Washington (AFP) – It may have been one of the most predictable break-ups in history. But for a few brief months, US President Donald Trump and tech tycoon Elon Musk were inseparable. Here are some key moments before the marriage of two huge egos imploded over Musk’s criticisms of Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget mega-bill.
**Jumping on stage** – The world’s richest man literally jumped for joy when he first stumped for Republican candidate Trump on the campaign trail on October 5, 2024. The South African-born Musk leapt in the air like one of his SpaceX rockets as he joined Trump on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump escaped an assassination attempt three months earlier. “As you can see, I’m not just MAGA, I’m dark MAGA,” Trump told the crowd, tipping his all-black “Make America Great Again” hat. He would go on to become the campaign’s biggest donor, spending nearly $300 million.
**’Lil’ X’** – Trump sprung a surprise on reporters when he brought Musk into the Oval Office for his first appearance before the media since his arrival in Washington. Even more surprising was that Musk brought his young son, named X Æ A-Xii but more widely known as “Lil’ X” — later putting him on his shoulders. “This is X and he’s a great guy,” said Trump, as the boy picked his nose while his father boasted about his cost-cutting exploits with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
**Tensions? What tensions?** – There were already rumors of tensions between the hard-charging Musk and other members of Trump’s administration when the tycoon attended his first cabinet meeting in February. But Trump moved to squish any suggestions of trouble in paradise. “Anybody unhappy with Elon? If they are, we’ll throw ’em out of here,” said Trump, jumping in after AFP asked Musk whether the reports of strains were true. The rest of the cabinet then erupted into a round of applause for Musk — just as they would do three months later when it emerged he was stepping back from the role. At another meeting, Musk proudly wore a “Trump was right about everything” baseball hat.
**Sleepovers** – The president and the tech magnate seemed to spend most of their time together in the first feverish weeks of Trump’s return to power. They traveled together on Air Force One and his Marine One helicopter. Musk slept over at the White House, where he boasted of once eating a whole tub of ice cream. In a display of macho bonding, they also attended mixed martial arts fights together. Musk meanwhile proclaimed his loyalty on his social media platform, X. He declared himself the “First Buddy” and said: “I love @realDonaldTrump as much as a straight man can love another man.”
**Tesla showroom** – Musk’s Tesla car company took a major hit from his bromance with Trump. Trump, knowing that a threat to Musk’s businesses could drive him out of his role, decided to help out. The president turned the White House South Portico into a pop-up Tesla showroom for Musk, with a Cybertruck and a Model S parked outside. Trump even said he had purchased one. Two of Trump’s press aides were seen posing in the gleaming red car as recently as last week. After the spectacular break-up, it was still sitting in the White House parking lot on Thursday.
© 2024 AFP
