Trump Warns Elon Musk of “Very Serious Consequences” if He Supports Democrats
( Digitally rendered image by Team RG using AI )
President Donald Trump has warned Elon Musk that there will be “very serious consequences” if the tech billionaire decides to support Democratic candidates.
“If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences,” Trump told NBC News in a phone call on Saturday. He did not explain what the consequences would be, but repeated, “He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that.”
The president also said he has no interest in fixing his relationship with Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
“No,” Trump said when asked if he wanted to make peace with Musk. When asked if their relationship is over, Trump replied, “I would assume so, yeah.”
Trump and Musk Clash Over GOP Spending Bill
The argument between the two began after Musk criticized a Republican spending bill known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Trump said he was disappointed, adding, “I’ve helped Elon a lot.”
Soon after, Musk posted several critical messages on X (formerly Twitter), including one suggesting that Trump should be impeached, and another warning that the tariffs in the bill could lead to a recession. He also shared (and later deleted) a post that brought up Trump’s past connection to Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender.
“That’s old news,” Trump said, adding that even Epstein’s lawyer said he had nothing to do with it.
Trump Threatens to Cancel Elon’s Government Contracts
In response to Musk’s posts, Trump hinted he might cancel government contracts and subsidies given to Musk’s companies, especially SpaceX.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget… is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
When asked again on Saturday, Trump said he hadn’t seriously thought about it yet but added, “I’d be allowed to do that.”
Some Trump supporters, including Steve Bannon, have even called for the government to investigate Elon Musk’s businesses and his views on immigration. But Trump said that isn’t a priority for him right now.
“It’s not something that’s on top of my mind right now,” he said.
From Allies to Enemies
Just last year, Musk supported Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, spending more than $250 million to help him in swing states. After winning the election, Trump gave Musk a key position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, where Musk oversaw massive layoffs of federal workers.
Now, the two are clearly no longer allies.
Still, Trump believes their feud might actually help the budget bill. He said more people are paying attention to the bill now and see the benefits.
“Elon brought out the strengths of the bill… they see how good it is,” Trump said.
“I think it’s a shame that he’s so depressed and so heartbroken,” he added.
