The president and his agencies have powerful weapons to deploy against his former DOGE chief, if they choose to.

Undeterred, Musk is vowing several more tests soon but the stakes are high and the clock is ticking. NASA hopes to use Starship for future missions to the moon, including one next year that will attempt a lunar orbit and then send the four astronauts aboard back home.

As Mr. Musk steps away from Washington, he faces concerns over his prolonged absence from his businesses including Tesla, SpaceX, xAI and X.

Ross Gerber said Musk's beef with Trump is a "disaster," and used the episode as an opportunity to sell more shares.

The world's richest man is seeking to kill the GOP's top legislative priority, which contains provisions that would hurt his business.

Trump supporters defended the "Big Beautiful Bill" against Elon Musk's criticism, expressing confidence the legislation will benefit the country despite debt concerns.

Elon Musk had advocated ending the $7,500 tax credit for buyers of Tesla and other automakers’ EVs. But with the end of that credit included in the the “big, beautiful bill,” he and the now financially struggling Tesla are arguing for its continuation.

The worried reaction within space and national security agencies highlights the risks of government’s exclusive dependence on SpaceX for crucial tasks, including classified missions.