FX.co ★ Trump and Musk: from alliance to rivalry

July 2024

Until July 2024, Elon Musk positioned himself as politically independent, though he leaned toward the Democrats: he voted for Clinton in 2016, Biden in 2020, and openly roasted Trump, especially during his first term. Their relationship was strained, with mutual jabs and sharp comments on social media. But everything changed dramatically in July: after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, Musk offered his full support and soon announced the creation of his own political fund to promote the Republican agenda.

August 2024

In August 2024, the Trump-Musk alliance went public in a big way. Musk arranged a major interview with the former president on the X platform, which was marred by technical issues but drew record attention. The conversation essentially echoed Trump’s campaign themes: mutual praise, broad promises, and a lack of tough questions. Musk introduced a new initiative around the same time — a “Commission on Government Efficiency,” nominating himself for a key role.

October 2024

By October, Musk had dropped any pretense of neutrality and became a core part of Trump’s campaign. Appearing at a rally in Butler wearing a black “Make America Great Again” cap, he declared that if Trump did not win, these could be the last free elections in America. Musk also launched a $1 million giveaway campaign targeting swing-state voters — a flashy move to boost support for Trump.

November 2024

On election night, Musk was at the heart of the action, spending the evening at Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s inner circle. After Trump’s victory was announced, Musk posted an AI-generated image of himself saluting the American flag with the caption: “It’s morning again in America.” In his victory speech, Trump thanked Musk and declared: “A new star has risen — Elon.”

Late 2024

At the end of the year, Trump announced that Elon Musk and former Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy would lead a new body, the Department of Government Efficiency, aimed at slashing federal spending. Presenting their plan to Congress, Musk and Ramaswamy proposed lay-offs of 75% of the federal workforce, reducing the budget by $2 trillion, and eliminating agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Ramaswamy later left the project, leaving Musk as the chief architect of an aggressive administrative overhaul.

January 2025

Musk delivered a fiery speech at Trump’s inauguration, calling the Republican win a “turning point for civilization” and thanking voters for “returning the future to steady hands.” His emotive gestures sparked both praise and controversy. Nonetheless, his presence cemented his role as a key figure in the new administration.

February 2025

In February, Trump and Musk made their first joint appearance in the Oval Office to defend the Department of Government Efficiency, which had already launched sweeping cuts. Musk told reporters, “People voted for reform — and that’s exactly what they’re getting.” Amid rising criticism over potential conflicts of interest involving DOGE and Musk’s empire, Trump reassured the public, saying he would not allow Musk to operate in areas where transparency or independence could be compromised.

March 2025

In March, Trump and Musk staged an unprecedented event: they transformed the White House’s South Lawn into a Tesla showroom for a day. Trump personally sat in a bright red Model S alongside Musk and announced plans to buy an EV — a symbolic gesture of support amid global scrutiny. Tesla had been under fire over Musk’s political involvement, especially in Europe, where he backed far-right movements. Trump’s stunt aimed to shift the narrative and publicly rehabilitate Musk’s image.

May 2025

At the end of May, Musk formally left the administration, citing the end of his temporary mandate as a special government advisor. At his farewell press conference in the Oval Office, Trump called him “one of the greatest innovators and business leaders of our time” and handed him a symbolic White House key. Yet days later, Musk lashed out at Trump’s signature economic project, the “Big Beautiful Act,” saying it undermined spending cuts and would worsen the budget deficit.

June 2025

Verbal sparring between Trump and Musk escalated into open conflict. Trump accused Musk of erratic behavior on Truth Social, said he personally removed him from the administration, and canceled the EV mandate “that nobody wanted and Musk knew about.” Musk fired back with a torrent of posts on X, claiming he was responsible for Trump’s victory, Republican control of the Senate, and the Democrats’ failure to reclaim the House. He ended the tirade by reposting a call for Trump’s impeachment with the simple caption: “Yes.”