Washington D.C., 8 June : Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that his relationship with billionaire Elon Musk is effectively over. He issued a stern warning that there would be “serious consequences” if Musk chose to financially support Democrats challenging Republicans who back Trump’s expansive tax and spending bill.

In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump declined to elaborate on what those consequences might be and said he hadn’t discussed any potential investigation into Musk.

When asked whether his ties with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had ended, Trump responded, “I would assume so, yeah.”
He added, “No,” when asked if he wished to reconcile with Musk.
“I have no intention of speaking to him,” Trump stated.

However, Trump clarified he hadn’t considered canceling U.S. government contracts with Musk’s companies, including Starlink and SpaceX.

The rift escalated this past week as the two publicly exchanged barbs. Musk labeled Trump’s bill a “disgusting abomination,” complicating its passage in Congress, where Republicans hold narrow majorities in both chambers.

Although the bill recently passed in the House, it now awaits review in the Senate, where Republicans are considering revisions. Nonpartisan budget analysts estimate the measure would add $2.4 trillion to the already $36.2 trillion U.S. debt over the next decade—raising concerns among lawmakers, including fiscal conservatives within the GOP.

Musk also suggested it was time to launch a new political party that could “represent the 80% in the middle!”

Despite the tensions, Trump expressed optimism that the bill 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,” Trump told NBC.

Since beginning his second term on January 20, Trump has enjoyed consistent Republican support for his legislative agenda. Though some GOP lawmakers have voiced concerns in the media, none have formally opposed his policies or nominations through votes.

Deleted Posts and Public Tensions
Musk has reportedly deleted several critical posts about Trump, including one suggesting that Trump should be impeached—indicating an attempt to de-escalate their public spat, which began Thursday.

During Trump’s first term, he was impeached twice by a Democrat-controlled House, but the Senate acquitted him both times. As of Saturday, neither Musk nor the White House has responded to inquiries about the deleted posts.

Sources close to Musk said his frustration is subsiding and speculated he might seek to mend ties with Trump.

One deleted post showed Musk replying “yes” 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.”

Appearing on Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast—recorded Thursday and released Saturday—Vice President JD Vance criticized Musk’s remarks, calling them 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,” said Vance, describing Musk as an “incredible entrepreneur.”

Trump is scheduled to attend a UFC event in New Jersey on Saturday. While he previously attended similar events alongside Musk, the billionaire is not expected to join him this time.

Musk, currently the world’s richest person, was a major financial backer of Trump’s 2024 presidential run, contributing nearly $300 million during last year’s elections. He took credit for helping Republicans hold onto the House and reclaim the Senate.

Trump had even appointed Musk to lead efforts to downsize the federal workforce and reduce spending. Just a week ago, he praised Musk at the White House for his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. However, Musk’s actual cost-cutting achievements fell short—amounting to just 0.5% of federal expenditures, far from the ambitious $2 trillion reduction he initially promised.