Elon Musk has officially stepped down from his role in Donald Trump’s administration, marking the conclusion of one of politics’ most unconventional partnerships.
Musk, 53, became a part of the Trump administration four months prior to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was designed to enhance governmental efficiency and productivity.
Supported by almost $300 million in political spending to assist in Trump’s reelection campaign, Musk was given extensive authority to cut federal bureaucracy and transform government operations.
However, behind the scenes, their relationship was riddled with mistrust and miscommunication.
‘Was it all bullshit?’ Trump reportedly asked, expressing doubt over Musk’s pledge to slash $1 trillion in government spending.
At first, the relationship appeared strong. Trump regularly praised Musk, calling him ’50 percent genius, 50 percent boy’ – and at times, ’90 percent genius, 10 percent boy,’ the Wall Street Journal reported.
Donald Trump greets Elon Musk as he arrives to attend a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on November 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas
Elon Musk announces his departure during a press conference with Donald Trump at the Oval Office on Friday
Musk was a frequent presence at the White House, as the two held long, informal dinners, with the Tesla CEO sometimes confusing Trump with his eccentric humor, according to White House officials.
But as Musk began cutting foreign aid, trimming agencies and downsizing the federal workforce, tensions with Trump’s inner circle escalated.
Musk bypassed top aides, made unilateral decisions, and kept his plans secret – even from the president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles.
In addition, Trump’s advisers were often blindsided by DOGE’s actions, learning about layoffs or data requests through news reports, according to the White House aides.
Internal clashes only intensified, prompting Trump to ask Wiles to play a more ‘hands-on’ role in managing Musk.
The SpaceX founder also clashed with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over air traffic controller cuts and Secretary of State Marco Rubio protested after Musk slashed USAID without consultation.
He also reportedly resisted White House vetting for DOGE staff and showed preference for advice from close allies like Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, and Katie Miller, his DOGE lieutenant and Stephen’s wife.
In the spring, Musk publicly attacked Republican Senator Todd Young, calling him a ‘deep state puppet’ just as Trump was lobbying him to support Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence.
Elon Musk speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30
President Donald Trump and White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk sit in a Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11
Vice President JD Vance eventually had to intervene, urging Musk to delete the inflammatory post, which he did, but the damage had been done.
‘White House officials picked up the pieces,’ a Trump adviser said.
The relationship further frayed when Musk involved himself in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race.
Despite warnings from Trump’s team that his candidate, Brad Schimel, would lose, Musk insisted polling showed otherwise, and after Schimel’s poor town hall and overwhelming loss, Trump distanced himself from the race.
Behind the scenes, Musk was also pushing back against Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, calling them dangerous for the global economy. He called business leaders to lobby against them and told advisers Trump was receiving bad advice.
Though Trump stood firm on tariffs, Musk grew increasingly irritated – especially after learning Musk received a classified Pentagon briefing on China.
It was the most frustrated they’d seen him, two administration officials said, with Trump questioning whether it was a conflict of interest due to Musk’s defense contracts.
Meanwhile, Musk grew more absent from the White House. Initially present five to seven days a week, his visits dropped to three, then to only occasionally.
Elon Musk jumps on stage as he joins former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally at site of his first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on October 5
At a cabinet meeting earlier this spring, Musk shocked officials by venting about how much damage his political role was causing to Tesla. Musk claimed the officials ‘had no idea’ how much damage was being done to his cars, a witness said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly responded saying she would prosecute every criminal they could catch, the Wall Street Journal reported.
By May, Trump learned Musk’s departure was imminent – but not the exact timing, which was later revealed in a social media post.
Musk told aides he needed to ‘get some heat off me and my companies,’ amid a sharp decline in Tesla profits and setbacks at SpaceX.
Despite the turmoil, Trump requested a final ‘friendly farewell’ meeting in the Oval Office on Friday, with the president claiming, ‘Elon is not really leaving. He’s going to be back and forth.’
