--- title: "Republicans Admit They Have Zero Respect for Musk, Were Just Using Him for Money and Clout" description: "Many Republicans are breathing a massive sigh of relief now that billionaire Elon Musk has broken up with president Donald Trump." date: "2025-06-05" modified: "2025-06-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/republicans-zero-respect-musk-money-and-clout" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "donald trump" - "elon musk" - "the digest" --- # Republicans Admit They Have Zero Respect for Musk, Were Just Using Him for Money and Clout ![Many Republicans are breathing a massive sigh of relief now that billionaire Elon Musk has broken up with president Donald Trump.]() *\Image: Scott Olson/Getty Images\* ## 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]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()