Trump and Musk’s Relationship Melts Down in Spectacular Fashion

New York times ^ | 5th June 2025 | Shawn MacReesh

[Cronos]

The moment had finally come, and it was every bit as lowdown, vindictive, personal, petty, operatic, childish, consequential, messy and public as many had always expected it would be.

“One thing’s for sure,” Elon Musk posted on X midway through his relentless hourslong attack on Donald Trump, “it ain’t boring!”

The clash of the titans was upon us, and the gloves were off.

The speed of the fallout was breathtaking. Up until about 14 seconds ago, Mr. Musk was flying on Mr. Trump’s planes, staying at his homes, socializing with his children. On Friday, Mr. Trump celebrated him with an Oval Office farewell address and gave him a novelty, oversize key to the White House.

But all was not well. Mr. Musk had been stewing about the sweeping domestic policy bill that the White House was pushing through Congress. By Thursday afternoon, he started spitting venom.

“Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” Mr. Musk wrote on X. “Such ingratitude.”

.Usually, when Mr. Trump has a big, messy falling-out in public, it is with someone who needs him, a lesser being who lives in fear of a primary challenge or somehow being ruined. But now he was beefing with the rare person who has leverage over him — political and financial leverage and perhaps even some emotional leverage. When Mr. Trump said on Thursday that he was “very disappointed in Elon,” he sounded as if he meant it.

But Mr. Trump, being the president of the United States, had some leverage of his own.

He mused on Truth Social that the “easiest way to save money in our Budget” would be to wipe out Mr. Musk’s government subsidies and contracts. “I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!” Mr. Trump added, causing Mr. Musk to erupt further.

[Cronos]

Musk inserted his Starlink system into the White House communications system, has a near monopoly on the US’ ability to launch civilian and military satellites, and was given access to vast swaths of USG data and systems, and that his systems engineers remain embedded across USG agencies.

[frank ballenger]

Did the NY Times have the little gif of confetti going into the air?

Judges thwart deportation of criminal illegals.
Some countries refuse to deal on tariffs.
Musk and Trump at odds.
Peace is not at hand in Gaza or Ukraine.
Failure of big bill to pass will mean huge tax increases.

“Golly, I haven’t felt this good for years.” —NY Times staffer.

[1066AD]

Looking at the Tweets, they’re behaving like a couple of feuding high school girls.

[VideoDoctor]

"How to Blow Smoke Up the Public's A$$!" Courtesy of the New York Slimes.

[wardaddy]

lol
Rare understated NYT headline lol

Made me chuckle

[rfp1234]

So Musk was a deep state sleeper agent all along.

[Katya]

I’m very cynical... I saw this as an entertaining distraction, which makes me worried as to what its distracting us from...

[sauropod]

Yup.

[maddog55]

It’s either a childish public spat or a diversion for something else.

[TwelveOfTwenty]

I don’t know what to make of that feud. I’m hoping it’s just a distraction for the media to impale themselves on, as they did with “Russia, Russia, Russia”..

[Sacajaweau]

Musk really thinks he won the election for Trump?? His money didn't buy my vote. In fact, I never even thought of him as a vote getter.

Musk is what he is...a living machine.