Trump and Musk’s public breakup rocks Washington and Wall Street
What began as a high-octane alliance between two of the world’s most powerful men — Donald Trump and Elon Musk — has combusted in dramatic fashion, sending political shockwaves through Washington and rattling the tech world.
Their once-blazing partnership, which had Musk advising the president, riding Air Force One, and even joining Cabinet meetings in a MAGA hat, collapsed in spectacular fashion Thursday as the two men traded barbs on their rival social media platforms.
The fallout reached a climax after Musk accused Trump of hiding Jeffrey Epstein-related records, claimed the president’s spending bill would spark a recession, and even called for Trump’s impeachment. Trump fired back during an Oval Office meeting, vowing to terminate SpaceX and Starlink’s federal contracts, calling it an easy way to “save billions.”
“Elon is doing a great job. He’s finding tremendous fraud and corruption,” Trump had said just months earlier. But the tone has shifted drastically.
Musk hit back swiftly: “Go ahead, make my day.” He later stunned observers by announcing SpaceX would begin winding down its work with NASA.
The rift cost Musk dearly. Tesla shares plunged more than 14%, slashing over $150 billion from the company’s valuation and $20 billion from Musk’s personal wealth.
Yet Musk remained defiant, claiming on social media, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election. Such ingratitude.”
He first backed Trump following a near-assassination attempt last July, later launching a $250 million PAC to boost his campaign. But on Thursday, Musk accused the president of betrayal over what he called a “disgusting abomination” of a spending bill.
Trump shrugged off the drama, telling reporters, “I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped him a lot.”
Now, with Musk out of the White House and out of favor, both men appear determined to settle scores — and the break-up of this billionaire bromance may be far from over.
By Agencies
