When Donald Trump met privately with White House officials on Wednesday, there was little to suggest that the U.S. president was close to a public break with Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman who helped him win a second term in office.

Once a key member of President Donald Trump's inner circle, a major campaign donor and a scene-stealing presence at Cabinet meetings, Elon Musk's relationship with the president has deteriorated into a bitter public feud since leaving the White House last week.