White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said President Donald Trump’s once-close relationship with Elon Musk ended in a “very troublesome” split, the sharpest public characterisation yet of the falling-out between the two men. Speaking on the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast released Wednesday, Wiles recounted that the president had been “very, very kind” to the billionaire, who, in her words, “knew things we didn’t know” and brought unique contacts and technologies to the administration. Musk served from January until 30 May as a special adviser and the first director of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a post he left after disagreements with senior officials. During his tenure, DOGE claimed to have identified roughly $190 billion in potential federal savings, or about $1,180 per taxpayer, by renegotiating contracts, leases and grants. Relations deteriorated publicly in June when Musk denounced Trump’s sweeping “Big, Beautiful Bill” on taxes and spending as a “disgusting abomination,” prompting an exchange of barbs on social media. Last week Musk escalated the rift by announcing the formation of the America Party, a nascent third-party movement aimed at creating a swing bloc in Congress—an idea Trump dismissed as “ridiculous.” Asked why the partnership collapsed, Wiles said she “doesn’t understand it,” rejecting suggestions that jealousy played a role. She nonetheless praised Musk as a “fascinating person” who “sees the world differently,” while conceding that the collaboration “certainly came to not a good ending.” The White House has not indicated any effort to renew ties with the billionaire entrepreneur.