Trump Declares Break With Musk, Issues Warning Over Democratic Donations
Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that his relationship with billionaire donor Elon Musk has come to an end. He warned there would be “serious consequences” if Musk were to financially back Democratic candidates running against Republicans who support Trump’s extensive tax and spending proposal.
In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump declined to specify what those consequences might be. He also said there had been no discussions about launching an investigation into Musk.
When asked whether he believed his alliance with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was over, Trump responded, “I would assume so, yeah,” adding, “I have no intention of speaking to him.”
Still, Trump clarified that he hadn’t considered canceling government contracts with Musk’s companies, including satellite provider Starlink or rocket launcher SpaceX.
The rift between the two prominent figures intensified earlier this week when Musk criticized Trump’s sweeping legislation, calling it a “disgusting abomination.” Musk’s public opposition has further complicated Republican efforts to pass the bill, especially given their narrow control of both chambers of Congress.
The legislation narrowly cleared the House and now awaits consideration in the Senate, where Republicans are contemplating revisions. Nonpartisan analysts estimate it would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over a decade—a concern even among some fiscally conservative Republicans.
Musk also called for the creation of a new centrist political party to represent “the 80% in the middle.”
Trump, for his part, expressed optimism that the bill would pass before July 4. “People who were hesitant are now enthusiastically supporting it,” he told NBC.
Despite occasional dissent in the media, Republican lawmakers have continued to back Trump’s policy agenda since his second term began in January.
Deleted Posts and De-escalation Efforts
Musk has since deleted several of his social media posts criticizing Trump, including one that appeared to endorse impeaching the president. This suggests a possible attempt to lower tensions following their public spat, which began Thursday.
Neither Musk nor the White House commented on the deleted posts as of Saturday.
Sources close to Musk said his frustration appears to be cooling, and some believe he may be open to reconciling with Trump.
One deleted post had Musk agreeing with a user who suggested that Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance. In the recently released episode of the This Past Weekend podcast, Vance described Musk’s comments as a “huge mistake” and expressed hope for a reconciliation.
“I’ll always stand by the president,” Vance said, while still praising Musk as a “remarkable entrepreneur.”
Trump was expected to attend a UFC event in New Jersey on Saturday—an arena he has previously visited with Musk. This time, Musk is not expected to join.
Musk played a major financial role in Trump’s 2024 campaign, reportedly spending close to $300 million during the election cycle and taking partial credit for Republican victories in Congress.
Trump had recently appointed Musk to lead a government efficiency initiative aimed at cutting federal spending. Just a week earlier, Trump had commended Musk for his efforts, despite the initiative achieving only a modest 0.5% reduction—far short of Musk’s goal to trim $2 trillion from the federal budget.
