Washington: Tensions between the two escalated rapidly after Musk began vocally opposing Trump’s signature spending bill, launching a campaign against it that included a series of critical posts on his social platform, X.

On Thursday, Trump, while hosting the German leader at the White House, didn’t mince words, saying he was “very disappointed” in Musk—a stark contrast to the praise that once marked their relationship.

Musk responded with a string of explosive posts, including unfounded claims that Trump was linked to unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files. The president fired back, accusing Musk of having “gone CRAZY,” claiming he was pushed out of the administration, and even threatening to cut off government contracts with Musk’s companies.

Caught in the crossfire, Tesla’s stock plummeted by 14%, bringing the EV giant’s valuation below the $1 trillion mark. Meanwhile, Musk briefly threatened to decommission a vital SpaceX spacecraft used by US astronauts, only to walk back the decision hours later.

The unraveling follows Musk’s official departure from his short-lived role in the Trump administration, where he led the controversial Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, known for sweeping budget cuts and agency shutdowns.

While once seen as Trump’s budget-slashing insider, Musk’s time in Washington was riddled with tension, with frequent clashes and rumors of an eventual fallout. Still, many were surprised by the scale and speed of the feud, especially after the two exchanged farewells in the Oval Office just days ago.

Any hopes of reconciliation now seem unlikely. “Elon and I had a great relationship,” Trump remarked—tellingly, in the past tense.