In a dramatic overnight twist, tensions between Elon Musk and Donald Trump erupted into a very public feud—though many didn’t expect it to erupt so soon. The two titans have exchanged sharp public barbs across social media, both firmly expressing deeply negative views of one another.

The immediate trigger appears to be Trump’s much-touted “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” Elon Musk launched into a harsh critique of the bill, crossing a line that Trump was clearly unwilling to tolerate. Trump fired back with an unambiguous public response, to which Musk responded in kind.

As always, Elon Musk’s comments on social media came with his signature personal flair. But this very flair makes political compromise virtually impossible, accelerating the breakdown between the two. His “Yes” to the post “Impeaching Trump, replacing him with JD Vance ” or his post that asking“Is it time to create a new political party  in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle”—illustrate not only defiance, but an unwillingness to play by Washington’s traditional rules. Instead, he seems set on injecting his own flamboyant brand of politics into the American system.
Elon Musk launches poll to form new political party.

This could be interpreted as the next phase of Silicon Valley’s techno-right making a serious challenge to the U.S. political establishment. The resulting turmoil will only add to the uncertainty surrounding domestic politics and policymaking in the U.S., making Washington’s future trajectory even harder to predict.

From a power-struggle perspective, however, the real volatility still lies in the political realm. Besides Elon Musk and Trump, a third major figure has stepped into the ring: Steve Bannon, Trump’s former strategist and a key representative of the MAGA base.

Bannon’s comments reflect MAGA’s long-standing skepticism toward Elon Musk. From the early days of Trump’s campaign, many within the movement viewed Elon Musk’s involvement as suspicious. As a tech elite icon, Elon Musk hardly fits into MAGA’s anti-establishment ethos. He was never seen as a natural ally—rather, as an untrustworthy outsider. In a way, his recent moves have only confirmed MAGA’s earlier doubts.

From Bannon’s personal perspective, Elon Musk is also a rival—a figure who threatens to eclipse his own influence. He’s seizing this opportunity to settle the score. And Bannon’s judgment is sharp: Elon Musk, even with his media clout and massive online following, is ultimately an individual. He’s not on the same playing field as Trump, the sitting President of the United States. The two aren’t even in the same league, and Trump holds all the institutional advantages.
Trump and Musk in escalating feud.

That said, Elon Musk is not entirely alone. His public profile, wealth, and social capital in today’s fractured American political landscape make him a magnet for anti-Trump forces. If they so choose, these forces—be they establishment Republicans opposed to Trump, embittered Democrats, or even ambiguous actors like J.D. Vance—could treat this moment as an opening. A political showdown that might otherwise have waited until after next year’s midterms could now be accelerated.

For U.S.-China relations, the timing of this feud is particularly notable. Just as the two national leaders wrapped up a much-anticipated phone call and public expectations were cautiously forming, the Elon Musk-Trump split serves as a stark reminder: the biggest source of uncertainty in U.S.-China ties comes not from China, but from within the United States itself.

America’s internal political evolution—its party dynamics, factional struggles, and elite power plays—are increasingly determining the fate of its foreign policy. This makes the bilateral relationship far harder to predict and even harder to manage using past frameworks. It demands bold thinking and new approaches.

But one thing is certain: this deepening political split is weakening, not strengthening, America’s position in the global system. The turbulence ahead will likely arrive fast and hard, and it demands our close and continuous attention.

Editor: LQQ