Musk Escalates Feud With Trump Administration

Ambitious Plans Amid Rising Tensions

Elon Musk is pursuing enormous technological milestones in the coming years — from sending astronauts to the moon on a 403-foot Starship rocket to launching a steering wheel–free robotaxi fleet and transforming millions of Tesla vehicles into fully autonomous cars through software updates. Achieving those goals requires navigating regulatory barriers from NASA, the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The White House / Wikimedia

Public Clash With Federal Leadership

Despite those dependencies, Musk launched a direct critique of the head of those agencies — Transportation Secretary and acting NASA Administrator Sean P. Duffy. In an X post on Wednesday, Musk wrote: “Having a NASA Administrator who knows literally ZERO about rockets & spacecraft undermines the American space program and endangers our astronauts.”

This criticism signals a dramatic shift from earlier this year, when Musk was considered a close Trump ally, calling himself “first buddy” to the president after significant campaign contributions. The White House / Wikimedia

Tesla Quietly Adds Controversial ‘Mad Max’ Mode

Internally, Musk is also signaling defiance through his companies’ product decisions. Tesla recently introduced a new aggressive driving setting called “Mad Max”, enabling more assertive lane changes and traffic maneuvers. The system has been reported to roll through stop signs and exceed speed limits.

This capability mirrors functions previously removed after pressure from regulators, including Tesla’s 2022 software update that ended a “rolling-stop” feature and resulted in a recall of over 50,000 vehicles. Charlie Deets / Unsplash

Regulators Launch Inquiry

NHTSA confirmed to The Washington Post that it is now reviewing the new setting. A spokesperson stated the agency “is in contact with [Tesla] to gather additional information” on the feature. Earlier this month, regulators also opened a wider investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system for reports of running red lights and crossing into opposing traffic lanes. Tuan Stewart / Unsplash

Promises of Robotaxis and Software-Based Autonomy

During Tesla’s earnings call this week, Musk reiterated his belief in a near-term autonomous future. “We’re really just at the beginning of scaling, quite massively, Full Self-Driving and Robotaxi and fundamentally changing the nature of transport,” he said. He added, “There are millions of cars out there that with a software update become full self-driving cars.”

However, he acknowledged Tesla’s expansion of robotaxi services into up to 10 metro areas by year’s end depends on “various regulatory approvals.” Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Feud Extends to NASA’s Artemis Moon Program

Musk has continued to criticize Duffy for more than 36 hours online, particularly after Duffy suggested NASA’s Artemis III moon mission may involve companies beyond SpaceX. SpaceX received a $2.89 billion contract but has faced delays and must master orbital refueling — a feat yet to be achieved by any agency.

NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens said the agency is allowing both SpaceX and Blue Origin to present “acceleration approaches” while other companies are invited to propose solutions. She added that Duffy is focused on “making sure America gets back to the Moon before China.” NASA / Wikimedia

Delays and Technical Hurdles

Artemis III was originally targeted for 2024 before shifting to 2027, though experts believe further delays are likely. On “Fox & Friends,” Duffy said, “We’re going to beat the Chinese and do it in President Trump’s term … so, before 2029 January.”

SpaceX’s Starship has completed 11 test flights with mixed results, including rocket explosions and only one brief success when a booster was caught — followed by further failures. U.S. Department of Transportation / Wikimedia

Mutual Dependence Complicates the Fallout

Despite tensions, Musk and Duffy remain dependent on each other. SpaceX relies on billions in government contracts, while NASA relies on SpaceX’s rockets to transport astronauts to orbit. Musk has pushed for Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, though Trump withdrew Isaacman’s nomination. NASA Johnson Space Center / Wikimedia

Backlash From Supporters

Some of Musk’s own followers cautioned him online. One X user wrote: “It’s not a smart idea to [upset] the DoT when you need them for [Full Self-Driving] and Robotaxi Elon.”

Tesla, however, promoted the new driving mode by reposting a user who said: “If you are running late, this is the mode for you,” to which Tesla replied: “Mad Max.” U.S. Air Force / Trevor Cokley / Wikimedia