President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to tech magnate Elon Musk, indicating "serious consequences" if Musk provides financial support to Democratic candidates opposing Republicans who back the GOP's comprehensive budget bill. In a phone interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump declined to specify these consequences but reiterated they would be "very serious." The former president also declared a definitive end to his relationship with Musk, stating he has no desire to reconcile after a public feud erupted between the two men earlier this week. "I would assume so, yeah," Trump said when asked if their relationship was over, adding that he had no intention of speaking with Musk anytime soon, citing other commitments.
Trump further accused Musk of being "disrespectful to the office of the President," emphasizing the importance of respecting the presidential office. This public spat follows a series of critical posts by Musk on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, some of which are now deleted. These included a post highlighting alleged past connections between Trump and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which Trump dismissed as "old news" and something "talked about for years," asserting that even Epstein's lawyer had cleared him.
The feud intensified after Musk expressed criticism of a GOP-led spending bill passed by the House last month. On Thursday, Trump voiced his disappointment with Musk's stance, telling reporters in the Oval Office, "Elon knew the inner workings of this bill. I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot." In response, Musk launched several social media attacks, including a now-deleted post advocating for Trump's impeachment and another predicting a recession later this year due to Trump's tariff agenda. Trump retaliated on Truth Social, suggesting that Musk should have expressed his opposition months earlier if he was aware of the bill's contents. He also threatened to "terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," referencing federal contracts with SpaceX, a move he hadn't given further thought to by Saturday but maintained he "would be allowed to do."
Regarding calls from allies like Steve Bannon for federal investigations into Musk's business dealings and immigration record, Trump told NBC News that such conversations were not currently "on top of his mind." He also expressed confidence that the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" would pass the Senate before July 4, despite Musk's opposition, asserting that the Republican Party was more unified than ever.
