Comedian Bill Maher has come up with a new celebrity-style nickname for President Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk, playfully dubbing the once-friendly pair “Elump” as their high-profile dispute escalates. He introduced the term during his Friday night segment.
In the opening monologue on the June 7, 2025 episode of “Real Time With Bill Maher,” Maher likened the falling-out between Trump and Musk to famous celebrity breakups. Referencing iconic couple nicknames such as “Brangelina” for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and “Bennifer” for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, he then unveiled his own blended name for the political duo.
Recently, Trump and Musk’s partnership has rapidly unraveled, leading to heated clashes on social media. Musk initially invested considerable funds to support Trump’s campaign and took on the role of heading the Department of Government Efficiency, which eliminated thousands of federal positions in the name of cutting government waste.
However, the alliance deteriorated sharply when the GOP pushed forward the One Big Beautiful Bill, a sweeping expenditure plan that waives as much as $4.5 trillion in tax revenue over ten years and allocates around $900 billion to Trump’s large-scale deportation project. The legislation is projected to increase the deficit by $2.4 trillion—potentially $3 trillion with interest. Last month, as Musk prepared to resign his government post, he began publicly opposing the bill, arguing it contradicted his mission to streamline government operations.
Maher described the ongoing dispute as a war of words and humorously added that “the winner faces Blake Lively,” alluding to her recent legal fight with co-star Justin Baldoni, which made headlines in the entertainment world.
Throughout his monologue, Maher used vivid comparisons, suggesting the showdown between the world’s wealthiest man and the most influential political figure resembled “Godzilla versus King Kong—if Godzilla were on ketamine and King Kong sported a comb-over.”
Trump’s relationship with Maher has also been fraught. In September 2024, Trump attacked the HBO host, labeling Maher as “a befuddled mess, sloppy and tired” and accusing him of having “Trump derangement syndrome” in response to Maher’s criticism of Trump’s anti-immigration policies.
Maher has frequently used his show to lampoon both Trump and Musk. In May 2025, he mocked Trump for accepting a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar’s royal family, raising concerns over the ethics of the arrangement. He also pointed out Trump’s close ties with Middle Eastern leaders, notably Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The public rift, which Maher terms the “Elump” split, marks a significant change in Trump’s inner circle, as Musk had previously been one of his most influential and generously funded backers during the 2024 campaign. Musk’s earlier criticism of federal judges and his push for their impeachment had mirrored Trump’s rhetoric, but their partnership fractured amid disagreements over fiscal priorities and government spending.
Elon Musk publicly apologized on June 11, 2025 via X, stating: “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.”
His apology followed a whirlwind of criticism: Musk had slammed Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” as a “disgusting abomination,” floated ideas of impeachment, and even insinuated Trump was linked to sealed Jeffrey Epstein files—a post he later deleted.
In response, Donald Trump reacted relatively warmly. In a call with the New York Post, he described Musk’s apology as “very nice” and said he held “no hard feelings,” though he admitted being “a little disappointed” by the earlier attacks. A White House spokesperson echoed Trump’s acceptance and pointed to ongoing national priorities.
Behind the scenes, aides—including Vice President J.D. Vance and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles—were instrumental in tamping down the conflict by contacting Musk before the apology. However, insiders caution that the damage may not be fully repaired: “pure avoidance” best describes the current state, with trust hard to rebuild.
Financially, the truce couldn’t have come at a better time: Tesla’s stock, which had dropped around 14%, rebounded with a ~1% rise, and Musk’s net worth rebounded by ~$191 million.
In short: Musk issued a clear, concise apology for exceeding bounds. Trump responded diplomatically—no lingering bitterness, but not fully reconciliatory—while Musk’s apology helped calm markets.