A Timeline of How Elon Musk’s Relationship With Trump Imploded

Twenty-five minutes of dwell TV, greater than a dozen posts on X, and three posts on Reality Social over the interval of 5 hours (and counting) — that is how the already fractured friendship of Elon Musk and President Donald Trump publicly unraveled on Thursday.

The primary indicators of bother started when Musk confirmed opposition to Trump’s spending invoice, the “One Massive Stunning Invoice,” although he by no means explicitly focused Trump.

“Disgrace on those that voted for it,” Musk tweeted on Tuesday, referring to Congress members who voted for Trump’s tax reduce invoice.

Trump, for his half, had stayed uncharacteristically mum about Musk’s criticism of the invoice.

However that each one modified on Thursday morning.

Here’s a minute-by-minute breakdown of how the connection between two of essentially the most highly effective males on the planet devolved.

Thursday, 11:20 a.m. ET

Musk started digging up Trump’s previous posts on what was then Twitter concerning the deficit, together with one from January of 2013.

Thursday, 11:46 a.m. ET

Musk unearthed one other previous X put up by Trump from again in July 2012, presumably as a swipe on the new Republican tax invoice that many economists and the congressional Funds Workplace stated would enhance the nation’s deficits.

Thursday, 12 p.m. ET

Trump responded to Musk’s assaults for the primary time when answering press questions throughout a White Home occasion to welcome German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

“And Elon’s upset as a result of we took the EV mandate, which was some huge cash for electrical autos,” stated Trump. “They usually’re having a tough time, the electrical autos. They usually need us to pay billions of {dollars} in subsidy. Elon knew this from the start; he knew it from a very long time in the past.”

Thursday, 12:07 p.m. ET

Trump’s feedback about Musk continued on the press look.

“He knew each side of this invoice — higher than nearly anyone —and he by no means had an issue till proper after he left,” stated Trump. “He stated essentially the most stunning issues about me. He hasn’t stated unhealthy issues about me personally, however I am certain that’ll be subsequent. However I am very upset in Elon. I’ve helped Elon lots.”

“Individuals go away my administration, they usually love us, after which in some unspecified time in the future they miss it so badly, and a few of them embrace it, and a few of them really turn out to be hostile,” Trump continued.

“I do not know what it’s. It is type of Trump derangement syndrome, I assume they name it, however now we have it with others, too. They go away they usually get up within the morning, and the glamour’s gone. The entire world is completely different, they usually turn out to be hostile,” he added.

Thursday, 12:25 p.m. ET

Musk started a whirlwind of tweets quickly after, responding in close to actual time to what Trump stated in the course of the press look.

“False, this invoice was by no means proven to me even as soon as and was handed at nighttime so quick that nearly nobody in Congress might even learn it!” Musk posed on X.

Thursday, 12:46 p.m. ET

Musk then started a sequence of tweets directed on the president past the invoice, together with saying that with out him, Republicans would have misplaced.

Thursday, 1:57 p.m. ET

Musk polls his X followers about creating a brand new political celebration “that truly represents the 80% within the center.” Mark Cuban quoted the put up with three checkmarks.

Thursday, 2:23 p.m. ET

Musk provides Trump’s invoice — recognized on paper because the “One Massive Stunning Invoice” — a brand new identify: “Massive Ugly Spending Invoice.”

Thursday, 2:37 p.m. ET

Trump responds to Musk with two consecutive posts on his personal social media platform, Reality Social.

“Elon was ‘sporting skinny,’ I requested him to go away, I took away his EV Mandate that compelled everybody to purchase Electrical Automobiles that no one else wished (that he knew for months I used to be going to do!), and he simply went CRAZY!” Trump wrote.

“The simplest method to economize in our Funds, Billions and Billions of {Dollars}, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I used to be all the time shocked that Biden did not do it!” the president continued.

Thursday, 2:48 p.m. ET

Musk responds to Trump’s posts on Reality Social, calling them “such an apparent lie.”

Thursday, 2:49 p.m. ET

A minute later, Musk appeared to dare Trump to cancel authorities contracts together with his corporations.

Thursday, 3:10 p.m. ET

Musk makes one other accusation.

Thursday, 4:06 p.m. ET

Trump posts on Reality Social once more to defend his tax invoice.

“I do not thoughts Elon turning towards me, however he ought to have achieved so months in the past. This is without doubt one of the Biggest Payments ever offered to Congress,” Trump wrote.

“It is a Report Reduce in Bills, $1.6 Trillion {Dollars}, and the Greatest Tax Reduce ever given. If this Invoice would not move, there shall be a 68% Tax Improve, and issues far worse than that. I did not create this mess, I am simply right here to FIX IT,” Trump added.

Thursday, 4:09 p.m. ET

Musk says SpaceX will decommission its Dragon spacecraft “instantly.”

SpaceX’s Dragon spaceships transport NASA astronauts and provides to and from the Worldwide House Station. Previous to partnering with SpaceX, the company trusted Russian Soyuz spacecraft for crewed missions.

Thursday, 4:26 p.m. ET

Musk says that Trump’s tariffs will “trigger a recession within the second half of this yr.”

Some economists have additionally predicted that Trump’s tariffs would damage the financial system, and Trump himself declined to rule out the possibilities of a recession again in March.

JPMorgan had predicted a 60% probability of a US recession after Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on April 2. The financial institution adjusted the chance right down to under 50% not too long ago after Trump paused most of his highest tariffs.

Thursday, 4:43 p.m. ET

Musk retweeted what seems to be a video of Trump partying with Epstein from the Nineties, doubling down on his earlier assertion concerning the Epstein recordsdata.

“That is an unlucky episode from Elon, who’s sad with the One Massive Stunning Invoice as a result of it doesn’t embody the insurance policies he wished,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt advised Enterprise Insider in an announcement. “The President is targeted on passing this historic piece of laws and making our nation nice once more.”

Representatives for Tesla didn’t instantly reply to requests for feedback.

Thursday, 9:20 p.m. ET

Musk took a softer tone afterward Thursday night time.

Some 5 hours after his put up about decommissioning the Dragon spacecraft, he walked again the choice in a response to an X consumer.

“It is a disgrace this backwards and forwards. You might be each higher than this. Cool off and take a step again for a pair days,” X consumer Fab25june wrote on the platform.

“Good recommendation. Okay, we can’t decommission Dragon,” Musk wrote at 9:20 p.m.

In a separate change on X, billionaire investor Invoice Ackman inspired Musk and Trump to make up.

“I assist @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk and they need to make peace for the good thing about our nice nation. We’re a lot stronger collectively than aside,” Ackman wrote.

“You are not mistaken,” Musk responded at 9:27 p.m.

Friday, earlier than 8:27 a.m. ET

Trump spoke concerning the feud on Friday morning throughout a telephone name with CNN’s Dana Bash.

“I am not even eager about Elon,” Trump stated. “He is acquired an issue. The poor man’s acquired an issue.”

Trump would not intend to talk to Musk “for some time” and desires Musk nicely, in accordance with Bash.

Bash stated folks in Musk and Trump’s orbit try to fix the rift.

Friday, 5:05 p.m. ET

The President seems to answer Musk’s allegation that he is within the so-called “Epstein recordsdata.”

On Reality Social, Trump posted a screenshot of an X put up from David Schoen, Epstein’s protection lawyer. Schoen stated within the put up that Epstein “had no data to harm President Trump.”

“I particularly requested him!” Schoen wrote.

Friday, round 6:15 p.m. ET

Trump reiterated that he wasn’t eager about Musk whereas touring with reporters aboard Air Pressure One.

He wished Musk the most effective of luck on his Tesla enterprise.

“I imply, I hope he does nicely with Tesla,” he stated.

Friday, 6:16 p.m. ET

Musk discovered a reputation for his new political celebration proposal:
“The America Celebration.”

In a separate put up on X, Musk stated the “folks have spoken” because the polling outcomes confirmed that 80% of the 5.6 million members voted “Sure” to creating a celebration that represents “the center.”

Friday, 9:48 p.m. ET

Musk stated on X that he would apologize to Trump “profusely as quickly as there’s a full dump of the Epstein recordsdata.”

The CEO was responding to a put up from James Fishback, an investor who proposed the thought of DOGE dividend checks, who posted on X that Musk ought to ship Trump a “full-throated apology.”

“You’ll be able to substantively disagree with the President on coverage, however you shouldn’t have baselessly and personally attacked him,” Fishback wrote.

Friday, 10:46 p.m. ET

Trump and Musk appeared to increase one another an olive department — no less than for a short second.

The White Home fast response account on X posted a clip of Trump’s gaggle with the press on Air Pressure One, highlighting the president saying he needs Musk nicely.

“Likewise,” Musk stated in response at 10:46 p.m.