"Musk Insulted the Presidency...
The Relationship Is Over"
There is analysis suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump has "cut ties" with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, due to Musk's frequent unpredictable behavior. President Trump was reportedly shocked after Musk publicly criticized him on social media platform X on June 5, and during this process, there were reports that Trump referred to Musk as a "big-time drug addict."
On June 7 (local time), the Washington Post (WP) introduced decisive incidents and behind-the-scenes details that appear to have influenced the relationship between Trump and Musk leading up to Trump's decision to cut ties.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are talking in the Oval Office before leaving the White House in Washington DC on March 14 (local time) as they head to President Trump's villa in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo by AFP/ Yonhap News
According to the report, immediately after Musk publicly criticized him on X on June 5, President Trump called aides and acquaintances to discuss the situation.
A source familiar with the phone conversations said that, during these discussions, President Trump referred to Musk as a "big-time drug addict" and suggested that Musk's actions might be influenced by drugs.
WP pointed out that cracks had already been forming in the alliance between the two long before this incident. Musk's way of pushing through radical policies without political sensitivity had already caused White House staff to turn their backs on him. As a result, President Trump, who had been gradually distancing himself from Musk, eventually exploded when Musk's remarks crossed the line.
The relationship between Musk, who entered the White House as a key contributor to Trump's election victory, and Trump began to crack in February. At that time, Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team sent an email instructing all federal employees to submit five achievements they had accomplished over the past week.
Even senior officials in the Trump administration had not been informed in advance about this email, which caused a significant stir throughout the administration.
Meanwhile, according to a phone interview with NBC, President Trump issued a warning regarding Musk, who had been engaged in an online war of words with him over the past few days, saying, "If he supports Democratic candidates, he will have to pay the price," and added, "It will have very serious consequences."
When asked if he wanted to restore his relationship with Musk, Trump replied, "No." When asked if he thought the relationship was over, he said, "That would be a fair assumption." When asked if he was willing to talk to Musk, he dismissed the idea, saying, "I'm too busy with other things and have no intention of talking to him."
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