Although the tech billionaire temporarily ascended to the (eponymous) position of “first friend”, the relationship between two of the world’s toughest men was not rosy, writes Mike Bedigan.
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The rapid and intense bromance between two of the world’s most powerful men – Donald Trump and Elon Musk – may not have been on many people’s bingo cards for 2024, given their previous history.
But it flourished at the end of the year.
In recent months, the technology billionaire has become the president-elect’s eponymous “first friend,” but their relationship has not been rosy. Before crossover rallies, praise and close housing, the two men had their share of public disagreements and even traded insults.
As rumors circulate about the possible end of Trump and Musk’s honeymoon (resources report that Trump is already “upset” with his wealthy friends), here’s a look back at their tumultuous relationship:
November 2016
In 2016, Musk wasn’t the biggest fan of his most productive, long-term friend, and publicly noted that Trump wasn’t worthy of running for the highest office in the land.
“I feel a little more convinced that he’s not the right person. He doesn’t seem to have the kind of character that reflects well on America,” the billionaire told CNBC at the time.
However, his skepticism does not appear to last long after, through Trump, he was appointed to an economic advisory council, along with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, a month after Trump’s first election victory.
June 2017
The couple’s first professional date ended well.
After Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would be withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, Musk tendered his resignation from his positions on the presidential advisory boards.
“Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world,” Musk wrote on X, then-Twitter, and not yet under his ownership.
January 2022
Five years later, it was Trump who revived the quotes after describing Musk as one of the world’s “great geniuses” and comparing him to Thomas Edison.
The President-elect told CNBC that the SpaceX boss was “one of our very smart people.”
Previewing the present, Trump went on to say that Musk is not only smart about electric cars, but “he’s also smart about rockets, in fact. ” “I’ve never noticed the engines go down without wings, without anything, and land,” he said.
July 2022
That complimentary attitude was short lived, as just six months later Trump referred to Musk as “another bulls*** artist.”
Speaking about the relaxed speech at a rally in Anchorage, Alaska, Trump mentioned Musk’s promise to buy the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, while selling his own: the notorious and long-lasting Truth Social.
“Elon is not going to buy Twitter… he said the other day, ‘Oh, I never voted for a Republican. I said, “I didn’t know. ” He told me that he had voted for me. So he’s a shitty artist. Musk responded to a clip from the rally: “I don’t hate that man, but it’s time for Trump to hang up his hat and sail off into the sunset. »
In another social media post he claimed that Musk would have “dropped to his knees and begged” if he had asked. “Lmaooo [laughing my *** off],” Musk responded.
November 2022
In the end, Musk’s claims were not, as Trump claimed, “nonsense,” and Musk officially finalized the acquisition of the platform in October 2022.
However, it appeared that the July comments had been forgiven or forgotten, after Musk reinstated Trump’s account, reversing a ban that had kept Trump off the platform since the US Capitol on January 6.
Musk made the announcement after holding a poll that asked Twitter users to click “yes” or “no” on whether Trump’s account should be reinstated. The “yes” vote won, with 51.8 percent. “The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” he wrote.
September 2023
Musk seemingly began to align more with Trump policies, including those on immigration, posting in favor of a U.S. border wall with Mexico – one of the President-elect’s most championed policies.
“We actually do need a wall and we need to require people to have some shred of evidence to claim asylum to enter, as everyone is doing that…” Musk wrote.
March 2024
Despite moving toward Trump, the billionaire tech boss was still publicly ambivalent in backing either party, announcing on X that he would not donate to a candidate in the presidential election.
July 2024
That attitude changed quickly following the attempted assassination of Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Musk endorsed Trump as a candidate seconds after being kicked out of the picture by Secret Service agents, and later reported saying Musk would dedicate about $45 million a month to a new pro-Trump super PAC called America PAC.
August 2024
Musk received Trump at X for a “conversation” that turned into a marathon reminiscent of the president-elect’s crusades. During the conversation, he asked Trump to create a commission focused on “government efficiency” and appoint him to that commission.
Later that month he posted “I am willing to serve.”
October 2024
Musk made his first public appearance with Trump after the former president returned to Butler. Jumping onto the level with excitement and wearing a black cap that said “Make America Great Again,” he told the audience, “As you can see, I’m just MAGA, I’m a dark MAGA. ” »
The billionaire later announced that he would donate $1 million a day to voters in swing states who signed a petition from his US PAC demanding free speech and the right to bear arms.
November 2024
Musk spent the night with Trump and other MAGA enthusiasts at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago hotel in Florida to watch the votes roll back and the Republicans’ landslide victory.
Shortly afterward, Trump announced that Musk and his former rival presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, would head a new “Department of Government Effectiveness” (DOGE, a tongue-in-cheek reference to a meme favored by Musk), which would function as an independent department. organization to reduce public spending and rationalize bureaucracy.
Later that month Trump traveled to Texas to witness SpaceX’s Starship launch alongside Musk – who now refers to himself as “First Buddy” – with reports also emerging that the pair spend “almost every day together.” Musk is also reported to have sat in on and even held talks with foreign leaders.
December 2024
The dynamic duo teamed up for a coordinated, though ultimately unsuccessful, effort to prevent passage of a stopgap government spending bill in Congress, leaving Democrats and even Republicans exhausted due to the user’s developing political influence. richest in the world.
Resulting concerns and descriptions of the Tesla boss as “president Musk” eventually led Trump to address their relationship dynamic head-on. “No, he’s not taking the presidency,” Trump declared in a speech. “That’s not happening.”
However, the couple remains inseparable. A New York Times report found that Musk has spent much of the past two months since the election renting a cabin for $2,000 a night on the grounds of the president-elect’s Florida residence, located just a few hundred yards from the main house.
But it’s probably not all rosy for long, as resources told Mediate just before the New Year that Trump is now “upset” with his “first friend” following Musk’s public spat with other staunch members of the MAGA organization over H1B visas.
“Trump is 100 percent bored,” a source who worked on Trump’s re-election campaign told the outlet. “There is a Chinese saying: ‘On the top of a mountain live two tigers. ‘
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