Former U.S. President Donald Trump has declared the end of his alliance with billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, threatening unspecified “serious consequences” if Musk supports Democratic candidates running against Republicans who back Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill.
In a phone interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump confirmed the breakdown in his relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, saying, “I would assume so, yeah,” when asked if the relationship was over. He added, “I have no intention of speaking to him.”
Despite the fallout, Trump said he has not considered canceling U.S. government contracts with Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Starlink. Their public spat erupted earlier in the week after Musk harshly criticized Trump’s economic bill, labeling it a “disgusting abomination” on social media.
Musk’s opposition reportedly complicated efforts to secure congressional approval for the bill, which narrowly passed the House and is currently under Senate review. The bill, projected by nonpartisan analysts to add \$2.4 trillion to the U.S. debt over the next decade, has sparked concern among some fiscally conservative Republicans.
While Trump expressed confidence that the legislation will pass before the July 4 Independence Day holiday, Musk continued to challenge the political status quo, calling for the creation of a new centrist political party to represent “the 80 per cent in the middle.”
In the heat of the feud, Musk deleted several social media posts critical of Trump, including one supporting the president’s impeachment and advocating for Vice President JD Vance to take his place. Sources close to Musk suggest he may be open to reconciliation, though the situation remains volatile.
Senator JD Vance, appearing on Theo Von’s podcast “This Past Weekend,” described Musk’s public attacks on Trump as a “huge mistake,” but said he hopes Musk can eventually rejoin the president’s circle.
Despite previously being lauded by Trump for his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency and backing Trump’s 2024 campaign with nearly \$300 million, Musk is not expected to attend Saturday’s UFC event in New Jersey, which Trump is scheduled to appear at.
Musk’s brief stint as head of the government efficiency task force produced only modest budget cuts—about 0.5% of federal spending—falling short of his pledge to slash \$2 trillion.
(Reuters/NAN)