After Musk announced his resignation and hurriedly withdrew from the White House, American media quickly focused on Trump and Musk, digging deep to uncover the unknown details of their brief yet complex relationship.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump expressed skepticism about Musk's bold claim of &#34;cutting $1 trillion in government spending,&#34; questioning, &#34;Is this nonsense?&#34;
Musk spent nearly $300 million to help Trump return to the White House, gaining unprecedented government power, but soon clashed frequently with the cabinet, as officials were shocked by his bold layoffs and sudden policy changes. Ultimately, a combination of business crises, personal controversies, and intense friction within the government prompted Musk to hastily exit the White House.
However, Trump did not completely dismiss the billionaire, and his comments were telling:
<blockquote>
&#34;Musk hasn't really left; he will still come and go frequently.&#34;
</blockquote>
<h2>Money, Promises, and &#34;Blank Checks&#34;</h2>
The collaboration between the Trump administration and Musk began with a highly enticing promise: Musk claimed he could cut up to $1 trillion from the federal budget through a newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
However, the actual results fell far short of the promise. According to internal estimates from DOGE, Musk only managed to cut about $170 billion, and this figure itself was controversial. Trump thus questioned his aides:
<blockquote>
&#34;Is this nonsense? (Was it all bullshit?)&#34;
</blockquote>
Factors leading to the unfulfilled promise included court challenges and bureaucratic obstacles, which quickly drained the patience of Trump and his aides, leading to increasing dissatisfaction with Musk within the White House.
During his brief four-month tenure in the White House, Musk frequently created conflicts, causing considerable distress among aides and cabinet members. Some White House officials stated that Musk often made large-scale layoffs and policy changes without adequate communication. For example, he unilaterally slashed the budget of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which displeased Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy fiercely opposed him over the reduction of air traffic control personnel.
During a visit to the Middle East, Musk caused a stir due to his dissatisfaction with the collaboration project arrangements of competitor OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, forcing Trump to temporarily postpone an important speech. Additionally, he publicly attacked trade advisor Peter Navarro in a cabinet meeting, calling him &#34;dumber than a brick,&#34; which surprised Trump.
Ultimately, Trump had to ask Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to personally manage Musk, but the conflicts remained unresolved. Senior White House officials often learned of Musk's latest moves through the media, leaving them caught off guard.
The uniqueness of Musk and Trump's relationship also lies in the massive political donations behind it.
During the 2024 election, Musk spent nearly $300 million to help Trump return to the White House. This reciprocal relationship between capital and politics granted Musk unprecedented government power. However, the relationship was complex and delicate: Trump admired Musk's talent while also expressing dissatisfaction with his style of operation
Media reports citing White House staff indicate that Trump once described Musk to his aides as &#34;50% genius, 50% boy,&#34; and some aides even heard Trump rate Musk as &#34;90% genius, 10% boy.&#34;
On the other hand, Musk reportedly told White House aides that he would politically support the president in the future and would donate $100 million to groups controlled by the president's team before the 2026 midterm elections. However, Trump's advisors stated that the money has not yet arrived.
<h2>A hasty withdrawal or a retreat behind the scenes?</h2>
Despite enjoying significant privileges, Musk ultimately chose to leave the White House, possibly due to business pressures and personal controversies.
Tesla's net profit plummeted 71% in the first quarter of 2025, SpaceX faced a major rocket explosion incident, and Musk himself became embroiled in a drug scandal. The New York Times reported that he had been using hallucinogens and prescription stimulants for a long time, leading to serious health issues that affected his public image and corporate reputation.
Additionally, Musk's involvement in some highly classified Pentagon briefings sparked strong dissatisfaction from Trump, who believed Musk should not have access to relevant intelligence when it involved SpaceX's business interests. Meanwhile, Musk publicly opposed Trump's &#34;Liberation Day&#34; tariff measures, stating that such actions would severely harm the global economy, and privately lobbied Trump's aides and business leaders to change the president's decisions.
Amid the challenges of Tesla's declining performance, SpaceX incidents, and personal scandals, Musk privately told senior White House officials, &#34;I need to cool down for myself and my company,&#34; and suddenly announced his resignation on social media, hastily withdrawing from the White House.
It is worth mentioning that media reports suggest that Trump learned of Musk's departure in the same way Musk often announces significant personnel changes—through social media posts. According to insiders, the president knew Musk was about to leave but only learned the specific timing after the post.
However, Trump did not completely dismiss the billionaire and still held a favorable view of Musk. On Friday, he asked aides to arrange a friendly farewell ceremony in the Oval Office, where the two praised each other, and Trump's remarks were quite intriguing:
<blockquote>
&#34;Musk hasn't really left; he will still come and go frequently.&#34;
</blockquote>

TSLA

Elon Musk's unilateral layoffs sparked public dissatisfaction among cabinet members and private criticism of Trump's trade advisor. Moreover, when Musk announced his departure, Trump was completely unaware and only learned of the news through social media

- Following Musk's abrupt departure from the White House, media scrutiny intensified on his complex relationship with Trump.  
- Despite Musk's promise to cut $1 trillion in government spending, he only managed approximately $170 billion, leading to frustrations within the Trump administration.  
- Ultimately, Musk's exit was influenced by business pressures, personal controversies, and conflicts with cabinet members, although Trump expressed continued support for him.

Media reports: Trump once questioned, "Is a $1 trillion spending cut nonsense?" and commented on Musk, "Half genius, half boy."