Inside Trump and Elon Musk's Partnership and Split: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Powerful Bromance
In 2024, Donald Trump and Elon Musk formed a high-profile partnership aimed at cutting federal spending through the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk donated more than $200 million to Trump's campaign and was publicly seen with Trump multiple times during this period. In November 2024, Musk was appointed to lead DOGE, and two weeks after the election, Trump and his family attended a SpaceX Starship launch with Musk.
On January 20, 2025, Inauguration Day, DOGE became official as Trump signed an executive order to modernize federal technology and reduce waste. Musk joined a group of tech moguls at the inauguration. Between early 2025 and October 2025, DOGE pursued up to $2 trillion in budget cuts, reporting savings of about $214 billion by October 2025. However, tens of thousands of federal workers were laid off, triggering protests.
In March 2025, Trump publicly supported Musk by purchasing a Tesla, turning the White House South Lawn into a Tesla showroom and praising Musk. Musk's tenure at DOGE ended on May 30, 2025, due to the 130-day-per-year limit for special government employees. Musk and Trump held a joint Oval Office press conference highlighting Musk's legacy.
The partnership began to unravel in June 2025 during congressional negotiations over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Musk criticized the bill and engaged in a public social media spat with Trump. Trump suggested cutting subsidies, while Musk reminded Trump of his role in helping him win the election.
Despite the split, there were public gestures of rapprochement from September to November 2025, including a Kirk memorial event and Musk and Trump appearing together. On October 27, Trump stated he liked Musk, and on November 18, Musk attended a White House dinner with Mohammed bin Salman. By December 2025, Trump noted he still liked Musk, but it remained unclear if their partnership was fully restored.
