Republicans Admit They Have Zero Respect for Musk, Were Just Using Him for Money and Clout

"He's a complete joke... We couldn't wait to get rid of him."

Soup D'oor

Though some want him back, many Republicans are breathing a massive sigh of relief now that billionaire Elon Musk has broken up with president Donald Trump in dramatic fashion.

As Axios reports, lawmakers are releasing plenty of steam and pent-up frustration.

"He's a complete joke," one House Republican vented to Axios. "He had no idea what the f*ck he was doing, whatsoever."

"Nobody really wanted him here," the lawmaker added. "We couldn't wait to get rid of him."

The comments highlight an immense buildup of tension behind the scenes as Musk led the gutting of federal agencies with the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, chaotic moves that have proven immensely unpopular.

Now that he's on the outs with Trump, politicians and political operatives are finally coming out of the woodwork to bid him adieu — though cleaning up the mess Musk is leaving behind won't be an easy feat.

Bye Felicia

Musk has been accused of overstepping boundaries and pushing Trump to pick his preferred cabinet members.

In other words, Musk's mere presence in the White House ruffled plenty of feathers. He was given the nickname "Crazy Uncle Elon" by State Department officials, as Rolling Stone reported earlier this year, with staffers rolling their eyes at his cringey jokes and bristling at his "irritating" personality.

But now that Musk has claimed that his time in politics has come to an end — a proclamation that's hard to believe — Trump officials are seemingly elated.

"He can say whatever he wants to," another House Republican told Axios. "I don't care. I don't really pay attention. He's not elected. He served at the pleasure of the president. He no longer does."

The beef between Musk and Trump escalated after the White House announced over the weekend that it had pulled its nominee for the NASA administrator role, Jared Isaacman, who was personally hand-picked by Musk.

Not long after, Musk excoriated Trump's tax bill as a "disgusting abomination," calling on people to "fire all politicians, who betrayed the American people" during next year's midterm elections.

"I knew it was a matter of time before the two alpha males would explode, fight each other," one House Republican told Axios.

More on the feud: Musk Privately Complaining That His Immense Donations to Trump Didn't Even Buy Him Control of NASA