How should a corporate board respond to a CEO publicly insulting and shaming a sitting president?

It’s not a question that most need to consider, since few chief executives dare to directly criticize the White House. When CEOs do speak out against a federal directive, their messages are usually delivered behind closed doors, or in a collective open letter. But this week, Elon Musk changed all that and forced the issue in a prolonged public spat with Donald Trump.

The pair had a much-anticipated falling out over Trump’s budget, also referred to as the “big beautiful bill,” on Thursday, which quickly got personal. Musk asked his social media followers if it was time to create a new political party, said that Trump’s tariffs would cause a recession, and even claimed that Trump’s name was in

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