Has Donald Trump dumped Elon Musk? The Tesla CEO has completely disappeared from the spotlight — here's what reports are saying

Elon Musk used to be all over the news with Donald Trump, in meetings, social media, even flying on Air Force One. Trump used to post about Musk around 4 times a week on Truth Social in February and March. Now Trump hasn’t mentioned Musk at all since March 31, according to the reports.

What happened to the friendship?

Musk’s name is gone from Trump’s speeches, White House briefings, and Congress newsletters. Musk was at Trump’s inauguration, Congress address, and even posed with Teslas on White House lawn. Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) said “I miss him, ”Republicans aren’t trashing Musk but have clearly distanced from him, as mentioned in the Politico report.


Polls show Musk is more unpopular than Trump, which might hurt the GOP. Musk funded a Republican candidate in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, the candidate lost by 10 points, as per reports.

Musk gave $21 million to that race and wore a cheesehead hat, people found it cringe. One GOP anonymous said “People hate him, He’s finished, done, gone”, this info was shared in a report by Politico.

Democrats used Musk’s unpopularity to attack Republicans in Wisconsin and plan to do the same in New Jersey and Virginia. Jesse Ferguson said it’s not just about Musk, it’s “Musk-ism.” Trump’s fundraising emails mentioned Musk a lot in Feb, then completely stopped in March. Only one fundraising email mentioned Musk after March, about a hat he wore, Trump’s team now posts way less content with Musk, claims reports.

The White House avoided talking about Musk directly, and said DOGE will continue. DOGE’s cost-cutting programs are still active but not in the spotlight. Musk’s 130-day legal limit as a special govt employee ends late May, as per Politico report.

Musk promised Tesla investors he’d only work 1–2 days a week at DOGE because Tesla profits fell 71% in Q1 2025, said at Tesla announcement via Politico. Musk’s online popularity and Google search traffic are also down.

According to Politico's report, David McIntosh, the Club for Growth CEO said Musk is more useful behind the scenes, not campaigning. Frank Luntz, GOP pollster said people liked Musk’s anti-waste mission, but hated his way of talking. Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.V.) called Musk a patriot but said Musk “mowed too far”, meaning he overdid things.

Dem ads in Wisconsin focused only on Musk, not Trump, and it worked. Now, Dem ads still mention Musk, but less, usually with Trump, not alone. Musk still hangs out with world leaders, was seen with Trump and other CEOs in Saudi Arabia at an investment forum, says reports.

He spent $290 million on the 2024 election, so people expect him to stay in politics. CJ Warnke, House Majority PAC said even if Musk fades, issues like tariffs and Medicaid cuts help Democrats. 4 of 6 Democrats in New Jersey’s primary have named Musk in TV ads. DOGE’s work has been overshadowed by other Trump policies, like tariffs and deportations, as reported by Politico.

FAQs

Q1. Were Musk and Trump friends before?
Yes, they were seen together often and talked about each other a lot.

Q2. Is Elon Musk involved in politics?
Yes, he spent millions in the 2024 election and still attends global political events.