Elon Musk and Donald Trump — The Rocky Relationship That Led to a White House Comeback

Key Takeaways

• Donald Trump has been elected as the new President of the U.S.
• Elon Musk and Trump have had a rocky relationship over the years.
• Musk controversially donated millions to Trump’s campaign through his PAC.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump have had a complicated relationship. Over the past two years, the Tesla billionaire has gone from trading public jabs with Trump to heavily campaigning for his U.S. presidential victory.

On the day of Trump’s historic win against Kamala Harris, Musk may now be in line to secure a possible White House role.

Donald Trump Wins U.S. Presidential Election

On Wednesday, Nov. 6, Donald Trump declared victory in the U.S. election to supporters in Florida. The win over Kamala Harris in the U.S. presidential election marks a historic political comeback.

Talking to Florida supporters, Trump said : “This will truly be the golden age of America – that’s what we have to have.

“This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again.”

The Republican also thanked Elon Musk for helping him during the campaign.

Timeline of Musk and Trump’s Tumultuous Relationship

In 2022, things were very different between Musk and Trump.

July 12, 2022: Trump took to his Truth Social platform to denounce Musk for buying X, formerly Twitter, at “such a ridiculous price.”

“…especially since realizing it is a company largely based on BOTS of Spam Accounts. Fake anyone?”

Musk took to social media to call on Trump to “hang up his hat and sail into the sunset.”

The tweet came after Trump labeled the Tesla CEO a “bullshit artist“ after accusing him of lying about his political leaning and his intent to buy Twitter.

Aug. 13, 2024: In an interview between Musk and Trump streamed on X, the Tesla CEO suggested that the government create an “efficiency commission.”

Aug. 20, 2024: Trump claimed  he would be open to putting Musk on his cabinet.  “He’s a very smart guy. I certainly would. If he would do it, I certainly would. He’s a brilliant guy,“ Trump said.

Hours later, Musk posted  an AI-generated image of himself behind a government lectern sporting the acronym “Department of Government Efficiency,” which refers to DOGE, the meme-based cryptocurrency in which Musk has shown interest. 

Aug. 26, 2024: Just one week after Trump promised a route for Musk into the White House, he backpedaled. 

“He wants to be involved. Now look, he’s running big businesses and all that, so he can’t, really, I don’t think he could be cabinet,“ Trump said in the Reuters interview.

Trump instead suggested that Musk “can consult with the country and give you some very good ideas.”

Oct. 16, 2024: Federal disclosures show that Musk gave $75 million to his pro-Donald Trump spending group for three months leading up to September.

The Washington Post reported filings  submitted by Musk’s America PAC showed the billionaire donated $15 million in July, $30 million in August, and another $30 million in September.

Oct. 17, 2024: Musk reiterated his view that the government was spending too much money during a town hall event in Pennsylvania.

“I think, in general, the amount of waste that happens with the federal government is really staggering. It’s a staggering amount of waste of taxpayer money,” Musk said.

America PAC targets voters in closely contested states who can potentially swing the election.

Musk’s America PAC has become a key player in the Trump campaign’s voter turnout efforts. The group has around 400 canvassers in each state, significantly more than the Trump campaign.

Elon Musk Celebrates Trump Win

Following his victory, Musk, who spent the election evening with Trump, shared his congratulations with the 47th President of the U.S.

“Game, set and match,” the Tesla billionaire wrote on X, following months of campaigning online and offline for the Republican candidate.

Musk went on to upload a photo of him with Trump on election night, as well as a post stating:

“You are the media now.”

Musk also posted a meme featuring his favorite line, “Let that sink in,” a phrase he used when he purchased Twitter.

Following Musk’s fierce campaigning for Trump, the meme could suggest a future in which Musk finally gets a role in the White House.