Things took a dramatic turn last week when Elon Musk and Donald Trump found themselves in a fiery public feud—one that quickly escalated from political strategy to personal jabs.
What started as a difference of opinion about tax policy soon morphed into something far more explosive, as Musk made a bold and controversial claim: he said Trump owes his 2024 victory to him.
Musk Claims He Helped Trump Win Big
Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla, SpaceX, and social platform X, didn’t hold back.
In a blunt statement, he declared that without his influence and financial support, Donald Trump would’ve lost the 2024 election.
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” Musk said last Thursday.
He even added a jab about being unappreciated: “Such ingratitude.”
It’s not a baseless claim in terms of financial contributions—Musk reportedly poured around $277 million into Trump-aligned campaigns and was actively involved in promoting Trump during the race.
The Fallout: A Social Media Firestorm
However, the alliance between the two giants didn’t last.
Their fallout became very public, largely playing out on Musk’s own platform, X.
The feud intensified over Trump’s much-discussed tax policy, which Musk criticized.
But things got even uglier when Musk made controversial insinuations linking Trump to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
By midweek, Musk took a step back and expressed some regret about his over-the-top posts.
“I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far,” he wrote on X.
Voters Weigh In: Who Really Deserved the Credit?
As the spat made headlines, a Daily Mail poll conducted by JL Partners asked voters whether they thought Trump truly needed Musk to win the 2024 election.
The results painted an interesting picture:
- 45% believed Trump would have won without Musk’s help
- 34% said Musk was essential to Trump’s win
- 21% were undecided
Looking at party lines, most Republicans (71%) felt Trump won on his own, with only 15% agreeing that Musk played a decisive role.
Democrats, however, were more likely to credit Musk, with 53% saying Trump couldn’t have pulled it off without him.
Musk’s Third-Party Pitch Doesn’t Stick
In the middle of all this drama, Musk teased the idea of launching a new political party—the “America Party”—aimed at appealing to what he calls the “80 percent in the middle.”
But according to the poll, that idea didn’t exactly catch fire.
When asked if they would vote for a candidate from Musk’s proposed party, only 4% of respondents said yes. Democrats led overall support at 42%, followed by Republicans at 35%.
Among voters not aligned with either major party, the “America Party” drew slightly more interest—7% said they’d vote Musk.
But only 1% of Democrats and 5% of Republicans said they’d consider a candidate from Musk’s party.
Trump Still Dominates the GOP Base
Despite the drama and Musk’s year-long involvement in pro-MAGA circles, the majority of Republicans remain loyal to Trump.
In the same Daily Mail poll:
- 59% of GOP voters sided with Trump
- Only 12% backed Musk
- 28% were undecided
And while Musk has seen a slight increase in support among Republican voters since April, Trump still enjoys nearly five times the level of backing.
A previous survey had shown Trump with 70% support among Republicans, while Musk was far behind at 6%.
James Johnson, pollster at JL Partners, summed it up: “Republicans are clear: Donald Trump is their man.”
What Comes Next?
As the dust settles, one thing is clear—Elon Musk might have the money, the influence, and a powerful platform, but when it comes to the Republican base, Trump still reigns supreme.
Whether Musk will move forward with his “America Party” ambitions or try to rebuild his relationship with the GOP remains to be seen.
Either way, this clash of titans has exposed deep rifts—and it’s unlikely to be the last round in their political rivalry.