“VERY DISAPPOINTED”
Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the Bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was “very disappointed” in Musk.
“Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” he said.
The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump’s Truth Social and Musk’s X.
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” wrote Musk, who spent nearly US$300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year’s election.
Musk also asserted that Trump’s signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded “Yes” to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump’s Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress.
Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk’s businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink.
Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government’s space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day.
In a sign of a possible detente, Musk subsequently wrote: “You’re not wrong” in response to billionaire investor Bill Ackman saying Trump and Musk should make peace.
A prolonged feud between the pair could make it harder for Republicans to keep control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections if Musk withholds financial support or other major Silicon Valley business leaders distance themselves from Trump.
Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday, he called for “all politicians who betrayed the American people” to be fired next year.
His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk’s attention was too divided.
