A "Big Beautiful Bill" drove a wedge between US President Donald Trump and his former adviser Elon Musk, turning the bros to, well, almost foes. The blistering end of the raging bromance largely played out live on their social media profiles.
The friendship had clear benefits for both men. Trump gained the financial backing of the world's wealthiest man. Musk gained not only unparalleled access to the US president but also a role leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
While Musk appears to have cooled the spat somewhat, deleting some of his more critical posts, Trump doesn't seem in the mood to let it all go.
And, as the situation stands right now, it does seem that Trump has the upper hand.
Trump has warned Musk of "very serious consequences" if he backs Democrats at the mid-term elections in 2026. He didn't stop at that. He also said that he has "no desire" to repair his relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX boss.
Has Trump Gained The Upper Hand?
The break-up can have big consequences for Musk's business empire. His companies were promised $3 billion in government contracts from 17 federal agencies in 2023. And now, Musk, out of the White House and seemingly Trump's good books, faces the possibility of taking a financial hit if the US President follows through on his threat.
Not just this, Trump's disappointment in him may translate into a regulatory crackdown for Musk. Eleven agencies were investigating or suing Musk companies before Trump took office, as per a report by The New York Times.
The feud also comes as an opportunity for the tech mogul's rivals. Bill Gates visited the White House on Friday to ask for the undoing of some of the Musk-driven cuts to foreign aid, the Red Letter reported.
It would not be the first when Trump would discard a powerful figure. However, Musk has more power than most and the capability to strike back.
But what may hold him back is his public reputation and brands that are already tarnished due to the fallout.
Break-Up After White House Farewell
The public fight came days after Musk departed his role as the face of DOGE in a White House ceremony, where Trump thanked him for his service. However, as per reports, underneath the surface of civility, tension was brewing over the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB).
Musk had earlier claimed that DOGE would save the government $2 trillion. To achieve the goal, he cut government programmes and employees at a remarkable rate in the early months of the Trump administration. The USAID programme, the Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau took the biggest hits.
As the cuts picked up pace, so did the Musk-linked controversy. Critics questioned the apparent power wielded by the unelected billionaire. Musk's ties to the far right were also in the spotlight after he appeared to perform two "Roman salutes", which many observers believed to be a Nazi salute.
His apparent rampage through the government did not last long. As Trump's executive appointees assumed control of their departments, Musk and DOGE experienced increasing resistance. After a series of fractious cabinet meetings, Trump reduced the power of DOGE in March, reported The Conversation.
The negative publicity has also damaged the Tesla brand, leading to a drop in sales around the world and a fall in Tesla's share price.
When he announced on May 1 that he would be leaving DOGE, he claimed the department had saved the government $180 billion in spending - a number well short of his original target.
While for Trump, his treatment of Musk appears to be a smart move, for Musk, it came as a harsh lesson in politics.
