To the editor:
If there is one word that can describe both Donald Trump and Elon Musk, they are both “transactional.” That means that the way to their heart is through their wallet.
Musk reportedly spent over $300 million to make Trump and Republicans winners in the recent election. He did not do that because he was philosophically aligned with Trump. He is the wealthiest man in the world, so you can assume he did it to be given special treatment for government contracts while influencing policy that would benefit his holdings, and until recently, Trump has been delivering on that.
Assigning Musk to have free rein as the head of DOGE to reduce fraud and waste allowed him to infiltrate huge federal databases, some which would reveal confidential information about Musk competitors. This was done while Musk was being investigated for his business practices, which Trump put on hold. Their bromance was on good terms, but that was to change.
For years, Trump talked down about cryptocurrency and electric vehicles (EVs). But then someone whispered in his ear that he could make a fortune by getting into bitcoin.
As for EVs, he had a parade of them brought to the White House lawn where Trump became a Tesla salesman. (In retaliation, Trump is now childishly threatening to sell the Tesla he purchased that day for his granddaughter.)
The relationship quickly changed when Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” eliminated tax credits for EV purchases and stopped funding charging stations around the country, which is likely to cost Musk billions. On top of that, Trump did not support a Musk ally for a high NASA post because the person supported Democrats in the past. Musk went nuts!
Obviously, without knowing much about the content of the bill, Musk initially threatened any Republican that voted against the legislation to fund a primary candidate against their reelection—he is now saying the opposite. He will back a primary candidate against any Republican who votes for the bill. This is causing Republicans to not only worry about offending Trump but also Musk.
Every day, Musk has been hurling insults and innuendos at Trump, including supporting his impeachment. Since Republicans worry more about reelection than legislation, they may also fear that Musk will fund Democrats against them. He also threatened to form a third party. All nonsense. Musk is not the charismatic figure he thinks he is, as evidenced from his involvement in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election.
Part of Musk’s legal problems are his conflicts of interest. His government contracts for SpaceX and his other companies were subject to ridicule when he had an active role in government. Although he was short term and unofficial, it had a bad look. This was especially so when he seemed to be running cabinet meetings, which, as anticipated, Republicans ignored.
Spending a fortune on politicians running for office puts a negative spotlight on the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations and unions to be free spenders without limits as long as their contributions are not directed by the candidates. (There is proof that rule has been abused.) Musk has the resources to outspend and “trump” anyone to achieve his goals. This has shown that the Citizens United decision perhaps has an unanticipated consequence: Someone with unlimited billions to spend could tip an election to favor their preferred candidates. To cut off this elitist possibility, perhaps both parties will feel it is time to legislate against an outsized flow of funds and, at a minimum, placing a limitation on an active government contractor being involved in any way with the inner workings of the government, which can cause undue influence, as we have just seen.
As for Trump and Musk, I see them patching up their differences, regardless of how embarrassing it may look. (Remember, it is all about the money.) But if Trump follows through on canceling contracts with Musk entities, that impetuous move will hobble us in many areas because of Musk’s deep involvement with our security and other matters. (Trump impetuous? Really?) As a business man, he could sell his expertise and technology to whomever he chooses and divulge top-secret information, even if it violates non-disclosure agreements. Musk has strong ties in China. He was about to attend a Pentagon meeting to discuss our strategy with China but was ordered not to attend when Trump heard he was invited. Why did no one ask why he was invited in the first place?
These two spoiled children should stop acting like they are going to tell mommy if they don’t get their way so things can go back to normal. Trump can continue to violate the Emoluments Clause, the rule of law, and the Constitution, while Musk can get the payback he feels he deserves for funding Trump’s reelection. The only loser in this spat is us, as in “U.S.”
Musk’s largest holdings:
- Tesla: As of June 5, 2025, Tesla’s market cap is $776.37 billion.
- SpaceX: SpaceX’s valuation is $350 billion.
- xAI: xAI, Musk’s AI startup, is valued at $113 billion.
- X (formerly Twitter): Musk purchased Twitter (now X) for $44 billion, and its current valuation is $15 billion.
Frank Gunsberg
Great Barrington
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