U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that his once-close relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk has come to an end, following a bitter public fallout over the president’s key tax and spending legislation.
In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump said he has no intention of repairing ties with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO. “I would assume so, yeah,” Trump replied when asked if the relationship was over, adding, “I’m too busy doing other things.”
The rift began after Musk criticized Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” calling it a “disgusting abomination” that would balloon the national deficit. Though he initially avoided direct attacks on the president, Musk later accused Trump of being linked to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein — a claim he has since deleted.
Trump responded by calling Musk “crazy” on his social media platform, Truth Social, and threatened to cancel federal contracts with Musk’s companies.
The feud has sent shockwaves through Republican circles. Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the damage, saying Musk had “gone so nuclear” that reconciliation may be unlikely. However, he praised Musk’s past government service and called him an “incredible entrepreneur.”
Trump warned that if Musk backs Democrats in the 2026 midterms, he would face “serious consequences,” though he did not elaborate.
The fallout marks a dramatic turn for the billionaire who once donated millions to Trump’s campaign and briefly served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump said he has no intention of repairing ties with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO. “I would assume so, yeah,” Trump replied when asked if the relationship was over, adding, “I’m too busy doing other things.”
The rift began after Musk criticized Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” calling it a “disgusting abomination” that would balloon the national deficit. Though he initially avoided direct attacks on the president, Musk later accused Trump of being linked to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein — a claim he has since deleted.
Trump responded by calling Musk “crazy” on his social media platform, Truth Social, and threatened to cancel federal contracts with Musk’s companies.
The feud has sent shockwaves through Republican circles. Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the damage, saying Musk had “gone so nuclear” that reconciliation may be unlikely. However, he praised Musk’s past government service and called him an “incredible entrepreneur.”
Trump warned that if Musk backs Democrats in the 2026 midterms, he would face “serious consequences,” though he did not elaborate.
The fallout marks a dramatic turn for the billionaire who once donated millions to Trump’s campaign and briefly served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
