Let’s take a look
28 May: Speaking to CBS News, Musk criticises Trump’s planned legislation, calling it “disappointing.” Trump, when asked by reporters, admits he is “not happy about certain aspects” of the bill, though “thrilled” about the tax cuts. He doesn’t address Musk’s comments.
29 May: Musk announces his departure from the Trump administration after completing his term as a special government employee. He had led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting initiative.
30 May: On Musk’s last day, he appears at a White House press conference sporting a black eye. Trump praises him, saying Musk is “not really leaving” and will continue to be “back and forth” at the White House.
2 June: Trump defends his “big, beautiful bill” on Truth Social, alleging “many false statements” are being spread about it.
3 June: Musk escalates his criticism, calling the bill “massive, outrageous, pork-filled,” and “a disgusting abomination” on X.
4 June: Musk urges his followers to oppose the bill and demand a version that doesn’t “massively grow the deficit and increase the debt ceiling”.
5 June: Musk quotes Trump’s old posts from 2012-13, where he criticised government spending. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump says he and Musk “had” a great relationship but adds, “I don’t know if we will anymore.” He later tells reporters he is “very disappointed in Elon” and claims Musk was aware of every aspect of the bill.
Musk fires back on X: “False. This bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”
Trump then posts on Truth Social that Musk had been “wearing thin” and claims he asked him to leave, alleging Musk “went CRAZY”. Musk calls this “an obvious lie.”
Trump follows up by threatening to cut off Musk’s government subsidies and contracts: “The easiest way to save money in our Budget is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.”
6 June: In an ABC News interview, Trump calls Musk “the man who has lost his mind” and says he’s “not particularly” interested in speaking to him.
7 June: Trump confirms to NBC News that his relationship with Musk is over. Asked if he wanted to mend ties, he replied, “No. I have no intention of speaking to him.”
9 June: Trump says he has no plans to remove Starlink from the White House but might relocate his Tesla.
11 June: Musk expresses regret about some of his recent posts about Trump.
According to Michael Wolff on The Daily Beast Podcast, Trump has been talking about Musk with friends and claimed he was behind a New York Times story alleging Musk used drugs like Ketamine and Adderall. Musk denied the report.
Wolff, citing people close to Trump, said the president has been repeatedly asking, “Do you think Elon is crazy?” and claimed, “We dropped a dime to The New York Times on Elon’s drug taking.”