Asger Risom
Their alliance once defined a new era of tech-government collaboration. Now, it’s in ashes.
In American politics, few recent partnerships have sparked as much intrigue as the high-profile alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. It promised disruption, efficiency, and bold government reform. But less than six months after Musk stepped into the West Wing, the relationship has shattered — spectacularly and in full public view.
From inner circle to political liability
Musk’s brief tenure as a senior adviser in the Trump administration was marked by audacious ambition. Tasked with slashing bureaucratic inefficiencies through the newly formed DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), the Tesla CEO pledged to cut up to $2 trillion in federal spending. His arrival, complete with cybertrucks and even a chainsaw gifted by Argentina’s Javier Milei, made headlines.
We’re trying to restructure the government and defeat the virus of progressive mindset.
But the promises unraveled quickly. Cabinet officials blocked his proposed agency cuts, lawsuits froze initiatives, and his brash style — leaving “snack wrappers on desks,” according to The Atlantic — grated on department heads.
Public rupture and market backlash
The final blow came when Musk publicly blasted Trump’s fiscal plan as “abominable” for increasing the deficit. The fallout was immediate. Trump vowed to cancel public contracts with Musk’s companies, while Tesla stock plummeted 14% in a single day. Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon called for Musk’s deportation “immediately.”
Musk, for his part, retaliated by claiming Trump appears in Jeffrey Epstein’s files — an explosive claim that intensified the media frenzy.
As reported by 20Minutos, even Musk’s attempts to reframe his exit as a “scheduled transition” failed to mask the deep rift.
A dramatic end to political experiments
Musk’s ambitions to reform government crumbled under internal resistance and personal hubris. Despite early proximity to the president — attending cabinet meetings, riding Air Force One, and appearing at Trump rallies — his lack of political alliances left him isolated.
He’s become a political liability, not an asset.
By June, Musk had quietly exited Washington, his tech populist revolution unfinished, his companies bruised, and his political capital diminished. What began as an improbable bromance now reads like a cautionary tale.