Russia Taunts Trump With Musk Asylum
General view of the Moscow Kremlin. Photo by A. Savin under CC BY-SA 3.0.
The political relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk was never going to end quietly. But even the most jaded observers of American power struggles may have been surprised when the fallout between the former allies spilled beyond U.S. borders, landing squarely in the hands of gleeful Russian officials, who wasted no time turning the spectacle into a geopolitical comedy.
In a bizarre twist that reads more like international satire than sober diplomacy, Russian political figures, including Dmitry Medvedev and Dmitry Rogozin, have extended open invitations (sarcastic but unmistakable) for Elon Musk to seek political asylum in Russia. The offers, tinged with mockery and opportunism, arrived as the world's richest man found himself publicly ejected from Trump's inner circle after denouncing the president's latest legislative effort and tossing out an explosive allegation involving Jeffrey Epstein.
A High-Profile Fallout
The unraveling began with Musk's very public condemnation of Trump's new signature proposal, the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill," which aims to continue tax cuts and boost spending on border security. Musk labeled the bill a "disgusting abomination," according to The New Yorker, and blamed it for exacerbating the national debt despite once championing Trump's fiscal vision as part of his brief and controversial stint as a White House aide.
Trump responded swiftly and characteristically, severing ties with Musk and accusing him of lashing out. "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!" Trump wrote on Truth Social, in a post that also threatened Musk's government contracts and subsidies, worth billions annually, according to Newsweek.
Then came Musk's now-deleted claim that Trump appears in the unreleased Epstein files — a serious and as-yet-unsubstantiated allegation. Musk also mused publicly that Trump should be impeached and claimed his support was essential to Trump's November victory. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," Musk wrote on X, according to The New Yorker.
Kremlin Carnivale
Sensing an opportunity to mock U.S. political dysfunction — and perhaps to widen the cracks in its elite class — Russian officials joined the fray with a mix of sarcasm and provocation. Dmitry Rogozin, former head of Roscosmos and now a senator, suggested Musk could join Russia's "Bars-Sarmat" military unit and enjoy "complete freedom of technical creativity" in the motherland, according to The Washington Post.
His post included a link to a mock enlistment form.
Dmitry Medvedev, former President and now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, added his own jab. "We are ready to facilitate the conclusion of a peace deal between D and E for a reasonable fee and to accept Starlink shares as payment," he wrote on X, according to The New Republic.
Even Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, got in on the action, posing the rhetorical question — via Musk's own AI chatbot Grok — about how the tech billionaire and Trump might reconcile. The answer was "unlikely," according to The Washington Post.
Spectacle as Strategy
Russia's giddy response is more than simple trolling — it's also a strategic act of narrative disruption. The nation has long reveled in amplifying internal U.S. tensions, and the Musk-Trump rupture offered a perfect opportunity. The Kremlin has not formally commented on asylum, but figures in and around the government clearly relished the moment to needle Washington.
This isn't Russia's first time offering shelter to controversial Western figures. Whistleblower Edward Snowden remains in Moscow under asylum, and fugitive Wirecard executive Jan Marsalek — believed to be a Russian intelligence asset — has also reportedly found safe haven there.
Musk's case, though, carries a distinctly performative flair. He's not a fugitive, nor has he expressed any interest in fleeing the U.S. Yet the sheer public nature of his feud with Trump and his importance to American industry make him a tantalizing pawn in the optics game of international influence.
A Fight With No Winners
Whether Musk's allegations have any legal consequences remains to be seen. As of now, no evidence has been provided to substantiate his Epstein-related claims, and no official investigations have been opened against Trump on that basis. Still, the escalating feud and the international spectacle it has invited reflects an increasingly blurred line between political theater and statecraft.
References: Russia Offers Political Asylum to Elon Musk Over Trump Feud | Russia Offers Elon Musk Asylum as Fight With Trump Intensifies |Russian Officials Delight in Trump-Musk Rift, Offer Mediation, Asylum | The Musk-Trump Divorce Is as Messy as You Thought It Would Be | Russia Responds to Trump-Musk Feud With Jokes, Jibes and Job Offers
