Victor Davis Hanson: The Trump-Musk Split is a Gift to the Left

What happened between Donald Trump and Elon Musk—and why does it matter for the future of American politics?

After Elon Musk publicly criticized Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” for overspending, a once-productive relationship spiraled into mutual recriminations, accusations, and veiled threats.

Victor Davis Hanson breaks down the sudden, bizarre, and historically unprecedented rupture between two powerful figures. on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.” With the 2026 midterms fast approaching, Trump and Musk must fast-track their reconciliation because now is the time for "unity, not disunity."

“ So, what was it all about? People have given all sorts of different explanations. One of them is that the new big, beautiful bill will phase out subsidies for all electric vehicles. And given Tesla’s attacks on—people attacking stations, chargers, dealers, individual drivers, the bad publicity the Democrats ginned up, he can’t afford that right now. … He’s angry about this bill. And then, when Trump sort of brushed it off, he went DEFCON 1.

“Elon Musk needs Donald Trump for the space exploration, for a fair shake on his business deals. And Donald Trump is aided by Elon Musk, especially the SpaceX. So, it’s a mutually beneficiary relationship, not just for both of them, but for us, the American people.”

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(0:00)The Musk-Trump Fallout
(0:15)Historical Context and Tensions
(0:34)The Democratic Party's Role
(1:01)Higher Education Transformation
(1:51)Revisiting the Musk-Trump Fallout
(5:29)Potential Resolutions and Future Outlook