Written by: Pelangi Retta Gyani Sihombing Staff of Research and Development

It all began with what Donald Trump called the “big beautiful bill”. Ironically, this signature praise wasn’t directed at a policy he had signed into law, but at a bill passed under his successor, Joe Biden. Trump claimed credit for the bill’s concept, saying it was “his idea” and should have been passed during his presidency. Yet, rather than applause, what followed was a storm of criticism, most notably from Elon Musk.

Musk’s sharp opposition marked more than just a policy disagreement. It became the spark that fractured a once high-profile alliance. Early in Trump’s presidency, Musk joined several of Trump’s advisory councils, hoping to influence policies related to clean energy and technology. Despite their differences, they found common ground on business and innovation. However, things began to fall apart when Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017, prompting Musk to step down from the councils. Since then, tensions grew, and their clash over the infrastructure bill was the final straw. What began as a strategic alliance has now turned into open conflict, a reflection of how business and politics can work together, or fall apart. 

Image 1.  Elon Musk and Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Source: detik.com

What the Infrastructure Bill Really Contained
The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill (officially titled the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) was signed into law by President Joe Biden on November 15, 2021. The bill was one of Biden’s key domestic priorities, aimed at modernizing the United States’ aging infrastructure through large-scale investments in roads, bridges, public transportation, broadband internet, clean energy, and climate resilience. While the bill was passed under Biden’s administration with bipartisan support, Donald Trump later claimed that the ideas behind the bill were originally proposed during his presidency. He referred to it as a “big beautiful bill”, suggesting that Biden merely followed through on groundwork he had laid during his first term. This political tug-of-war over credit reflects deeper divisions not just between parties, but also between Trump and former allies like Elon Musk, who criticized the bill for being inefficient and overly focused on outdated infrastructure.

For many policymakers, this was a historic opportunity. However, for Elon Musk, the bill represented a misguided vision of the future. Musk criticized the bill as bloated, overly bureaucratic, and too focused on legacy infrastructure like railways and buses, at the expense of emerging technologies such as electric vehicles and autonomous transport. In public interviews and tweets, Musk questioned why taxpayer money was going toward systems “no one uses” instead of accelerating innovations like Tesla’s Supercharger network or supporting companies building futuristic solutions.

Musk’s Objections: More Than Just Money
Musk’s disapproval wasn’t just about priorities. It was also about principle. Known for his libertarian-leaning views, Musk has consistently advocated for minimal government interference in markets. From his perspective, the bill signaled excessive federal involvement in industries that should be driven by competition and innovation.

Tesla, the global poster child for EV disruption, found itself marginalized in a bill that seemingly favored unions and traditional automakers. Musk skipped political summits related to the bill, further distancing himself from mainstream policy circles.

Then came the public fallout. During a 2022 rally, Trump called Musk a “bullsh*t artist”, mocking him for previously expressing enthusiasm for his presidency. Musk responded shortly after, tweeting that Trump should “hang up his hat and sail into the sunset”. Their once-aligned ambitions had clearly diverged.

From Collaboration to Confrontation
The feud between Trump and Musk wasn’t just personal. It exposed a deeper ideological divide. Musk represents a brand of business-first, innovation-driven leadership. Trump, while often framed as pro-business due to his background as a real estate mogul, built his political appeal on populist themes like “America First” and “Make America Great Again”, targeting working-class voters, farmers, and evangelical Christians. However, Trump’s administration did advance several pro-business policies: he passed sweeping corporate tax cuts through the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, rolled back environmental and financial regulations, and frequently touted the stock market as a measure of national success. Despite these moves, his leadership style leaned heavily on centralized control, public spectacle, and loyalty-based politics, values that clashed with Musk’s emphasis on innovation, efficiency, and decentralization. Their interests overlapped at times, but their visions for how business and government should work were fundamentally different.

The fallout also reminded observers of Musk’s earlier exit from Trump’s advisory council in 2017 following the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. Even then, Musk’s globalist and science-driven ethos clashed with Trump’s nationalist agenda.

Together, these moments painted a picture of an unstable partnership, one that ultimately couldn’t survive fundamental disagreements on climate, infrastructure, and the role of the state.

The Bigger Picture: Business and Government at Odds
What can we learn from the public feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk? First, it highlights a fundamental tension: while business and government are often intertwined, their motivations are rarely aligned.

Business leaders like Musk prioritize innovation, speed, efficiency, but most of all, profit. Governments, on paper, must navigate broader concerns: equity, legacy infrastructure, democratic representation, and public accountability. When these two worlds collaborate, the potential for progress is high, but so is the potential for conflict.

This case makes one thing clear, while business and politics inevitably influence one another, it’s dangerous to place business people directly into powerful government positions. What serves a corporation’s bottom line may not serve the public interest. And when political figures defer too heavily to business elites, democratic principles can erode. The political elite end up doing what’s best for their wallets and not the people, and populism – the justification that the government does things for the common good – becomes rampant.

Lessons for Indonesia and Beyond
For countries like Indonesia, where the private sector is playing an increasingly active role in national development, the Trump–Musk drama serves as a valuable reminder: public-private partnerships must be transparent, accountable, and guided by clear boundaries. Business leaders can be valuable advisers—but should not be handed the reins of government.

Leadership in public office requires more than success in business. It requires a deep commitment to public service, integrity, and collective good. As Indonesia tackles major infrastructure, energy, and digital transformation initiatives, it must ensure that policies are not shaped by profit motives alone.

Conclusion
The Trump–Musk split is more than a tabloid-worthy feud. It’s a case study in what happens when business and politics overstep each other’s bounds. While it’s tempting to believe that successful entrepreneurs can seamlessly transition into public leadership roles, the reality is often more complicated and more dangerous.

Musk opposed the “big beautiful bill” not only because it didn’t favor his business, but because it conflicted with his vision of a free, innovative marketplace. Trump, meanwhile, sought legacy through large-scale public spending and control. These differences are not just about personality, they reflect structural contradictions.

In conclusion, business and politics do shape one another. However, they should never merge unchecked. Healthy democracies depend on clear boundaries, mutual respect, and thoughtful governance. As this saga shows, when ambition overrides public interest, everyone loses.

Reference
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