#TrumpVsMusk
President Donald Trump handed his close aide and “first buddy” Elon Musk a golden key to the White House, praising the work the tech billionaire had done for his administration.
“Elon gave an incredible service,” Trump said at the joint press conference with Musk. “There’s nobody like him.”
That event was intended to mark the end of Musk’s 130 days as a special government advisor, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in slashing excess federal spending.
Although there had been some disagreements during Musk’s time in the role – the Tesla owner made it clear he was not a fan of Trump’s tariffs, for instance – the event seemed to mark a conciliatory end to their working relationship.
But there were rumblings: Musk, whose whole purpose at DOGE had been reducing federal expense, was deeply opposed to Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” fearing it would ramp up the national debt over the next 10 years