Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and of SpaceX, has now left his short-lived administration position. In that role, he managed the DOGE initiative to eliminate federal spending and federal employees. His resignation comes amid escalating tensions with former President Donald Trump over Trump’s proposed legislation, which Musk has publicly condemned.
Musk has financially backed Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign to the tune of over $250 million. Recent comments from both sides have exposed an apparent chasm in their relationship. Musk is certainly allowed to be upset that the EV tax credits would be snuffed out in the bill they just proposed. Gore went on to share his disappointment in Musk’s response, telling CNN, “I’m very disappointed in Elon Musk, I’ve done a lot for Elon Musk.”
Musk has been pretty outspoken on his criticism of Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” calling it a “disgusting abomination.” His staff expressed alarm that the bill would increase federal deficits. He pushed back on the fact that it disproportionately cuts incentives for electric vehicles and solar energy while excluding oil and gas subsidies.
“Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill.” – Elon Musk
Shortly after Trump’s comments on his new anti-EV stance, Musk himself responded immediately via X, the social media platform Musk owns. His answer was simple but audacious—“Whatever. This tweet crystallized their complete lack of respect for one another’s opinions and this was a revelation of the collapse of their formerly friendly rapport.
Musk’s departure from overseeing the DOGE initiative comes as Trump indicated that his administration had rejected Musk’s pick to lead NASA. Trump said, “And Elon understood this from day one,” about the removal of tax credits for electric vehicles.
Despite the tension, reports indicate that Musk has reaped enormous benefits from his ties with Trump and his administration. The damage from the very public feud has been profound. It begs the question of Musk’s continued support for Trump and any of his future political donations.