President Donald Trump made a pointed warning during an interview with NBC News, stating that Elon Musk could face ‘serious consequences’ if the Tesla founder chose to fund Democratic candidates in the upcoming elections. The remark was part of a broader exchange highlighting the deteriorating relationship between Trump and Musk, who have been embroiled in a public feud since Musk criticized Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ following the end of his time in the administration. This bill, which Trump had strongly supported, became a focal point of their conflict, with Musk openly denouncing it as an expensive and wasteful piece of legislation.
The tensions escalated further when Musk publicly accused Trump of connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a now-deleted post on X. He also supported calls for Trump’s impeachment and suggested that Vice President JD Vance take over if Trump were to be removed from office. These actions, according to Trump, have led to significant frustration and a sense of betrayal, prompting him to issue the warning about potential repercussions for Musk. Trump emphasized that while he does not mind Musk’s opposition, he believes it should have occurred earlier, suggesting that Musk has overstepped in his public criticisms.
Despite their public animosity, there was a brief period of cooperation when Musk endorsed Trump following the near-assassination of the former president during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Musk even agreed to join Trump’s administration and lead the DOGE initiative, a project that aimed to promote the use of cryptocurrency within the government. However, the relationship quickly soured after Musk’s public dissent over the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ and subsequent controversial social media posts, leading to the current state of hostilities and Trump’s warning of potential consequences for Musk.