Former President Donald Trump said Saturday that his relationship with billionaire donor Elon Musk is effectively over, warning of “serious consequences” if the Tesla and SpaceX CEO supports Democratic candidates running against Republicans who back Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill.
In a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump declined to specify what those consequences might be and said he has not discussed the possibility of launching an investigation into Musk.
Asked whether he believes his relationship with Musk has ended, Trump replied, “I would assume so, yeah.”
When questioned further about a potential reconciliation, the former president was clear: “No,” he said. “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, such as the Starlink satellite internet service or SpaceX, which provides rocket launches for NASA and other agencies.
The public rift between Trump and Musk escalated this week, with Musk calling Trump’s proposed bill a “disgusting abomination.” His opposition has added to the challenge of pushing the legislation through Congress, where Republicans hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate.
The bill narrowly cleared the House last month and now awaits debate in the Senate, where some Republicans are considering amendments.
Nonpartisan analysts estimate the proposal could add $2.4 trillion to the U.S. national debt over the next decade, bringing the total to $36.2 trillion. Fiscal conservatives in Congress have raised alarm over the projected increase.
Musk also reignited his push for a new political movement, saying it’s time for a party that can “represent the 80% in the middle!”
Still, Trump expressed confidence that the legislation will pass by the July 4 Independence Day holiday.
“In fact, yeah, people that were, were going to vote for it are now enthusiastically going to vote for it, and we expect it to pass,” he told NBC.
Since beginning his second term on January 20, Trump has received broad support from the Republican Party. Though a handful of GOP lawmakers have voiced concerns over some of his initiatives, none have blocked his legislative agenda or nominees so far.
Musk Deletes Critical Posts
Musk, who has been increasingly vocal in recent weeks, deleted several social media posts critical of Trump, including one that endorsed the idea of impeaching the president. The move appears to signal a desire to de-escalate tensions that erupted publicly on Thursday.
Neither Musk nor the White House responded to requests for comment on Saturday regarding the deleted posts.
Sources close to Musk say he has begun to cool down and may eventually seek to repair his relationship with Trump.
One of the deleted posts was a reply to a user who wrote: “President vs Elon. Who wins? My money’s on Elon. Trump should be impeached and (Vice President) JD Vance should replace him.” Musk had replied simply: “yes.”
In an episode of Theo Von’s podcast This Past Weekend, recorded Thursday and released Saturday, Vice President JD Vance called Musk’s remarks a “huge mistake.”
“I’m always going to be loyal to the president, and I hope that eventually Elon kind of comes back into the fold. Maybe that’s not possible now because he’s gone so nuclear. But I hope it is,” Vance said, while also calling Musk an “incredible entrepreneur.”
Musk, the world’s richest individual, was a major financial backer of Trump’s 2024 campaign. He reportedly spent nearly $300 million during the election cycle and claimed credit for helping Republicans retain the House and regain a Senate majority.
Just last week, Trump praised Musk at the White House for his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative aimed at slashing federal spending.
Although Musk was tasked with eliminating $2 trillion from the federal budget, he only achieved a cut of around 0.5%, far short of the administration’s target.
