From Trump’s ally to his loudest critic: Musk’s political pivot

Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, X, and several other companies, recently resigned from his position in the U.S. government. Musk had served as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) since the start of Donald Trump’s presidency.

During his farewell ceremony from his official government role, Musk pledged that the Department of Government Efficiency would continue its work and that he would remain an advisor to Trump.

On Friday, May 29, for his final day as a special government employee, Musk joined Trump at a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House.

However, this resignation has raised questions about the reasons behind Musk’s decision, especially since only six months have passed since the start of Trump’s administration.

In recent days, tensions between the two have escalated, capturing significant attention.

Trump-Musk rift: From the beginning to now

The Wall Street Journal reported at the time of Musk’s resignation, citing officials, that Trump had questioned his advisors about Elon Musk’s promise to cut approximately one trillion dollars in government spending.

Trump reportedly asked his advisors whether Musk would ever come close to achieving the cost reductions he had promised.

The report further noted that the U.S. President and his aides were frustrated and skeptical about Musk’s tumultuous tenure.

The Wall Street Journal also revealed, citing officials, that disagreements between Trump, his aides, and Musk regarding Middle East issues had surfaced during Trump’s cabinet meetings.

Tensions escalated when Elon Musk posted on X, stating: “Without me, Trump would have lost the election. Democrats would have taken control of the House, and Republicans would have fallen behind 51 to 49 in the Senate.”

Previously, Musk had criticized a tax reform bill, calling it “disgusting” and telling Congress, “Shame on those who voted for this bill.”

In response, Donald Trump, while hosting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, reacted to Musk’s remarks, saying: “He’s not the first. Some people leave my administration, and then their behavior becomes really hostile. They leave, wake up in the morning, find there’s no gravity anymore, the world’s completely different, and then they become enemies.”

Expressing disappointment, Trump added: “Elon and I had a fantastic relationship. I don’t know if that’s still the case. I was really surprised.”

The U.S. President also wrote in another post: “Elon was tired; I asked him to leave; I repealed his electric vehicle mandate that forced everyone to buy them and nobody else wanted (something he knew I was going to do for months), and now he’s gone crazy.”

Musk responded to this post, writing: “Things are getting better and better; keep going and make my day.”

In another post, Musk revealed details about Donald Trump’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein, the notorious sex offender, stating: “Trump’s name is in the Jeffrey Epstein documents; that’s the real reason these documents haven’t been released.”

Musk, a former Trump ally, also wrote in another post: “Trump’s tariffs will cause an economic recession in the second half of this year.”

Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that Trump’s senior aides held meetings to address the fallout from Musk’s posts.

Reuters reported that, following these tensions, Tesla’s stock plummeted 14.3% to $284.68, marking its largest single-day drop since March 10.

The Financial Times also noted that Tesla’s market value recorded its largest single-day decline following the Trump-Musk dispute.

In response to Musk’s claims regarding the Epstein case, a statement from the White House said: “It’s unfortunate that Elon is upset about the ‘One Beautiful Big’ bill because it doesn’t include his preferred policies. The President is focused on passing this historic legislation.”

A White House spokesperson further stated: “Elon Musk’s comments about the budget bill and tax cuts are regrettable.”

In one of the latest developments in this verbal feud, Elon Musk posted a poll on his page asking Americans, “Is it time to establish a new political party in America?”

So far, over 200,000 people have participated in the poll, with 80% choosing “Yes.”

Musk also called for Donald Trump’s impeachment in another post.