Donald Trump has officially labeled Elon Musk “untrustworthy” following growing signs that the billionaire is distancing himself from the Republican Party’s rightward shift. The verbal attack, delivered during a rally in Nevada, adds another layer of intensity to a feud that is quickly becoming one of the most significant political ruptures of the year.
“He’s not who he says he is,” Trump told supporters. “One day he’s all about freedom, and the next he’s trying to buy influence with Democrats. That’s not someone you can trust with America’s future.”
The criticism was provoked by Musk’s increasing political independence. Once considered a Trump-friendly tech mogul, Musk has more recently shown signs of divergence, particularly on economic and environmental policy. He criticized Trump’s 2025 energy plan as “climate denial dressed up as patriotism,” and his team has confirmed meetings with non-Republican campaign consultants.
Trump, whose political identity is closely tied to loyalty and image, has reportedly taken Musk’s defection personally. Insiders say he views Musk’s independence as a direct threat to his dominance in the conservative donor ecosystem—and to his narrative that Trumpism is the only viable future for the American right.
“This is not just about Elon,” said a source close to the Trump campaign. “It’s about setting an example. You don’t get to support the other side and keep a seat at our table.”
The feud has had a chilling effect on other high-profile donors and influencers, many of whom privately share Musk’s concerns about the direction of the GOP but are reluctant to speak out for fear of backlash. One tech executive who asked to remain anonymous described the environment as “loyalty or exile.”
Musk, for his part, has tried to walk a line between detachment and defiance. “I don’t serve a party,” he said in a recent online forum. “I serve ideas—and I invest in what works, not what riles up a crowd.”
That posture is resonating with some voters and analysts who view Musk’s split from Trump as indicative of a broader identity crisis on the right. “We’re watching the party fracture in real time,” said journalist and author Elliot Greene. “Trump commands loyalty, but Musk commands imagination. And the future of the conservative movement may hinge on which one of those wins out.”
Despite the backlash, Musk’s approval ratings among independent voters have remained relatively strong, even rising slightly in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Trump’s inner circle is reportedly urging him to tone down the rhetoric—though most agree he’s unlikely to change course.
With both men still wielding enormous political and cultural clout, the split could have lasting consequences not just for the 2025 elections, but for the ideological makeup of American politics in the decade to come.