The friendship that once saw Elon Musk serve at the White House ended officially and explosively. Donald Trump, in his long and solo novel on Sunday, expressed his deep disappointment and cast Musk into an ungrateful and bewildered character who “completely off track.”
The catalyst for public condemnation is Musk’s “American Party,” a third-party campaign aimed at undermining the two-party system. For Trump, it was not a political calculation, but a personal tiny calculation of a man he felt he supported, even if he found his behavior confusing.
“It’s hard for me to see Elon Musk completely’d off-track and essentially become a train wreck,” Trump wrote. The post reads like a lament of friendship breakdown, detailing the relationship Trump suggests is always marked by his own confusion about Musk’s motives.
The background of this political divorce is the passage of “a big bill” in Trump’s domestic policy legislation. The relationship quickly changed after Musk, who briefly led the Government Efficiency Working Group, opened the bill. But Trump’s position makes it clear that he saw Musk’s opposition and subsequently established a new party rooted in individuals and finances: The bill eliminates electric vehicle (EV) mandate.
“Unfortunately for Elon, it eliminates the ridiculous electric vehicle (EV) mission, which will force everyone to buy an electric vehicle in a short time,” Trump wrote. He then detailed a private conversation highlighting his sense of betrayal, claiming he was shocked by Musk’s recognition while recognizing Trump’s staunch opposition to the mandate.
“I’ve been running for two years, and honestly, when Elon gave me all his unquestionable recognition, I asked him if he knew if I was going to terminate the EV mission,” Trump noted. “He said he had no problem with it – I was surprised!”
Trump signed a “big bill” from Trump on July 4 to eliminate a $7,500 tax break to buy a new EV and offered $4,000 for used cars on September 30.
Anecdotes portray Musk as not a political opponent, but an inconsistent partner, perhaps an inconsistent partner. Trump shared another story that highlights his confusion about Musk’s judgment, this time his judgment, this time involving the request to appoint “close friends” to lead NASA.
“Elon asked a close friend of his running NASA and, although I thought his friend was very good, I was surprised to find out that he was a blue-blooded Democrat who had never contributed to Republicans before,” Trump wrote. “I also think it would be inappropriate for a very close friend of Elon who is in the space business when NASA is a big part of Elon’s life.”
By sharing these behind-the-scenes moments, Trump sees himself as a loyal and stable leader, blinded by the unstable behavior of a man he brings into his inner circle. The message is clear: The league ended not because of political rifts, but because in Trump’s eyes, Musk has proven himself to be an unreliable and ungrateful actor. The once-in-a-lifetime “brothers” between the two most powerful men in the world are trapped in a spectacular public wreck, and the President himself sadly investigates the losses.
