The unlikely alliance unraveled in real time, with Trump telling reporters in the Oval Office he was “very disappointed” in the tech mogul’s criticism of his spending bill, and Musk railing against the president on X.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz says the meltdown between President Donald Trump and previous political confidante and billionaire backer Elon Musk is "two alpha males who are pissed off," unloading on each other.

Elon Musk's time in the Trump administration has come to an end with a news conference in the Oval Office in which he and the US president defended the work of Doge - and vowed it would continue, even without Musk.