The last event that shook U.S. politics and media to its core was the attempted assassination of Trump during his campaign in Butler in 2024.

The recent exchange of words between Musk and Trump caught everyone by surprise, even for the Democrats, who have been scrutinizing the Trump-Musk relationship since Musk announced his support for Trump last year, 2024.

So, what could have gone wrong? The fallout between Trump and Musk can be traced back to several political and ideological tensions that have risen since Trump’s inauguration and Musk’s appointment as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In administrative matters, Musk’s unconventional approach may have frustrated Trump’s administration, especially among Trump’s most trusted staff, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. One of Musk’s unconventional tactics was sending unvetted emails to federal workers, which many officials in the White House perceived as an overstep.

Moreover, Trump and Musk hold completely different views regarding China and the tariff war. Elon has consistently criticized Trump’s tariff policies, which have adversely affected Tesla’s business due to its heavy reliance on China for imports and manufacturing, as well as the global supply chain.

Musk also had a fall out with Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, over criticism of his policies. Despite Musk’s concerns, Trump has doubled down on the tariff war with China, leading to a more than 40% drop in Tesla’s stock and a 71% decline in profits, falling to $409 million in Q1 2025.

Additionally, Musk’s growing influence may have been perceived as a threat to Trump’s authority. While the media previously attempted to malign their relationship, Musk’s proclivity to overshadow the president cannot be overlooked. For instance, Musk’s pick for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, was later withdrawn by Trump, and Trump’s AI deal with OpenAI, in contrast to Musk’s xAI, could have been attempts to curb Musk’s growing influence.

Lastly, what broke the camel’s back was Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which directly contradicts Musk’s long-standing position on government overspending. This massive spending package, introduced under Trump’s administration, added approximately $2.4 trillion to the U.S. deficit. It aimed to consolidate infrastructure, defense, and entitlement expansions into a single omnibus bill. Musk condemned the act as reckless fiscal policy, warning that it would accelerate inflation and burden future generations with unsustainable debt. He accused the Trump administration of betraying conservative principles by embracing massive government expansion without accountability.

Tensions escalated yesterday as Musk and Trump exchanged nasty words. Musk accused Trump of involvement with the Epstein files, while Trump threatened to terminate Musk’s government contracts. However, could there be more at play here?

Just a few months ago, they participated in a joint interview to demonstrate that their relationship was intact. Today, the situation is entirely different. This scenario seems too good to be true. Despite Musk’s principled stance on various issues, he is still capable of engaging in political maneuvers. It could be that this is yet another instance of Musk’s provocative posts, although it may be over the line this time. On the other hand, Trump is known for his schemes. Could this all be an attempt to gain political points or to confuse the Democrats? Could it be another psy-op?

Justin Karim Writes From Borno State