Through a panoramic series of actions, President Donald Trump is transforming the federal government into a vast machine for rewarding his allies and punishing those he considers his adversaries.

"They've been under incredible stress for five months, give them a break," Errol Musk said while attending a forum by Putin's ultranationalist ally in Moscow.

In an interview with NBC News, the president also said he assumes his relationship with the tech billionaire is over after their recent falling-out.