The day of the day in which the richest man of the planet and the strongest politician in the world became sudden, enemies

Just six days ago, Trump's high-ranking counselors, masking their irritation to Elon Musk, wanted to organize a goodbye party in the Oval Office. They informed the president about Musk's drug use charges, so Trump would be prepared to defend the billionaire if reporters raised the problem to the remaining good event, the councilors said.

Even Wednesday night, Trump minimized any conflict with Musk in a meeting with Republican senators, according to people familiar with his remarks quoted by Wall Street Journal, even though the billionaire had spent the last days denigrating the president's legislative agenda.

During the weekend, after Trump resigned Musk's protege of head of NASA, the president clearly told his associates that he does not plan a major confrontation with his former counselor, according to a person who spoke to the president.

That goodwill disappeared on Thursday.

Thirteen minutes after a meeting in the Oval Office with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump expressed his frustrations towards Musk, marking a turbulent day in which two of the world's most powerful people went from friends to enemies.

Thursday night, Trump launched the idea of ​​cutting the government contracts of Musk's companies, after which he said that the billionaire “went crazy”.

The fight between Trump and Musk threatens the new Maga ruling coalition, built by the president and funded by Musk

In response, Musk, the richest man in the world, has launched the idea of ​​setting up a new political party, suggested that Trump should be charged, claimed that Trump's rates would trigger a recession and have committed to decommission a valuable space equipment.

He also claimed that Trump's name appears in documents from a federal investigation into convicted sexual trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, insinuating that Trump was in a way of his criminal behavior.

The fight between Trump and Musk threatens the new Maga ruling coalition, built by the president and funded by Musk. It puts the six companies of Musk, many of them being strongly regulated by the federal government.

The Trump-Musk explosion was expected. Even people close to both men believed in their self that Trump-Musk's relationship was intended for implosion. But the quick and outdated escalating was a shock for a regular white house with delicate situations.

“It was a matter of time until the scandal will start. Two huge egos do not fit in the same room.”

The officials from the White House and other allies of the president spent their day updating their social accounts, watching how the situation escalates and sending text messages with Musk's posts.

“It was a matter of time until all this begins, because two huge egos do not fit in the same room,” said Marc Short, former head of cabinet by Vice President Mike Pence. “It's hard to imagine that everything was going to collapse so quickly, but you can't be completely surprised by it.”

When his councilors spoke ironically about Musk in his last period at the White House, Trump continued to talk to him well even in private, a person who talked to the president said.

The two were on the topic of staff and tariffs. Trump, who listened to the complaints of the Cabinet Secretaries about Musk and, occasionally, showed his anger to him, was kind of Musk behind the scenes, his advisers said.

“This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is dissatisfied with” the unique, big and beautiful law “, because it does not include the policies he wanted,” said the press secretary of the White House, Karoline Leavitt. “The president is focused on adopting this historical law and making our country again great.”

Musk's frustrations are not limited to legislation.

He told the associates that he was angry because of Trump's decision to withdraw Jared Isaacman, an ally of Musk, for NASA leadership.

During a Friday meeting, in the living room of the Oval Bureau, before the departure of Musk, Trump's counselor, Sergio Gor, handed him to Trump, at the president's request, a file on Isaacman's donations to Democrats. Musk defended Isaacman and tried to minimize the importance of donations. But Trump said he wants to withdraw the nomination, according to people familiar with the situation.

The two then appeared together in front of the television cameras, where Trump named Musk friend and said he would continue to advise him even after he left the White House.

The crack reverberated inside the white house. Katie Miller, who was Trump's counselor for a long time, left the White House last week, according to people familiar with the situation, and now works with Musk. Katie Miller, who held the name of “special government employee”, was with Musk almost all the time at the White House. Did not respond to comment requests.

Her husband, Stephen Miller, is one of Trump's most loyal and visible advisers. He has defended Trump's legislative agenda for Musk's attacks in recent days, and Musk gave “unfollow” on X this week. The Miller family had spent a lot of time with Musk, even outside the White House.

The public conflict between Musk and Trump also endangers the Department for government efficiency, the emblematic initiative of reducing the billionaire. The affiliate Doge staff, some of whom were responsible for the dismissal of thousands of federal employees, sent messages on Thursday if they would be fired, according to some administration officials.

Thursday's scandal surprised all the high councilors of the White House.

Shortly before lunch, Trump settled in the Oval Office with Merz for a discussion about foreseeable topics: trade, NATO alliance and the Ukraine war. The president took about 13 minutes to discharge with his benefactor billionaire, expressing his irritation to the fact that Musk criticized his legislative agenda, considering it too expensive.

It started easily. “I always liked Elon,” Trump said when he was asked about Musk's criticisms to his “big and beautiful law.” “I would prefer Elon to criticize me than my bill.”

But shortly, Trump has intensified his rhetoric. “I and Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will have it,” Trump said.

Musk: “Without me, Trump would have lost the choices! How much ingratitude …”.

The president also suggested that Musk's help in the campaign had no great influence on the result of the elections. “I think I would have won Pennsylvania anyway,” he said.

While Trump was talking about the oscillating state, the head of the White House cabinet, Susie Wiles, nodded.

The fight moved to social networks before the event ended at the Oval Office. “Without me, Trump would have lost the elections, the Democrats would have controlled the Chamber of Representatives, and the Republicans would have had 51 votes at 49 in the Senate,” wrote Musk, adding: “how much ingratitude.”

Shortly before 2:00 pm, Musk posted an X poll in which he asked his over 200 million followers if it was time to create a new political party to better represent most of the country.

In a few minutes, Mark Cuban, the billionaire businessman who flirted with the idea of ​​applying for the presidency, posted on the social networks three bife next to Musk to set up a third party.

Bannon, a Trump's supporter and influential among the president's electorate, suggested that Musk's immigration status should be investigated

Steve Bannon, a supporter of Trump and influential among the president's electorate, suggested in his podcast that Musk's immigration status should be investigated. Musk was born in South Africa.

“Some of the brothers of technology and those in the crypto world will stay with Elon because there is an Elon's cult. But Maga will support him 100% on Trump. You will not have a person in Maga to buy a Tesla,” Bannon said.

In response to a post on the social networks of a prominent conservator who said that the Republicans could have to choose between the two men, Musk wrote: “Ah, and some reflection things while reflecting on this question: Trump is 3.5 years old as president, but I will be around 40 years …”

Even the mother of one of Musk's children expressed her opinion. At 14:20, Ashley St. Clair, who had a difficult quarrel with Musk on the topic of paternity, asked the president on X if he needs help to put an end to the relationship, by removing Trump and writing to him: “Tell me if you need advice on separation.”

And until 14:37, Trump raised the stake. He posted on social networks that “the easiest way to save money” in the federal budget is to “terminate” the government contracts that go to Musk's companies. “I was always surprised that Biden did not do it,” Trump wrote.

Musk replied by saying it will decommission the Spacex ship used to carry American astronauts between space stations

He added in a separate post that Musk “weakens” and said that the billionaire “simply drove” when Trump supported the elimination of benefits for electric vehicles in his mega-facing.

Musk replied by saying he would decommission the Spacex ship used to transport American astronauts between the space station and the second. Musk seemed to withdraw his threat of decommissioning the Dragon spacecraft on Thursday evening while responding to an poster about X.

By 3:00 pm, Musk went on the offensive. “It's time to launch the truly important bomb: @realdonaldtrump is in the Epstein files. This is the real reason why they were not made public,” Musk wrote around 3:10, adding: “A good day!”

Musk was referring to the files of a federal investigation into the alleged sexual traffic and sexual abuse committed by Epstein, the financier fallen into disgrace. Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019, had well -known links with many members of the New York Elite, including Trump.

The FBI and the Department of Justice did not respond immediately to the comment requests.

A person familiar with Trump's relationship with Epstein said the administration has already published Epstein's files that include Trump.

Shortly after 4:00 pm, Musk retained a post in which he demanded Trump's dismissal and the appointment of vice -president JD Vance President, adding a “yes”.

Trump was surprised by the escalation of Musk's tensions, according to his advisers. Trump told counselors that he did not think he was tough towards Musk in the Oval Bureau and was surprised by how aggressive Musk became.

Trump's advisers spent a part of Thursday trying to understand what Elon Musk's goal was. The president told counselors that Musk was only behaving like a child, according to a white house counselor.

About the same period, Trump entered a meeting at the White House with the police and ignored the reporters' questions and did not mention Musk. The employees of the White House or State and Talk with Trump at the evening.

However, on Thursday night, the bright red tesla that Trump bought during a photo shoot with Musk was still in his parking place, just a few meters from the Oval Office. The councilors at the White House joked on Thursday night, saying that they had not yet decided what to do by car.