Donald Trump confidant reveals president was ‘actually hurt’ by ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk’s brutal attacks

WASHINGTON, DC: Behind closed doors, President Donald Trump was more affected by Elon Musk’s recent online attacks than he let on publicly, according to a source close to the president.

While Trump has projected toughness in the wake of the feud, the break from his longtime ally and former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief reportedly left him deeply rattled, reports The Daily Beast.

Donald Trump was ‘hurt’ by Elon Musk’s brutal jabs

“The president was actually hurt,” a Trump confidant told Axios, adding, “Yes, he has feelings, and he was hurt the way anyone would be when a friend turns on them.”

Musk had previously enjoyed unprecedented access and influence during Trump’s first term and was even referred to in private as the president’s “first buddy”. But that relationship frayed dramatically after Musk publicly blasted Trump’s proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, calling it a “disgusting abomination” and accusing the administration of sabotaging fiscal discipline.

The bill, which combines multiple funding priorities into a single package, drew harsh criticism from Musk, who said it undermined efficiency efforts at DOGE.

Musk also posted claims tying Trump to the “Epstein files”, further inflaming tensions.

On Wednesday, Musk attempted to dial down the rhetoric, tweeting, “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.” The statement came amid mounting backlash and suggestions that Musk was trying to repair political ties amid widening protests in California.

Despite Musk’s walk-back, Trump has shown little interest in reconciliation. Speaking at a campaign rally on Saturday, he dismissed the idea of making amends, signaling the friendship may be permanently fractured.

Yet within the White House, officials say the explosive protests over ICE raids in Los Angeles have effectively eclipsed the drama with Musk. “That’s gone now. LA wiped away the Elon drama,” a senior aide reportedly told Axios. “What’s driving the president is how the riots of 2020 are seared into his brain. He wished he could’ve ended it then—and now he’s trying.”

How an assassination attempt transformed Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s alliance

What began as a quiet ideological alignment between Elon Musk and Donald Trump has now evolved into one of the most unexpected power partnerships in recent American political history.

In 2023, Musk, still publicly distant from party politics, began privately sharing ideas with Trump over dinners attended by some of the world’s wealthiest figures. According to The New York Times, White House advisor Jonathan Swan revealed that Stephen Miller, one of Trump’s most influential aides, was guiding Musk’s early steps into political involvement.

While Musk remained reluctant to endorse any presidential candidate outright, his views began to align with Trump’s, particularly around immigration. “We actually do need a wall,” Musk wrote on X. “And we need to require people to have some shred of evidence to claim asylum.”

Then, in July 2024, the nation was shaken by an assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Within weeks, Musk broke his silence. He not only endorsed Trump but hosted him in an exclusive “conversation” on X — one that quickly turned into a rally-style monologue. During the stream, Musk floated the idea of forming a new commission dedicated to cutting government waste. “I’m willing to serve,” he declared in a follow-up post.

In October, Musk made his first public appearance at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat.

The following month, Trump formalized the partnership by announcing that Musk and former GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy would co-lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an independent advisory body created to identify and eliminate unnecessary government spending.

In November, when Trump joined Musk in Texas to witness the latest launch of SpaceX’s Starship. The two appeared side-by-side, sharing laughs and talking policy as cameras rolled.