Elon Musk went from quitting Donald Trump's advisory councils in 2017 to endorsing him in 2024 and leading the Department of Government Efficiency. The two split publicly in June 2025 over a spending bill, then reconciled, and by late 2026 Musk was again a major political donor.
Musk and Trump have rebuilt their relationship, and Musk travelled with Trump to China in May 2026. The Hill reported that Musk gave $276 million to political groups from July to September 2026 ahead of the midterm elections.
Before the 2016 election, Musk said he did not think Trump was the right choice, according to a CBS News timeline citing CNBC.
Trump announced in the Rose Garden that he would begin withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement.
Musk left the Strategic and Policy Forum and the manufacturing jobs initiative, two presidential advisory bodies, shortly after the Paris announcement.
At a SpaceX launch, Trump described Musk in warm terms, CBS News reported.
At a rally, Trump used an expletive to describe Musk and said his companies would be "worthless" without federal backing, CBS News reported.
During several days of exchanges, Musk posted that it was time for Trump to retire from politics.
After an online poll in which 51.8 percent of more than 15 million votes favoured reinstatement, Musk restored Trump's Twitter account. Trump said he saw no reason to return to the platform.
After the assassination attempt at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Musk posted a video of Trump and endorsed him.
Musk hosted a two-hour live broadcast with Trump on X, in which a government waste commission was pitched, Al Jazeera reported.
Musk spoke at a Trump campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to Al Jazeera.
In his election night remarks, Trump praised Musk and called him "an amazing guy," CBS News reported.
Trump announced that Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would lead a Department of Government Efficiency. Musk said it would "send shockwaves through the system."
On his first day back in office, Trump signed Executive Order 14158, establishing and implementing the Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump called a Tesla "beautiful" at a White House event. Days earlier he had said on Truth Social that he would buy a new Tesla and that Musk was doing a "FANTASTIC JOB."
Trump said Musk was welcome to stay in the administration but would eventually want to return to his companies, CBS News reported.
Trump held an Oval Office event as Musk ended his government service, calling him one of the greatest business leaders. Musk had told CBS News he was disappointed by the price tag of the budget bill.
Musk called the tax and spending bill backed by Trump a "disgusting abomination" and urged people to call their members of Congress.
Responding to reporters in the Oval Office about Musk's criticism, Trump said Musk knew the bill well and "never had a problem until right after he left."
Musk replied on X that the bill was never shown to him and claimed Trump would have lost the 2024 election without his support. He added, "Such ingratitude."
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the easiest way to save billions was to "terminate Elon's governmental subsidies and contracts," and later said he had asked Musk to leave.
Musk claimed on X, without providing evidence, that Trump was named in government files on Jeffrey Epstein. He later deleted the post.
Musk said he regretted some of his posts about Trump. In an NBC interview days earlier, Trump had said he was not interested in repairing the relationship and warned of "serious consequences" if Musk backed opposing candidates.
After the spending bill passed, Musk announced a new political party and promised to defeat lawmakers who voted for the bill, Al Jazeera reported.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump dismissed the new party and wrote on Truth Social that he was saddened to see Musk go "completely 'off the rails.'"
Trump and Musk sat side by side and chatted at the memorial for Charlie Kirk. The White House shared video of the two shaking hands, and Musk posted a photo captioned "For Charlie."
Musk attended a dinner Trump hosted for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Axios reported. He also dined with Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles that month.
Musk began funding House and Senate campaigns for the 2026 midterms and signalled he would keep giving, Axios reported, citing two sources.
Musk posted that he had dined with Trump and first lady Melania Trump the previous night and wrote that 2026 would be amazing.
The White House listed Musk among business leaders to accompany Trump to Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping, and The Hill later reported that Musk joined the visit. The New York Times said the two had rehabilitated their relationship in recent months.
Musk gave $276 million to political groups from July to September 2026, including $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund and more than $76 million to America PAC, The Hill reported, citing figures first reported by The New York Times and confirmed to The Hill by an America PAC spokesperson.
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate”
“I would have won Pennsylvania regardless of Elon”
“this bill was never shown to me even once”
“I'm very disappointed with Elon. He knew this bill better than anyone”
“we live in a one-party system, not a democracy”
“I think it's ridiculous to start a third party.”
| Endorsement | July 13, 2024 |
| DOGE order | Executive Order 14158, signed January 20, 2025 |
| Left government | Late May 2025 |
| Public split | June 5, 2025 |
| Party announced | America Party, July 5, 2025 |
| Reported 2026 giving | $276 million, July to September 2026 |
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Last updated 31 October 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Every event links to the record it comes from. Allegations are attributed to whoever made them.