Elon Musk, Trump and a MAGA friendship that went south
From the 2024 Presidential campaign trail, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s relationship blossomed into what appeared to be a friendship, a political partnership and a mutual admiration.
It has since exploded into a war of words and personal insults after Musk departed DOGE and slammed Trump's One Big Beautiful Tax Bill, calling it a "disgusting abomination."
Trump said Thursday that Elon was mad because of scrapped tax credits and a refusal to hire his NASA pick. Musk fired back, attempting to link Trump to disgraced pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, while also saying his tariffs will cause a recession.
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FOX Business takes a look at the relationship between Trump and Musk in pictures, from the creation of DOGE and his time as a frequent fixture at the White House, the Oval Office and even in Cabinet meetings despite his unique role as a special government employee.
Musk’s family members frequented Mar-A-Lago. Musk’s son X flew on Air Force One and was a regular in the Oval Office by his father’s side.
Trump even defended Musk amid public backlash Tesla owners faced in protest of DOGE cuts, while showcasing his own red Tesla outside the White House. He praised Elon for a successful SpaceX launch. The two even sat ringside at a UFC fight, alongside CEO Dana White.
While the world was fixated on the very public and unorthodox spat, Tesla's market cap fell by more than $150 billion, the worst ever. On Friday, shares recovered some of those losses.
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Shares are down nearly 20% so far this year.