US President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday that his relationship with billionaire Elon Musk has ended. According to Reuters, Trump also warned of “serious consequences” if Musk funds Democratic candidates opposing Republican lawmakers who support the president’s tax and spending bill.
In a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump declined to specify what those consequences might be but was clear that he has no intention of speaking to Musk again. Asked if his relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was over, Trump replied, “I would assume so, yeah.”
Trump also mentioned that he had not considered cutting government contracts with Musk’s companies, including StarLink satellite internet or SpaceX rocket launches.
Tensions rose last week after Musk publicly called Trump’s tax and spending bill a “disgusting abomination.” Musk’s opposition complicated the bill’s progress in Congress, where Republicans hold narrow majorities in both chambers. The bill narrowly passed the House in May and is now before the Senate, with changes being considered. Nonpartisan experts estimate the measure could add $2.4 trillion to the US debt over ten years.
Musk has since called for a new political party “to represent the 80 percent in the middle,” signaling his growing distance from both major parties. Despite Musk’s critical social media posts, some were deleted as he appeared to soften his tone after the public feud escalated.
Trump expressed confidence the bill would 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 said.
Since his re-election, Trump has received strong backing from Republicans in Congress, although some lawmakers have voiced concern about his decisions. Elon Musk, who contributed nearly $300 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign, had been appointed to lead an initiative to reduce federal workforce spending but cut only a fraction of the planned budget.
The feud between Trump and Musk reflects the ongoing tensions within the Republican base and between influential political and business figures as the 2024 election cycle continues.
Article updated 3 weeks ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
