U.S. President Donald Trump publicly criticized Elon Musk, chief executive officer (CEO) of Tesla, marking the effective breakdown of their alliance. Trump referred to Musk as "a great drug addict," expressing grievances that had been building up.
On the 7th (local time), The Washington Post (WP) reported that Trump's decision to sever ties with Musk was influenced by fatigue from Musk's repeated erratic behavior, which connected to accumulated conflicts with Trump's advisors.
According to reports, after Musk publicly criticized Trump through his social media platform X on the 5th, the President discussed the situation via phone with close aides. During this process, he raised doubts about Musk's mental state, mentioning that it could be "a drug influence."
While the relationship between Trump and Musk remained close since last year's presidential election, the seeds of conflict had been growing for months. The decisive turning point was an incident in February when Musk's team, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), unilaterally sent an email to all federal employees demanding a week's performance report.
This email was sent without prior consultation, impacting agencies outside Musk's influence, such as federal judges and classified departments, causing significant backlash. It is reported that Suzy Wiles, who was a key aide in the Trump administration, began distancing herself from Musk following this incident.
Afterward, Musk's organization exerted restructuring pressure throughout the federal government, which led to a perception in Washington's political circles that "Musk has become a risk factor for the administration."
In April's Wisconsin Supreme Court election, a conservative candidate endorsed by Musk lost, increasing skepticism about Musk's influence within the White House. Conflicts also arose with Musk regarding Trump's core policies on tariffs and tax cuts.
In particular, the revelation in mid-April that Musk had a physical altercation with Treasury Secretary Besant led to analysis suggesting that Trump’s patience had reached its limit. Steve Bannon, a former chief strategist at the White House who witnessed the incident, noted that "Musk charged into the Secretary's chest with his shoulder."
Musk stated at the end of April that he would focus on managing Tesla and withdrew from his duties at the White House. However, the White House subsequently withdrew the nomination of Isaacman, a NASA Director General nominee and a former ally of Musk, over past donations to the Democratic Party. This decision was interpreted as a retaliatory measure against Musk's associates by Trump.
On the surface, despite maintaining a friendly attitude, such as holding a farewell event for Musk, Trump no longer hid his emotions as Musk began to criticize tax cuts. On the 5th of this month, Trump mentioned before reporters, "I am very disappointed with Musk," adding that "I cannot guarantee our future relationship."
Initially, Trump, wary of escalating conflicts, instructed Vice President JD Vance to "maintain diplomatic language," but this later led to an official round of criticisms.
Vice President Vance also remarked on a podcast that while he understood Musk's frustration, attacking the President was a significant mistake.
Analysis suggests that while Trump and Musk formed a cooperative relationship during the election campaign, they ultimately began to part ways due to Musk's repeated outbursts and policy conflicts.