Republicans are left wishing for calmer weather in Washington now that Tesla CEO Elon Musk abruptly and publicly split with President Donald Trump.
In some ways, Musk’s position at the center of Trump’s circle had helped Republicans. He was the mayor’s biggest patron last year, and he also absorbed a significant portion of the political repercussions from his cost-cutting initiative. He also promised to opened his wallet for the 2026 elections.
Democrats attacked Musk for his role as a specific government employee, which he claimed was a” axe” in the Department of Government Consistency’s” chainsaw” approach to reform, partially infuriating Trump.
Some Republicans also hoped for a resolution between the two men, but it sounded improbable on Friday as Trump dismissed the possibility of a looming beauty call.
Republican strategist John Feehery said,” If he makes serenity, he can be useful.
If Musk’s diatribe against Trump, which initially targeted his objective and then became private, continues, Feehery and other Republicans think the party is “definitely” better off without him.
Republicans in Congress who had long been supportive of Musk immediately attacked him on Thursday, calling his “big, beautiful costs” a “disgusting abomination,” suggesting that his speech and repeated criticisms were never about its influence on the deficit but a conflict of interest: his desire to keep clean energy tax credits alive.
Immediately, Musk began making accusations against Trump, including that his title was listed in the Epstein records that his administration has quietly begun to launch.
Elon doesn’t seem to know who Elon is manipulating, Feehery claimed of Trump and Musk.
He may become a billionaire, but almost all of his assets are tacked onto federal projects, Feehery continued. He needs to stoop down.
Democrats are calling for an investigation into Trump’s reported relationship to scandalous businessman Jeffrey Epstein due to the conflict. Additionally, there is a chance that Musk, who on Thursday suggested the establishment of a new political party, will vote against Republicans in 2026.
However, the chaotic conflict between Trump and Musk may also alienate Democrats from a divisive figure whose favorability rating was beginning to stymie the Trump presidency.
Musk’s approval rating as Trump began his second administration was roughly 44 % favorable and 38 % unfavorable. According to researcher Nate Silver’s Gold Bulletin, those numbers had worsened to 40 % positive and 54 % hostile as of Friday.
Liberals have seized on Musk’s tradition in town halls across the nation by bringing lawsuits against DOGE’s extensive career cuts and the closing of some national agencies.
Democrats may have a harder time pairing Musk and Trump with a clean break after months of referring to him as his” co-president.” His abrupt departure from the presidency may also help to neutralize the bad press that has resulted from months of fighting between Trump’s cabinet people.
Democrats are also content with the bitterness with which their marriage ended, and are confident in their method of undermining Trump with Musk. Musk’s problems have also provided fodder for Democrats who want to critique the GOP’s tax plan in his own words.
There hasn’t been a worse salesperson for Trump’s presidency than Elon Musk, according to Democratic National Committee communications director Rosemary Boeglin in a speech.” From ripping apart benefits from mama, shuttering Social Security, and losing the Wisconsin Supreme Court vote, there hasn’t been a worse seller for the Trump management.”
” The Republican scam to rip away healthcare from working people and give rich people tax handouts is being brutally attacked by Musk,” Boeglin continued.” This is a messy public breakup that is drawing voters ‘ attention,” he continued. The GOP will fall in the midterms due to the toxic Trump-Musk agenda and this embarrassing  feud.
Musk claimed that Trump was appreciative of the nearly$ 300 million he spent supporting the president’s campaign, but it’s unclear how well-known he was to voters.
The Suffolk University Political Research Center’s director, David Paleologos, cited a poll he conducted last month that found that Musk’s endorsement only affected the votes of 16 % of voters in the 2024 election. Another 74 % claimed Musk’s endorsement had no meaning for them, and another 7 % claimed that his support actually reduced their ability to vote for his candidate.
Republicans also discovered that even Musk’s money couldn’t reliably influence a race’s outcome. In the end, Musk’s favorite candidate for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court contest lost by ten percentage points in April as a result of Musk’s millions-dollar campaign spending.
Despite those setbacks and the wider fallout with Trump, some Republicans are still backing Musk, including party strategist Cesar Conda, who once described him as” the GOP’s inner conscience on fiscal conservatism.”
Elon Musk is the GOP’s crazy uncle yelling and raving about excessive spending and debt, Conda claimed in a statement to the Washington Examiner. Republicans are in complete agreement that “big government is the source of all of America’s economic and societal woes,” despite the fact that Republicans may find him to be a pain in the neck.
Conda stated that he is an “important voice” on debt and spending reform and that Republicans “need” Musk in the party.
” Musk is a great ally on spending reform, and we should anticipate that the public dispute between President Trump and Elon Musk will settle soon,” he said.
Trump told a number of news outlets that morning that he is not trying to make amends with Musk, and White House aides were scheduled to speak with him on the phone on Friday.
Trump told CNN,” I won’t be speaking to him for a while, I guess, but I wish him well.”
Trump attempted to amplify the president’s “big, beautiful bill” and the May jobs report, which found that 139, 000 new positions had been added to the economy, but the White House did not hold any press conferences on Friday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Washington Examiner,” President Trump is focused on passing the One Big Beautiful Bill and making our country great once more.”
Musk is also recovering from his altercation with Trump. Tesla’s stock price, which had fallen by 14 points on Thursday, rose by 3.5 %.
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Some Trump allies are also requesting reparation at the same time. In the White House’s first administration, Steve Bannon, a top political strategist for the White House, demanded an executive order granting control of Musk’s SpaceX and Starlink businesses as well as inquiries into his alleged drug use, security clearance, and alleged involvement with the Chinese Communist Party.
When asked about cutting Musk’s contracts, Trump said, “we’ll take a look at everything, only if it’s fair for him and the country,” but he added,” Only if it’s fair.”
