Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Elon Musk, suggesting the tech mogul could face “serious consequences” if he decides to back Democratic candidates in upcoming elections.
Speaking to NBC over the weekend, the US president didn’t hold back, targeting Musk following the billionaire’s public criticism of a Trump-endorsed spending bill currently under scrutiny.
Trump said during a phone interview with NBC New’s Kristen Welker: “If he does, he'll have to pay the consequences for that”.
He added: “He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that” though he did not elaborate on what those consequences might entail.
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The heated remarks come as tensions between the two high-profile figures reach a new peak. Trump also confirmed that his relationship with Musk, once considered an ally during his first term, is effectively over.
Trump said: “I gave him a lot of breaks, long before this happened, I gave him breaks in my first administration and saved his life in my first administration”.
“I have no intention of speaking to him.”
When asked whether the relationship had completely deteriorated, the president replied: “I would assume so”.
Trump went on to accuse Musk of being “disrespectful to the office of the president”, indicating there’s little hope of a reconciliation anytime soon.
This public fallout appears to have been sparked by Musk’s outspoken rejection of a major “big beautiful” spending bill championed by Trump. The legislation, which passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate, has been condemned by Musk as a fiscal disaster.
Earlier this week, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his frustration, calling the bill a “disgusting abomination” and warning it would lead to exploding federal budget deficits — specifically to “$2.5 trillion”.
In a separate post on 3 June, the Tesla and SpaceX boss wrote: “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.”
Despite the backlash, Trump remains confident that the legislation will move forward.
He said: “If you look at the Republicans, we've never been more unified”. “The bill is fantastic.”
He went on to predict that it would pass by 4 July, brushing aside any notion that Musk’s opposition could pose a serious threat.
The clash between the former president and the world’s richest man highlights growing fractures within the Republican-aligned business elite, especially as both men wield considerable influence over their respective audiences.
With Musk doubling down on his criticism and Trump drawing battle lines, this high-stakes feud shows no signs of cooling off for the foreseeable.