Musk and Trump traded scathing missives on social media in early June. Trump has previously threatened to end government contracts with Musk's companies, saying during their June fallout that "the easiest way to save money" would be to "terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts."

That doesn’t guarantee he’ll succeed: Musk spent considerable time and resources in a losing effort to elect a Republican to Wisconsin’s supreme court earlier this year. His popularity remains low, and, ultimately, Donald Trump is president, and Musk is not.