The staggering and exceedingly public rupture in the world’s most consequential and unprecedented partnership was a long time coming. But the surreal state of suspended animation that consumed Washington as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk traded escalating blows on social media obscured a 48-hour period that illustrated profoundly high-stakes moment for the White House.

Elon Musk ramped up his rhetoric on social media against the “One Big Beautiful Bill” on Tuesday hours after Donald Trump ripped a Republican senator who opposes the president’s budget plan. Musk, who offered milder criticism of the bill last week, upped the ante in a Tuesday afternoon tweet.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he has little appetite for reconciling with Elon Musk any time soon, signaling he’s eager to move on to other topics following their extraordinary public blow-up.