Musk and Trump, ostensibly political allies over cuts to federal spending, publicly clashed on June 5 in a series of exchanges across social media and in comments to reporters. The origin of the dispute is the impact Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill has on U.S. public debt.

Officials offered to mediate and even asylum for Elon Musk as many commented how a leader falling out with a top businessman was familiar to Russia.

If Musk ever did expatriate to Russia for asylum, he could find himself in even more danger, as critics of Putin often end up dead or imprisoned.