It is evident that President Donald Trump is not holding back when it comes to expressing his opinions about Elon Musk.
Once considered close allies, Trump and Musk have now found themselves in a public dispute following Musk’s exit from the Trump administration.
The disagreement primarily revolves around Trump’s proposed tax reform bill, aimed at providing more tax cuts for American citizens. Musk has been vocal in his criticism of the legislation, which recently advanced through the House of Representatives and is now pending in the Senate.
Reconciliation appears unlikely, as Trump stated in a phone interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker that he has no intention of mending fences with Musk.
When asked if he believed his relationship with Tesla and SpaceX’s CEO was over, Trump replied, “I would assume so, yeah.”
“I’m too busy doing other things,” Trump continued. “You know, I won an election in a landslide. I gave him [Musk] a lot of breaks, long before this happened, I gave him breaks in my first administration, and saved his life in my first administration, I have no intention of speaking to him.”
Trump has issued a stern warning to Musk regarding potential repercussions if Musk decides to support future Democratic campaigns financially.
“If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences for that,” Trump told NBC, though he declined to share what those consequences would be. Musk’s businesses have many lucrative federal contracts.
Trump’s recent remarks hint at a shift in Musk’s status from a valued ally to a potential adversary. This is consistent with how Trump has previously responded to critics and those he perceives as opponents.
Given Musk’s significant government contracts, his businesses could be at risk of facing retaliation. Trump has suggested that terminating Musk’s contracts could be a simple way to cut expenses.
While Trump has been critical of Musk, Vice President JD Vance has offered a more positive perspective on the tech entrepreneur.
In a discussion, Vance attempted to downplay the conflict. He acknowledged that Musk was making a ‘huge mistake’ by challenging Trump, but described Musk as an ’emotional guy’ who was experiencing frustration.
“I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that’s not possible now because he’s gone so nuclear,” Vance added.
Vance further praised Musk as an ‘incredible entrepreneur’ and highlighted the achievements of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aimed to reduce US government spending and resulted in the layoff or departure of thousands of workers.