Cracks in Silicon Valley and Washington’s marriage of convenience had been appearing for weeks, particularly over the Trump tax bill that so irked Musk. Deficit hawks balked at the legislation adding trillions to the US debt pile, while more socially progressive tech figures bridled at proposed cuts to entitlement programmes like Medicaid.

The Trump-Musk beef puts Silicon Valley in an awkward position as it navigates the president’s tech and trade policies.

The relationship between Mr. Trump and tech industry power brokers was built on money and the promise of deregulation, with Mr. Musk in the middle of it all.