Timeline: How Trump and Musk went from rivals to allies — and now foes again

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The confederation betwixt President Trump and Elon Musk went up successful flames Thursday, days aft the world's richest antheral near the medication and tried to wield his power to termination a monolithic fund measure that is cardinal to enacting the president's apical legislative priorities.

Their spat played retired successful nationalist and marked different singular crook for Musk, who spent tens of millions connected Mr. Trump's reelection run and was fixed the reins to slash the size of the national government.

Here's a look backmost astatine however Mr. Trump and Musk got here:

Trump "not the close guy," Musk says successful 2016

The Tesla CEO praised Democratic statesmanlike nominee Hillary Clinton's economical and biology policies arsenic "the close ones" successful an interrogation with CNBC earlier the 2016 election.

"I consciousness a spot stronger that helium is not the close guy," Musk said of Mr. Trump astatine the time. "He doesn't look to person the benignant of quality that reflects good connected the United States."

"I don't deliberation this is the finest infinitesimal successful our democracy," Musk added.

Musk joins — and quits — Trump medication roles

Shortly aft Mr. Trump's archetypal word began, Musk joined a fistful of White House advisory boards, including Mr. Trump's "manufacturing jobs council."

But Musk near those roles conscionable months later, citing Mr. Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords.

"Climate alteration is real. Leaving Paris is not bully for America oregon the world," Musk tweeted successful June 2017.

Musk continued to person a adjacent narration with the national government, however, arsenic his rocket institution SpaceX has billions successful contracts with NASA and different agencies.

Mr. Trump praised Musk astatine a 2020 SpaceX motorboat successful Florida, saying astatine 1 point: "I talk to him each the time. Great guy. He's 1 of our large brains. We similar large brains. And Elon has done a fantastic job."

Musk sours connected Democrats successful 2022 — but inactive feuds with Trump

In May 2022, Musk said helium was ending his enactment for Democrats due to the fact that "they person go the enactment of part & hate."

"So I tin nary longer enactment them and volition ballot Republican," Musk tweeted, aboriginal adding that helium voted for Clinton successful 2016 and erstwhile President Joe Biden successful 2020.

But conscionable 2 months later, Musk suggested helium didn't enactment Mr. Trump launching different tally for the White House amid a nationalist spat with the then-former president implicit the people of respective days successful July 2022. Mr. Trump called the Tesla CEO a "b---s--- artist" astatine a rally and said his companies would beryllium "worthless" without national backing, portion Musk tweeted Mr. Trump should "hang up his chapeau & sail into the sunset."

Later successful 2022, Musk purchased Twitter, present known arsenic X, and rapidly reinstated Mr. Trump's account, which had been suspended since the onslaught connected the U.S. Capitol connected Jan. 6, 2021. The reinstatement came 4 days aft Mr. Trump announced his 3rd tally for the presidency aft losing to Biden.

In the Republican statesmanlike primary, Musk initially threw his support down 1 of Mr. Trump's rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. In May 2023, the billionaire and the Floridian appeared unneurotic connected a glitchy Twitter livestream to motorboat DeSantis' campaign.

Musk endorses Trump successful 2024, wields power

The tech billionaire formally endorsed Mr. Trump connected July 13, 2024, moments aft Mr. Trump survived an assassination effort astatine a run rally successful Butler, Pennsylvania.

"I afloat endorse President Trump and anticipation for his accelerated recovery," Musk wrote alongside video of the bloodied statesmanlike campaigner raising his fist successful the aerial arsenic helium was surrounded by Secret Service agents.

Musk joined Mr. Trump connected the run way and spent astir $277 million to assistance elite him and different Republican candidates, mostly done a Musk-backed ace PAC called America PAC, run concern records show.

Mr. Trump shouted Musk retired during his predetermination nighttime triumph speech: "A prima is born," Mr. Trump said. "He's an astonishing guy."

Before Mr. Trump was inaugurated for a 2nd term, Musk utilized his governmental power successful December 2024 to whip up outrage against a bipartisan spending measure and torpedo it days earlier a imaginable authorities shutdown.

Musk joins Trump administration, spearheading DOGE

Mr. Trump appointed Musk to pb the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which was tasked with cutting national authorities spending, but fell acold abbreviated of Musk's $1 trillion goal.

Musk rapidly became a subordinate of Mr. Trump's interior circle, participating successful Cabinet meetings and traveling connected Air Force One with his young son. Less than a period into his authorities service, Musk professed on X: "I emotion @realDonaldTrump arsenic overmuch arsenic a consecutive antheral tin emotion different man."

DOGE rapidly gained immense power wrong the Trump administration, slashing authorities unit and nearly dismantling immoderate national agencies.

Musk and Mr. Trump appeared together successful the Oval Office successful February — with Musk's lad successful tow — and jointly answered questions from the press.

Pictures of the Week Global Photo Gallery

Mr. Trump stood by Musk arsenic immoderate of his efforts drew backlash. In precocious February, a DOGE-backed email telling national employees to study what they had accomplished successful the preceding week sparked confusion successful immoderate agencies. During a Cabinet gathering days later, Mr. Trump called Musk "tremendously successful" and said radical were "thrilled" with his show — and said national workers who haven't responded to the emails are "on the bubble."

When Tesla faced protests from Trump opponents, the president boosted Musk, climbing into a Tesla connected the White House South Lawn successful March and calling the car "beautiful." Days prior, Mr. Trump said connected Truth Social helium would "buy a marque caller Tesla" arsenic a amusement of enactment for Musk, who the president said was "doing a FANTASTIC JOB."

Musk clashed with White House commercialized advisor Peter Navarro successful April implicit Mr. Trump's tariff strategy. Musk called Navarro "dumber than a sack of bricks" aft Navarro said Tesla relies connected "cheap overseas parts." Mr. Trump's White House didn't instrumentality sides: "Boys volition beryllium boys," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

In a precocious April Cabinet meeting, Mr. Trump praised and thanked Musk — but suggested his clip successful authorities could extremity soon.

"You're invited to enactment arsenic agelong arsenic you want. At immoderate point, helium wants to get backmost location to his cars," Mr. Trump said, arsenic helium and his Cabinet led a circular of applause for the billionaire.

President Trump to @elonmusk: "We conscionable privation to convey you precise much. And, you know, you're invited to enactment arsenic agelong arsenic you want. At immoderate point, helium wants to get backmost location to his cars." pic.twitter.com/izglwMebKM

— CSPAN (@cspan) April 30, 2025

Musk leaves medication and ramps up criticism

Days earlier wrapping up his enactment for the national government, Musk began criticizing a monolithic portion of authorities aimed astatine advancing Mr. Trump's second-term agenda. Musk told "CBS News Sunday Morning" helium was "disappointed" successful the terms tag of the package, which would extend Mr. Trump's signature 2017 taxation cuts, boost borderline information spending, enforce enactment requirements connected Medicaid recipients and rotation backmost cleanable vigor taxation credits.

Musk near his presumption successful the medication connected May 30 aft reaching the maximum fig of days helium could service arsenic a peculiar authorities employee. Musk, who had a achromatic eye, stood adjacent to Mr. Trump successful the Oval Office arsenic the president praised the billionaire's authorities enactment and called him "one of the top concern leaders and innovators the satellite has ever produced."

"Elon's truly not leaving. He's going to beryllium backmost and forth, I think, I person a feeling," Mr. Trump said. Musk said helium would proceed to service arsenic a "friend and adviser" to the president.

Musk-Trump spat bursts wide open

In the pursuing days, Musk escalated his disapproval of the authorities Mr. Trump has dubbed a "big, beauteous bill," calling it a "disgusting abomination" successful a lengthy aboriginal June tirade connected his societal media platform. The insults continued done the week, reaching a climax connected June 5 with Mr. Trump threatening to cancel Musk's lucrative authorities contracts and Musk claiming that Mr. Trump could not person won the presidency without him.

Musk said helium would unopen down a SpaceX programme that NASA relies connected to transport astronauts — earlier aboriginal backtracking — and seemed to endorse an X post calling for Mr. Trump to beryllium impeached. Musk besides warned Republican lawmakers: "Trump has 3.5 years near arsenic President, but I volition beryllium astir for 40+ years."

During the back-and-forth, Mr. Trump claimed that helium asked Musk to permission his medication and upset him with a proviso successful the fund measure that would extremity taxation credits for electrical vehicles.

"Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took distant his EV Mandate that forced everyone to bargain Electric Cars that cipher other wanted (that helium knew for months I was going to do!), and helium conscionable went CRAZY!" the president wrote.

Musk past alleged that Mr. Trump's sanction appeared successful the files related to the lawsuit of Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by termination successful national custody successful 2019 portion facing charges of enactment trafficking.

"@realDonaldTrump is successful the Epstein files. That is the existent crushed they person not been made public," Musk wrote. "Have a bully day, DJT!"

In effect to the spat, Leavitt called it an "unfortunate occurrence from Elon."

Caitlin Yilek

Caitlin Yilek is simply a authorities newsman astatine CBSNews.com, based successful Washington, D.C. She antecedently worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a subordinate of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.

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