type: timeline_event
The alliance between President Trump and Elon Musk collapsed publicly when Musk denounced the "One Big Beautiful Bill" as "a disgusting abomination" that would increase the federal deficit, contradicting DOGE's stated mission. Musk posted "I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore" on June 3, days after leaving his White House position.
Trump responded on Truth Social claiming "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate... and he just went CRAZY!" Musk fired back that "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate." Most explosively, Musk reposted a call for Trump to be impeached, responding simply "Yes."
Trump escalated by threatening to have DOGE investigate Musk's government contracts and subsidies, stating "DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon." At a July rally in Michigan, Trump suggested Musk should "go back to where he came from" - invoking nativist rhetoric against the South African-born billionaire. Musk responded by claiming Trump was "in the Epstein files."
The feud marked the end of MAGA's most consequential partnership. Musk had contributed over $250 million to Trump's 2024 campaign and led DOGE's federal workforce cuts. The public breakup revealed the fragility of the MAGA coalition and the tensions between populist rhetoric and billionaire interests. The two publicly reconciled at Charlie Kirk's memorial service in September 2025.