President Donald Trump has issued a pointed warning to Elon Musk, signaling there would be “serious consequences” if the billionaire throws financial support behind Democratic candidates opposing the GOP’s flagship budget package. The rebuke, delivered during a Saturday interview with NBC News, marks the most direct threat yet in an escalating feud between two of the country’s most powerful figures, according to NBC News.
Musk, once a key Trump ally who poured more than $250 million into battleground states during the 2024 campaign, now finds himself in open conflict with the president he once helped reelect. Their alliance fractured after Musk publicly condemned the House-passed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which includes sweeping tax cuts, deregulation, and agency consolidations—many of which Musk initially championed as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump, now in full attack mode, dismissed any hope of reconciliation. “I have no intention of speaking to him,” he told NBC. The president accused Musk of disrespecting the office and confirmed the relationship was “over.” The final straw appears to be a series of now-deleted posts from Musk criticizing Trump’s economic policies and reviving conspiracy-laced jabs—one of which referenced Jeffrey Epstein. Trump waved off the insinuation as “old news.”
Despite pressure from allies like Steve Bannon to investigate Musk’s immigration status or business dealings, Trump dismissed such probes as low priority. “Not something that’s on top of my mind right now,” he said.
Steve Bannon delivered a scathing critique of Elon Musk, accusing him of betraying President Trump and the American people after initially being empowered by Trump more than anyone else in the government.
“President Trump empowered him more than anyone’s ever been empowered, and people like me said you’re making a mistake. This is a bad guy. He’s going to turn on us. He’s also totally incompetent. He forced his way back in to have a last day or something like that.”
Steve Bannon absolutely savaging Elon Musk this evening.
Powerful stuff.
"President Trump empowered him more than anyone's ever been empowered, and people like me said you're making a mistake. This is a bad guy. He's going to turn on us. He's also totally incompetent."
"He… pic.twitter.com/3vfAEll9bw
— August Takala (@RudyTakala) June 5, 2025
Vice President JD Vance, speaking on a podcast released Saturday, said Musk’s criticism amounted to “a nuclear strike” on Trump. “Huge mistake,” Vance said, attributing Musk’s lashing out to impatience with the pace of reform in Washington and saying he needs to “chill out.”
Vance: " It was getting a little frustrated, feeling like some of the criticisms were unfair coming from Elon…If Elon chilled out a little bit, everything would be fine. It would help." pic.twitter.com/ZuXcxuurah
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) June 7, 2025
With tensions flaring and no sign of détente, the once-powerful Trump-Musk partnership appears irreparably broken—setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown with implications that reach far beyond the Beltway.
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