U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly declared the end of his relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk, calling him “very disrespectful” and stating he has no interest in mending ties. Speaking to NBC News on Saturday, Trump said, “I would assume so, yeah,” when asked if his once-close rapport with Musk had ended. He firmly replied “No” when questioned about any desire to reconcile.
The rift between the two high-profile figures marks a dramatic unraveling of a relationship that once saw Musk not only donating approximately $250 million to Trump’s campaign but also serving as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) for a brief 129-day tenure. Tensions began rising after Musk sharply criticized Trump’s flagship tax and spending proposal dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill” warning it would balloon the national deficit and undermine fiscal reforms he had championed.
Musk’s criticism, initially measured, escalated after his departure from Doge. In a now-deleted post on his platform X, he called the bill a “disgusting abomination.” Although he refrained from directly attacking Trump at the time, the feud took a personal turn when Trump publicly expressed disappointment with Musk’s conduct.
Matters intensified when Musk claimed that Trump’s electoral success was heavily reliant on his support, and controversially alluded to Trump being implicated in files related to Jeffrey Epstein a post he later deleted. Epstein’s lawyer has since denied any such connection.
Trump responded on Truth Social, branding Musk as having “gone crazy” and even threatening to terminate SpaceX and Tesla’s federal contracts. He emphasized that Musk had not only insulted him but also the presidential office. “You could not disrespect the office of the president,” Trump remarked.
The fallout has left many Republicans rallying behind Trump. Vice-President JD Vance criticized Musk’s actions, calling them a “big mistake” and suggesting he may never regain favor within the party. With Musk now hinting at supporting Democratic challengers in the upcoming midterms, Trump warned that any such move would result in “serious consequences,” potentially signaling a deeper political battle ahead.
