Recently, Trump and Musk jointly appeared in an interview with Fox News, a major U.S. media outlet, drawing significant attention. The most talked-about aspect was their response as political allies regarding their collaborative relationship. During the interview, Trump and Musk accused certain media outlets of trying to "drive a wedge" between them. They then engaged in what can be described as a "mutual admiration display," publicly emphasizing their friendly and solid relationship.

Trump and Musk gave an exclusive interview to Fox News host Sean Hannity. This is not the first time Trump has publicly expressed support for Musk, but rumors about a rift between the two continue to swirl. On one side is the world's richest man, who controls a tech empire, and on the other is a dominant president with consolidated power. While their partnership appears unshakable, this "political alliance" faces challenges and tests from multiple fronts.

The government reforms have sparked public outrage. After taking office, Trump launched an offensive against America's "deep state," initiating large-scale layoffs of government employees and significant spending cuts, with Musk acting as the vanguard of this reform. In just one month, the storm of reform they unleashed swept through Washington, delivering a heavy blow to the federal bureaucracy. This round of reforms met Trump's demand to "drain the swamp in Washington" and transform the federal political system, but it also directly struck a nerve with the "deep state," undermining the core interests of the Democratic Party. As the reforms entered the "deep waters" of defense, military-industrial, and financial sectors, Musk provoked too many vested interest groups, igniting a massive wave of opposition.

Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has vehemently criticized Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency for "violating democratic principles," stating that he will take legislative action in Congress to oppose Musk's actions.

New Jersey Democrat LaMonica McIver criticized Elon Musk's scrutiny of the U.S. Agency for International Development, accusing him of being the "de facto president" of the United States, sacrificing national interests for personal business gains.

On [specific date], several states sued Trump and Treasury Secretary Besant, accusing them of granting Musk unreasonable privileges. A week later, attorneys general from additional states charged that Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency's actions lacked legal validity.

Meanwhile, protests against Elon Musk have been erupting across the United States, with participants chanting slogans like "Elon wasn't elected" to oppose his interference in government operations. During the anti-Musk demonstrations, people held up signs reading "No one elected Elon Musk."

The "Department of Government Efficiency" is not an official federal agency, and Musk lacks genuine political grounding—his authority stems entirely from Trump's endorsement. Although the two currently enjoy a close relationship, many analysts believe that under external pressure, Trump may use Musk as a "scapegoat" to quell opposition. Historically, Trump has always adhered to pragmatism with political allies and aides, as seen in cases from Bannon to Tillerson, where "use and discard" has been a recurring pattern. If the "anti-Musk movement" escalates to a certain point, Trump, pressured by circumstances, might not hesitate to sacrifice this "first brother."

Political Favoritism Sows Hidden Dangers. Trump's current campaign team has undergone significant changes compared to when he was first elected. Unlike before, when he relied mainly on family members and the far-right faction of the Republican Party, his support base this time is notably more diverse. While Trump has largely maintained a balance of power among the various factions around him, his nearly unconditional and absolute support for Musk has disrupted this equilibrium. The power pie in Washington is only so big—when Musk takes a larger slice, it inevitably comes at the expense of others.

During the phase when Trump was selecting his cabinet members, Musk publicly expressed his support for Howard Lutnick to become the Secretary of the Treasury. This direct interference in the selection of key cabinet personnel, which crossed boundaries, sparked dissatisfaction among other members of Trump's administration. On a certain date, Joshua Fisher, the White House Chief Administrative Officer, submitted a document to the court stating that Musk's role in the Trump administration was that of a White House employee and senior presidential advisor, not affiliated with the "Department of Government Efficiency." As such, Musk was only authorized to provide advice to the president and convey the president's directives, without any actual or formal authority to personally make government decisions.

On [date], Musk stated that, according to Trump's directive, all federal government employees must regularly submit "weekly reports" detailing "their completed tasks from the past week," or else they would be considered resigned. In response, agencies such as the FBI, the State Department, and the Department of Defense instructed their employees not to comply and adopted a non-cooperation policy toward Musk's order. Clearly, this reflects resistance from Trump's newly appointed cabinet members against Musk's aggressive actions. Musk posted on social media, demanding federal employees submit "weekly reports."

Currently, there is indeed an "anti-Musk sentiment" within Trump's administration. If Musk faces more opposition in the future, Trump might be pressured to exile Musk from the center of power.

The ideological divide is hard to conceal. The biggest underlying risk for the "Te-Ma alliance" remains the deep-rooted ideological differences between the tech right-wing and certain groups. For a long time, Silicon Valley elites have been staunch supporters of the Democratic Party. However, the diversity policies and heavy regulations on the tech industry promoted by the Democrats have increasingly hindered the rapid growth of major tech companies. As a result, many Silicon Valley elites have gradually shifted toward more conservative positions, moving into opposition against the Democratic Party.

As a conservative representative within the Republican Party, Trump is not a pure fundamentalist himself. However, for the sake of his campaign, with the help of Bannon and Yarvin, he has positioned himself as an ideological spokesperson. On the issue of immigration, the tech right only opposes illegal immigration and advocates for the broad recruitment of highly educated and skilled individuals to enhance the competitiveness of American businesses. In contrast, the populist faction strongly opposes any form of immigration. The two sides remain deadlocked in this dispute, with ongoing conflicts.

On the issue of energy, Musk's Tesla can be considered the leader of the U.S. new energy industry. However, the general public remains enthusiastic about traditional energy sources, viewing the energy revolution driven by climate change as a hoax. When it comes to technology, Musk is a "tech enthusiast," passionate about new energy vehicles, brain-computer interfaces, artificial intelligence, and space exploration. Yet, many individuals are anti-intellectualists, harboring deep skepticism and distrust toward emerging technologies. The vast ideological differences have led to significant opposition between traditional groups and the Silicon Valley tech-right represented by Musk, with some radicals even labeling him as a "national threat." Musk, wearing a dark-colored hat.

During the election period, both sides were able to temporarily set aside their differences in the face of their common enemy, the Democratic Party, and Trump even made promises to "deregulate across the board and strongly support cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence." However, once Trump returns to the White House and regains power, these fundamental differences will likely be difficult to reconcile at the policy level. Elder statesman Bannon has repeatedly publicly attacked Musk, labeling him a "techno-feudalist," the "antisocial overlord of Silicon Valley," a "parasitic illegal immigrant," and the "chief culprit" of dividing their camp, vowing to work toward expelling Musk from Washington. In this confrontation, the tech right-wing does not hold the upper hand, as the group constitutes Trump's voter base—a political foundation he absolutely cannot abandon.

Overall, the political alliance between Musk and Trump is underpinned by a high-stakes exchange of interests. Currently, Trump's power remains solid, internal conflicts are still manageable, and he continues to need Musk as his "reform spearhead." Thus, in the short term, the two will maintain close cooperation and continue to "flaunt their camaraderie" in public. However, once the dividends of Musk's reforms are exhausted, internal power struggles within Trump's camp reach a tipping point, and the ideological rift between the tech right and populist factions becomes irreconcilable, this "bromance" may collapse. Musk, the tech mogul who built a business empire, might ultimately realize: the power games in Washington are far more treacherous than interplanetary colonization.

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