President Trump believes his relationship with Elon Musk is over and warns the American billionaire of “serious consequences” if he supports the Democratic Party.
“Yes, I think so,” President Donald Trump said in a phone interview on June 7, when asked if he believed his relationship with Elon Musk had ended.
Trump also emphasized that he had no intention of mending the relationship or speaking with his former ally and warned of “serious consequences” if Musk were to fund a Democratic candidate to run against Republican lawmakers who support the President’s spending bill.
The White House occupant declined to specify what those consequences might be and added that there had been no discussion about the possibility of investigating Musk. Trump also has not considered ending U.S. government contracts with Musk’s StarLink and SpaceX companies.
Elon Musk (left) and President Donald Trump at the White House on May 30. Photo: AP
Trump and Musk began trading barbs on June 3 when Musk called the spending bill pushed by the President a “disastrous mistake.” The bill passed the House of Representatives last month and is currently being reviewed in the Senate, where Republican senators are considering making some changes.
Analysts estimate that if passed, the bill would increase the U.S. government’s debt by $2.4 trillion over the next 10 years, adding to the existing $36.2 trillion debt. This forecast has raised concerns among many lawmakers, including some Republicans.
On June 7, Trump expressed confidence that the bill would be passed by July 4th, U.S. Independence Day. “In fact, the supporters are voting enthusiastically, and we expect it to pass,” the President said.
Previously, Trump had claimed that the Tesla CEO had “gone crazy” simply because the bill would strip away the tax credit for electric vehicles, a benefit that was favorable to Musk’s company.
The ups and downs of the Trump-Musk relationship
Meanwhile, Musk has deleted several posts criticizing Trump on social media, including one calling for the impeachment of the President. Some people who have spoken with Musk say the billionaire has started to calm down and is interested in repairing the relationship with the White House, according to Reuters.
Musk, the world’s richest person, was a major donor to Trump’s campaign last year, contributing nearly $300 million. The SpaceX CEO also claims to have helped the Republican Party maintain a majority in the House of Representatives and regain control of the Senate.
After winning the election, President Trump selected Musk to lead efforts to streamline the federal government and reduce spending. However, the American billionaire only succeeded in cutting about 0.5% of total spending, far below the target of $2 trillion. Musk left the U.S. government at the end of May, citing the expiration of his special government employee term.
