Donald Trump and Elon Musk in the White House, March 2025 (Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty)

EA-Times Radio VideoCast: Trump-Musk — When Two Narcissists Fall Out of Love

UPDATE, JUNE 12:

After Elon Musk tweeted, “I regret some of my posts about President Trump last week. They went too far,” I joined BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday to assess if the two narcissists will kiss and make up.

Listen to Discussion from 1:51.28

I note the fragility of any attempted reconciliation, given that a tempermental Musk posted in the very early morning and that a tempermental Trump may not forget their argument.

I focus on the immediate test — the Senate’s consideration of Trump’s Big, Not-So-Beautiful bill with a tax giveaway, massive spending cuts, and anti-migrant measures. Will Musk now go quiet, abandoning his alliance with the group of Republican members of Congress who could doom Trump’s centerpiece legislation?

I can’t make predictions because with two narcissists who are prickly and thin-skinned, this could turn on a dime.

But it could block this bill.

I also evaluate the latest from Trump’s authoritarian power grab in Los Angeles, disappearing migrants and sending in military units.

EA-Times Radio VideoCast: Trump’s Authoritarian Power Grab in Los Angeles

UPDATE 1816 GMT:

I joined Alexis Conran on Times Radio on Saturday afternoon to evaluate if Elon Musk can challenge Donald Trump’s legislation and hold on the Republican Party.

It is not just Elon Musk having deep pockets. It is having a social media platform with all the algorithms set up so he pumps out his version of events.

And although only a minority of Republican senators and representatives are going to side with Musk, it is that minority that could sink Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”.

Listen to Discussion from 27:35

UPDATE 1510 GMT:

Alongside relationship coach Jo Hemmings, I joined Matt Frei on London’s LBC to examine the “messy divorce” of Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

I link Musk’s tweets to the group of Republicans who could block Trump’s Big, Not Very Beautiful Bill.

If four Republican senators vote against the bill, Trump looks like a guy who can’t get things done. All he can do is destroy things — he can’t get a payoff, especially for his wealthiest backers who got him back into office.

UPDATE 1457 GMT:

In a 15-minute analysis, I take Dublin NewsTalk’s Anton Savage Show through the escalation of the Trump-Musk breakup, consider its political effects, and project the possible developments and damage.

Musk has a social media platform. And he has a great deal of material he can deploy — because when his boys from the so-called “Department” of Government Efficiency hacked apart US agencies, they lifted information on millions of Americans and trillions of dollars.

If he wants to make this a political fight, Musk has ammunition.

I follow up: could Trump hit Musk by cancelling billions of dollars of Government contracts for Tesla and SpaceX?

UPDATE, JUNE 7:

An extract from my Saturday morning interview with the hard-right, pro-Trump outlet GB “News”….

I describe how Donald Trump rebuffed the efforts of White House aides to set up reconciliation with Elon Musk in a Friday phone call, how the ongoing feud threatens Trump’s flagship legislation, and how Musk could challenge Trump by supporting candidates against Trumpist incumbents in next year’s Congressional elections.

UPDATE 1504 GMT:

I spoke with Sky News on Friday afternoon about the escalation of the Trump-Musk breakup, as Donald refused to take a call from Elon that had been pursued by White House aides.

Trump has rejected the attempt at reconcilation. We are watching to see how Musk reacts.

Meanwhile, the “Big Beautifull Bill” could be in trouble, with Musk reinforcing the Republicans who oppose it.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: I joined BBC Radio Wales on Friday to walk through the dramatic break-up of Donald Trump and his unelected co-President Elon Musk.

Listen to Discussion from 10:17

I describe the real-time destructive interaction of Trump’s White House press conference and Musk’s tweets, culminating in the reality TV star’s threat to cut billions of dollars of Government contracts for Tesla and SpaceX and Musk’s threat to end the Dragon flights to the International Space Station.

Two narcissists walk into a bar — when are they going to get into a fight?

You add the punch line.

I examine the damage to Trump’s flagship “big, beautiful bill” for massive tax reductions, spending cuts, and anti-immigrant measures.

What can Trump offer Musk? He effectively has to withdraw that bill or accept significant amendments to it.

To appease Musk, Trump may have to hollow out his centerpiece legislation.

And I consider if Musk might go farther by supporting challengers to Trumpist incumbents in next year’s Republican primaries for Congressional seats.