Trump-Musk bromance: From frenemy to staunch ally, a look at Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s topsy-turvy relationship | World News
United States President Donald Trump’s staunch ally, Elon Musk, announced his exit from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Wednesday (May 28), where he was tasked to reduce federal spending.“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X.
“The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” he added.
As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.
The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025
This comes after Musk’s recent rare criticism of Trump’s newly introduced ‘Big, Beautiful’ spending bill, which the billionaire entrepreneur said that he was “disappointed” to see.
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“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing. I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both,” Musk said, while speaking to CBS News.
After Musk voiced his concern over the bill, Trump said, “We will be negotiating that bill, and I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled other aspects of it.”
The tech mogul’s short tenure as a government employee witnessed some highs and lows, but what captured the centre stage was his bromance with the US president.
His relationship with Trump way topsy-turvy. It transitioned from a frenemy to a supporter, before a fallout.
A look at the Musk-Trump bromance
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Musk declared that he would not make donations to candidates in the US presidential elections.
July 2024:
Months later, going back on his words, the tech billionaire donated over a quarter of a billion dollars to Trump’s reelection bid after the then Republican candidate narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
August 2024:
Musk hosted Trump for a conversation on his social media platform X, where he suggested that the then Republican candidate should come up with a commission that primarily focuses on “government efficiency” and affirmed his commitment to serve in it.
Days later, Musk, in a post on X, said, “I am willing to serve.”
I am willing to serve pic.twitter.com/BJhGbcA2e0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2024
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Trump declared that if he emerges victorious in the US presidential elections, he would set up a government efficiency commission, which would be helmed Musk.
October 2024:
Musk joined Trump onstage for his rally at the site where Trump escaped an assassination attempt, donning a black “Make America Great Again” cap.
November 2024:
Musk spent the election night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to witness and celebrate a sweeping Republican victory in the presidential elections.
On Nov 16, Trump, alongside Musk, witnessed SpaceX’s Starship launch.
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Musk attended Trump’s inauguration in Washington, DC, where the newly-elected US president said that he would “pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts who plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.”
The tech giant, in a social media post on X, shared his approval of Trump’s second term, stating, “The Return of the King.”
The Return of the King pic.twitter.com/CjaRrXH7k9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 20, 2025
February 2025:
Musk went to the Oval Office with his son to mark Trump’s signing of an executive order seeking to shrink the size of government through “large-scale reductions” in the federal workforce.
March 2025:
Trump, in a bold statement of support for Musk, bought a sleek red Tesla, stating that he bought the car at full price, without any discount.Story continues below this ad
“Musk would give me a discount, but if I do a discount, they’re gonna say, Oh, I got benefits,” he said.
“When I saw what was happening, I said that I want to buy a Tesla, and we just went to the front. He (Elon Musk) had four beautiful cars there, and I bought one in front of the press. It was a very public purchase, and they’re beautiful and do a great job,” he said.
Get in, patriots—we have a country to save.🇺🇸@ElonMusk helps President Trump pick his new @Tesla! pic.twitter.com/VxdKMsOBjW
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 11, 2025
Trump then called Musk a “patriot” and said, “He’s done a great job… It’s not that he’s a Republican… Sometimes, I’m not even sure what he is in terms of his philosophy, but he’s a great guy.”
This came after Musk’s Tesla faced boycotts and plummeting stocks amid controversy surrounding his moves as Trump’s aide.
