Friday, June 6, 2025

Elon Musk completes his heel turn

Thursday was the day his semi-ceremonius DOGE departure became personal for Elon Musk.

A stunning day of insults traded between two of the world’s most powerful men followed the public division between Musk, formerly head of the DOGE initiative, and the president who saw the Tesla chief off with an Oval Office goodbye just one week ago.

As the tweets and posts kept coming, stunned watchers from across the political spectrum were breaking out the popcorn.

Musk, known for his ability to dial every interpersonal conflict up to 100 at the drop of a hat, did so on Thursday. 

In multiple tweets, he insinuated that the US president was in the “Epstein Files” — the so-called investigation into sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in a Manhattan detention center.

Musk sent more than 50 in total throughout Thursday. Several touched on the "Epstein angle". Another blamed Trump's tariffs for an impending recession.

He even seemed to endorse Trump's impeachment, and replacement with JD Vance, in a reply to one Twitter/X user.

It may be too late to save this bromance, though some mutual allies — like Kanye West — are trying.

But the largely one-side explosion on Thursday may backfire on some conservative critics of the "big, beautiful bill" aligned with Musk on the issue.

Read more here.

By John Bowden

Reading list

Daily briefing

Trump-Musk goes nuclear: President and Tesla mogul trade Epstein barbs and billion-dollar threats as friendship implodes

The high profile bromance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk finally imploded on Thursday, with the president claiming the world’s richest man had gone “CRAZY", report Josh Marcus and Mike Bedigan.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

He hasn’t said anything about me that's bad.

Donald Trump addressed Elon Musk's criticism just hours before the latter alleged the president's involvement in Jeffrey Epstein's illegal activities.

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