President Donald Trump has set the political battleground ablaze, warning Elon Musk of “very serious consequences” should he finance Democrat challengers opposing his GOP agenda.
The escalating feud between the two powerful figures comes after Musk publicly criticized Trump’s signature economic legislation.
With billions in federal contracts at stake, the battle shows that Trump will not tolerate disloyalty even from America’s wealthiest tech mogul.
The threat represents a dramatic escalation in the public falling out between the president and the SpaceX CEO, who had previously served as a key figure in Trump’s DOGE before their relationship soured over Musk’s criticism of GOP budget legislation.
“If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences for that. He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,” Trump said during a phone interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker.
The president made it clear that the relationship with Musk is beyond repair, stating firmly: “No. I would assume so, yeah. I’m too busy doing other things. I have no intention of speaking to him.”
This uncompromising stance signals Trump’s willingness to confront even the world’s richest man when loyalty to his agenda is at stake.
Trump’s threat carries significant weight given the billions of dollars in government contracts held by Musk’s companies, particularly SpaceX, which provides crucial services to NASA and the Department of Defense.
While Trump has suggested he might cancel these federal contracts, he has not yet taken concrete steps to do so.
However, the implication that Musk’s businesses could face governmental scrutiny sends a powerful message that opposing Trump’s agenda comes with potential business consequences.
“I think it’s a very bad thing, because he’s very disrespectful. You could not disrespect the office of the president,” Trump added.
The conflict began when Musk publicly criticized Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which includes significant tax cuts, enhanced border security measures, and increased military spending.
The tech mogul denounced the legislation as a “deficit-increasing monstrosity,” challenging the president’s signature economic policy.
According to various estimates, the bill could increase the deficit between $2.3 trillion and $5 trillion over 10 years.
Despite Musk’s opposition, it remains a cornerstone of Trump’s second-term agenda.
The feud intensified when Musk posted and later deleted content linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, crossing a line that many conservatives viewed as unacceptable.
Musk also threatened to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft before retracting that statement.
These erratic actions from the tech billionaire prompted Vice President J.D. Vance to suggest Musk was acting emotionally and had made a mistake, while still expressing hope that Musk might eventually return to supporting the president.
Trump’s handling of the situation has reportedly unified the Republican Party around him, with many lawmakers rallying to support the president against Musk’s criticism.
Regardless of the feud’s high profile, the GOP budget bill is still expected to pass, demonstrating that Trump maintains firm control over his party’s legislative agenda.
Meanwhile, Musk continued his opposition and even suggested forming a third political party, further alienating himself from the GOP establishment that he once supported.
Trump’s steadfastness might bolster his base, but Musk’s influence and resources should not be underestimated.
For MAGA supporters, this battle could mark yet another defining moment in their mission to maintain traditional values against encroaching liberal agendas.
