President Trump Rules Out Contact With Musk as Rift Deepens
President Donald Trump said Friday he has no intention of speaking with Elon Musk, signaling that tensions between the two former allies remain high over the administration’s tax-cut legislation.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters he wasn’t “thinking about” the Tesla CEO but wished him success with the company. However, Trump also suggested that the government would re-examine Musk’s federal contracts, calling them “a lot of money.”
A White House official, speaking anonymously, added that Trump may even part with the red Tesla Model S he purchased in March and previously showcased on the White House lawn.
Musk, meanwhile, continued criticizing the Republican tax and spending package — a central part of Trump’s economic agenda — calling it fiscally reckless. On his platform X, he echoed posts warning that the bill would hurt Republicans and balloon the national debt. He also endorsed the idea of a new political party to represent “the 80% in the middle.”
Despite the fallout, sources close to Musk believe he may eventually seek to mend ties with Trump.
The rift escalated this week following a public back-and-forth between the two men. Tesla shares, which plummeted 14% on Thursday and lost $150 billion in market value, rebounded slightly on Friday.
While many of Musk’s allies have remained silent, investor James Fishback urged Musk to apologize, calling Trump’s reaction “gracious” given Musk’s recent conduct.
Musk had previously been a major Trump backer, contributing significantly to his 2024 campaign and briefly serving as head of the government efficiency initiative — though it yielded limited spending cuts.
Since then, Musk has called Trump’s spending bill a “disgusting abomination,” complicating its prospects in a narrowly divided Congress. Although it passed the House, the bill faces revisions in the Senate. Analysts estimate it would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over a decade.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he’s been in touch with Musk and hopes to defuse the conflict. “I don’t tell him how to build rockets, and I’d prefer he not tell me how to write laws,” Johnson quipped on CNBC.
Trump, after initially staying quiet, said Thursday he was “very disappointed” in Musk and hinted at cutting off government contracts with Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Starlink.
In response, Musk briefly threatened to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, though he later retracted that statement.
Insiders say part of Musk’s frustration stems from Trump withdrawing the nomination of Musk ally Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Sources claim White House personnel chief Sergio Gor swayed Trump by flagging Isaacman’s past Democratic donations — further fueling tensions, especially after Musk criticized Gor’s hiring pace at a recent cabinet meeting.
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung praised Gor’s staffing work but did not comment on the Musk dispute.
The fallout could have political consequences. Musk has hinted at scaling back donations, and prolonged tensions may push other Silicon Valley leaders away from Trump ahead of next year’s elections.
Protests at Tesla sites have already emerged over Musk’s political involvement, raising concerns among investors that his attention is too divided.
