A new memoir offers an inside look at the final days of Elon Musk’s tenure in the Trump administration, detailing a surreal tequila toast in a cramped West Wing office just before his dramatic falling out with then-President Donald Trump. The account comes from Tyler Hassen, a senior aide within Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), whose book, ‘Inside DOGE: The Real Story from a Senior Insider,’ promises to reveal the internal conflicts and public feuds that defined Musk’s time in Washington.

The Final Toast: Tequila and Tensions

The pivotal moment, as described by Hassen, occurred on a Thursday night in May 2025. Musk’s top deputies were gathered in his West Wing office, a space reportedly adorned with photographs of the billionaire in his signature black t-shirts. Musk, the world’s richest man, offered his Tesla-branded tequila, shaped like a lightning bolt, to his team. While some declined, Hassen recounts drinking a shot and then a second, a decision that foreshadowed the swift unraveling of Musk’s political involvement.

Within days of this gathering, Musk was no longer part of the administration. Within a week, he and President Trump were engaged in a public war of words. Hassen, an energy executive from Houston who joined DOGE in January 2025 and was granted significant authority at the Interior Department by Musk, has chosen to break the silence that has characterized many former DOGE staffers.

The memoir, set for release on September 22, delves into Musk’s clashes with the federal bureaucracy, his acrimonious split with Trump, and the subsequent media storm. Hassen writes that the tequila toast took place on a day Musk had reportedly clashed with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, creating a palpable sense of frustration that overshadowed the team’s usual optimism. ‘Even great tequila couldn’t mask the change in the room,’ Hassen is quoted as saying.

Policy Disputes and Public Accusations

According to Hassen’s account, Musk’s departure was largely driven by his opposition to Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ Musk and his loyalists within DOGE had reportedly worked for months to streamline government processes, only to see their efforts undermined as lawmakers added billions in new spending to the bill. Musk, in particular, was vocal about his dissent, publicly denouncing the legislation as a ‘disgusting abomination’ shortly after leaving his White House role.

The rift deepened significantly when Musk accused President Trump of being linked to Jeffrey Epstein. Musk escalated these claims further, suggesting that the delayed release of Epstein’s files was due to Trump’s involvement. This accusation prompted a sharp response from Trump, who, speaking from the Oval Office, expressed his ‘very disappointed’ feelings towards Musk.

Trump later took to social media to assert that he had forced Musk out, characterizing the billionaire as having ‘gone crazy.’ The former president also threatened to revoke federal contracts and subsidies for Musk’s companies. Reports from The Washington Post indicated that Trump privately referred to Musk as a ‘big-time drug addict,’ a claim Musk has denied, stating his ketamine use is medically prescribed.

In retaliation, Musk reportedly suggested Trump would have lost the election without his support and even endorsed calls for Trump’s impeachment, advocating for JD Vance as a replacement. Vance, then Vice President, reportedly began efforts to mediate the dispute within a day of the public blow-up, believing there was little left to lose given the severity of the public insults.

Mediation Efforts and Lingering Distrust

Over the subsequent months, Vance continued discussions with Musk and his associates. These efforts appeared to yield some results, as Musk reportedly shelved plans to launch a third political party, a move seen as an attempt to avoid further damaging his relationship with the Republican party and the President.

Hassen, a seasoned oil executive, was a key figure in Musk’s DOGE team, witnessing firsthand the breakdown of the alliance. He describes the anxiety he felt as his phone flooded with texts from colleagues during the public exchanges between Musk and Trump, his enthusiasm for his work plummeting. The perceived threat of DOGE being dismantled led Hassen to purchase souvenirs from the department’s gift shop, anticipating a potential end to his role.

Despite the mediation, reports suggest that Trump remained deeply distrustful of Musk, confiding in his closest advisors that their past closeness could not be replicated. Vance, however, reportedly viewed Musk as a valuable asset for the Republican party and sought to retain his influence.

Adding another layer to the complex relationship, Donald Trump Jr. maintained ties with Musk, with his investment firm, 1789 Capital, reportedly investing in Musk’s ventures like xAI, SpaceX, and Neuralink around the time of the public rift.

A Temporary Ceasefire and a Changed Dynamic

The efforts to mend the relationship culminated in a meeting in May 2025, when Musk joined Trump on Air Force One for a summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing. During this encounter, Musk reportedly pledged to invest at least $100 million to support Republican efforts to retain control of Congress in the upcoming November elections.

However, even with this temporary truce, the underlying distrust persisted. Trump reportedly continued to believe that the relationship with Musk could not return to its previous level of intimacy.

For Tyler Hassen, the events served as a stark reminder of the volatile nature of politics and the high stakes involved. The tequila toast, initially a moment of camaraderie, ultimately became a symbol of the end of an era for Musk within the administration. Musk later deleted the posts related to Epstein, but the memory of that final gathering, and its unintended significance as a farewell, remained etched in Hassen’s mind.

The memoir promises further insights into the internal workings of DOGE and the complex dynamics between one of the world’s most prominent entrepreneurs and a former U.S. President, offering a unique perspective on a tumultuous period in recent political history.