US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that his ties with billionaire Elon Musk had ended. He also warned that there would be “serious consequences” if Musk funds Democratic candidates opposing Republicans who support Trump’s tax and spending plan.
Speaking with NBC News by phone, Trump declined to explain what those consequences might be. He also said he had not considered investigating Musk.
Asked if their relationship was over, Trump replied, “I would assume so, yeah.” When asked if he wished to fix things with Musk, he simply said, “No.” He added, “I have no intention of speaking to him.”
Trump said he had not thought about cancelling any government contracts with Musk’s companies, such as Starlink or SpaceX.
Legislation at the heart of the feud
The disagreement escalated after Musk criticised Trump’s proposed bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination.” Musk’s comments made it harder to gain support for the bill in Congress, where Republicans have only narrow majorities.
The bill passed the House in May and is now under review in the Senate. Some Republican senators may seek changes. Financial analysts estimate it would add £2.4 trillion to the national debt over ten years. The US debt currently stands at £36.2 trillion. This figure has raised concern, including among fiscally cautious Republicans.
Musk has also called for a new political party to represent what he calls the “80 percent in the middle.” Despite this, Trump said he believed the bill would pass by Independence Day on 4 July. “People who were unsure are now enthusiastic. We expect it to pass,” he told NBC.
Social media row and public reactions
Since Trump began his second term on 20 January, most Republicans have backed his proposals. Some have raised concerns privately, but none have voted against his policies or appointments.
Musk deleted several posts criticising Trump, including one that appeared to support his impeachment. Observers believe this may have been an attempt to ease tensions. During Trump’s first term, the Democrat-led House voted to impeach him twice. Both times, the Senate cleared him.
The White House and Musk did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday regarding the deleted posts.
Sources close to Musk say he has calmed down and may want to rebuild his relationship with Trump.
Political and financial ties under strain
One deleted post showed Musk responding “yes” to a user who said Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance. On a podcast released Saturday, Vance called Musk’s comments a “huge mistake.”
“I’m always going to be loyal to the President,” Vance said. “I hope Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe it’s not possible now, but I hope it is.” He also described Musk as an “incredible entrepreneur.”
Trump is expected to attend a UFC fight in New Jersey on Saturday. He previously attended two events with Musk. Musk is not expected to join him this time.
Musk, the world’s richest man, supported Trump’s 2024 campaign heavily. He reportedly spent nearly £300 million during the election and took credit for Republican wins in both chambers of Congress.
Trump recently appointed Musk to lead a government reform initiative. The role focused on cutting public sector size and spending. Just last week, Trump praised Musk’s work at the Department of Government Efficiency. However, Musk managed to cut only around 0.5% of total spending. This fell far short of his goal to reduce £2 trillion from the budget.
