modern age and admiring SpaceX’s rocket technology.
"Great guy. He’s one of our great brains. We like great brains. And Elon has done a fantastic job", he said. Musk, during this period maintained distance from partisan politics.

2022: Political Shift and Conflict

In May 2022, Musk openly distanced himself from the Democratic Party, criticising it as divisive. He accepted that he had voted for Biden in 2020 but would refrain from supporting Democrats in future. However, in July 2022, Trump attacked Musk at a rally, calling him a 'bulls*** artist'. Musk responded by telling Trump to 'sail into the sunset.' Shortly after, Musk acquired Twitter (now X) and reinstated Trump’s previously suspended account. The reinstatement occurred four days after Trump announced his third presidential campaign.

2023–2024: Endorsement and Deepening Involvement

In May 2023, Musk appeared with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to launch his presidential bid. However, after Trump survived an assassination attempt in a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024, Musk endorsed him and became a key campaign supporter. He posted on social media platform X: “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery", publicly supporting Trump.

The SpaceX CEO also reportedly donated over $270 million to Trump-aligned super PACs and was present at Mar-a-Lago on election night.

In August-October 2024:

In August, Musk and Trump held a conversation on 'X' and both congratulated each other in a wide-ranging chat. Later, Elon expressed that he is 'Willing to serve' the government. In October he even attended Trump's rally in Pennsylvania wearing a 'Make America Great Again' cap which was the slogan of the Trump campaign.

Late 2024–Early 2025:

After Trump’s win, Musk was appointed to co-lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, who later left the role. This department was created via an executive order and Musk became a regular presence at Cabinet meetings even accompanying the President. “Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement at the time.

January 2025:

At the inauguration of Donald Trump, Musk received lavish praise from the President. "We have a new star. A star is born. Elon!" said Trump.

March-May 2025:

DOGE became highly controversial because it implemented large-scale staff cuts and spending reductions. Musk later concluded his 130-day government role in May 2025, claiming to have saved $175 billion.

June 2025: Fallout and Public Break

In early June, Musk denounced Trump’s key legislative proposal, the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' Act, calling it excessive and damaging, a 'disgusting abomination' that will explode federal budget deficits.

'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,' Musk said on X. This criticism escalated quickly into an all-out online brawl between Trump and Musk. As President threatened to pull back money in government contracts for Musk's companies, Musk claimed Trump couldn't have won the elections without him.

He even continued to make further claims, eventually dropping a bombshell that the Jeffery Epstein files were not released in full because Donald Trump was involved in the case. Currently, Tesla’s stock have dropped by over 50 per cent, with trade policy instability cited as a factor. Their once-close alliance has again devolved into public discord.