Lori Falce: The bromance is over

In December, as the Biden administration was winding down and the air was thick with plans for the second Donald Trump term in the White House, I asked a question.

I looked at the events surrounding the continuing resolution bill making its way through both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support — until Trump’s biggest donor, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, called it a “steal” of public tax dollars.

Then Trump backed away, and Republican lawmakers were left at a loss, caught between what had seemed like a good idea and what the richest man in the world wanted.

Before the new administration even got to rearrange the furniture in the West Wing, there was confusion about who was deciding where the couch went.

What will happen if Trump and Musk start to butt heads, I wondered.

It’s June. Now we know. The bromance between the billionaire president and the man who literally wrote million dollar checks to voters has collapsed.

After six months of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency running roughshod over agencies, firing employees and delving into data, but never finding the trillions in waste he predicted, he departed last week. In an Oval Office press conference, Trump and Musk said lovely things about each other and their time working together.

Once out the White House doors, however, Musk began to slam Trump’s hyped “One Big Beautiful Bill” as a “disgusting abomination.” On Thursday morning, Trump countered, saying he was “very disappointed” in Musk. And then they started throwing social media mud, with Trump saying Elon was “wearing thin.” Musk in turn said Trump hasn’t released files about accused sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein because the president’s name is included in them.

This is the kind of catfight both men are famous for starting online. Seeing the relationship turn sour was as predictable as the sunrise.

The question now is: What’s next?

While Trump bristled at suggestions Musk’s money was instrumental in his campaign, money is what makes the political world go ‘round. A bitter breakup between the two, especially when it involves all the Republicans in Congress, can have widespread repercussions for the 2026 midterms.

Musk threw out a post about starting a third party “that actually represents the 80% in the middle.” Is that something the GOP and Democrats alike should be watching? On the other hand, Musk’s involvement in Wisconsin’s judicial race this year was a dismal failure as a follow-up to Trump’s win.

Maybe — just maybe — it would be a good idea for Musk to stick to Musk things, like Cybertrucks and SpaceX. Trump could concentrate on the presidency — and maybe read a few of his daily intelligence briefings. And lawmakers could stop worrying about what rich men want and do the jobs they were elected to do for the American people.