Trump-Musk fallout: Trump warns Musk of 'serious consequences' if Tesla boss..., says he doesn't wish to...
Donald Trump and Elon Musk had a public fallout earlier in the week. (File)
Trump-Musk fallout: Days after his public fallout with former friend and aide Elon Musk, US President Donald Trump issued an ominous warning to the Tesla CEO, stating that Musk– the world's richest man– would have to pay 'serious consequences' if he funds Democratic candidates to run against Republicans who vote in support of his sweeping budget bill, which he has dubbed as the 'Big, Beautiful bill'. Trump warns Musk of serious consequences
'If he does, he'll have to pay the consequences for that, He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that.' Trump told NBC in a phone interview on Saturday, but refused to specify the said 'consequences'.
Donald Trump said he does not wish to repair his ties with Elon Musk, and asked whether his relations with Musk were over, he said, 'I would assume so, yeah.' The US President said does not plan to speak to the SpaceX CEO anytime soon, stating he was 'too busy doing other things'. 'I have no intention of speaking to him,' he said.
Trump also accused Musk of being 'disrespectful to the office of the President', saying 'I think it's a very bad thing, because he's very disrespectful. You could not disrespect the office of the President.'
Earlier in the week, Donald Trump and Elon Musk had a very public fallout following which both fired stinging salvos on each other on social media. On Thursday, Musk targeted Trump in a series of posts on X, including a now-deleted post, where he accused the US President's name being in the infamous 'Epstein Files', claiming that Trump had ties with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Responding to the allegations, Trump said it was 'old news' and he had connection to Epstein. 'That's called 'old news,' that's been old news, that has been talked about for years. Even Epstein's lawyer said I had nothing to do with it. It's old news.' Trump-Musk breakup
Elon Musk, who until recently, was considered a close-aide and ally of Donald Trump, helmed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a 'special government employee' for 130 days. After his exit, Musk criticised spending legislation, leading to a public fallout between the two.
'I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill. I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot,' Trump told reporters on Thursday. Following his statement, Musk launched several attacks on Trump on X, including a now-deleted post promoting a call for Trump to be impeached and another where he said the US President's tariff agenda would lead to a recession later this year.
Trump fired back at Musk with a series of posts on his Truth Social platform. 'I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago,' Trump wrote in one post, suggesting Musk knew what was in the bill before it was passed.
Trump also threatened to terminate US government contracts given to Elon Musk-led firms, including SpaceX. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it,' Trump wrote.
However, Trump told NBC that he hasn't given the idea any more thought 'I'd be allowed to do that, but I have…, I haven't given it any thought.'
Elon Musk spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars on Trump's US Presidential campaign last year, which is believed to have helped Trump win several key swing states, according to NBC news. After Donald Trump began his second presidential term, Elon Musk the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he oversaw mass layoffs of federal workers and the closure or partial closure of several agencies.
According to Trump, his feud with Musk has made lawmakers see the benefits of the bill. 'I think, actually, Elon brought out the strengths of the bill because people who weren't as focused started focusing on it, and they see how good it is.
'So in that sense, there was a big favour. But I think Elon, really, I think it's a shame that he's so depressed and so heartbroken.'
(With inputs from agencies)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Did Elon Musk hit Scott Bessent? White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismisses report; calls it 'robust disagreements'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt minimised reports of a physical confrontation between Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, describing it as a "robust disagreement." Speaking to Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," Leavitt acknowledged her absence during the April incident but disputed characterisations of it as a "fistfight," after reports suggested Musk collided with Bessent's rib cage in a forceful manner. "I certainly wouldn't describe it as a fistfight, Maria," Leavitt told host Maria Bartiromo. "It was definitely a disagreement, although I was not there. I didn't witness it with my own eyes." Leavitt referenced her previous statement about occasional disagreements between cabinet members and Musk, emphasising the administration's ability to maintain productive working relationships despite differences. 'When this story originally broke, I said from the podium that there have definitely been healthy disagreements amongst the cabinet and Elon Musk,' she said. 'There were times in which they got frustrated with one another, but I think that really speaks to the heart of this Cabinet and the president's team, that they can have these robust disagreements and then still come together to do what's right for the people they are serving," she further said, adding, 'We have moved on from that." The administration has indicated its focus on advancing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with emphasis on reducing governmental inefficiencies and mismanagement. This bill has been openly opposed by Musk which has caused friction with Trump. According to Steve Bannon's account to the Washington Post, the incident escalated after Bessent accused Musk of fraudulent behaviour, resulting in a physical altercation that required intervention from others present. Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist and current "War Room" podcast host, has advocated for Musk's deportation and governmental control of SpaceX in response to Musk's criticism of the president. Read more: Elon Musk hit Scott Bessent's ribcage after being called a 'fraud', Trump called it 'too much' Neither Musk nor Bessent have addressed the alleged incident publicly. The New York Times had previously reported a verbal disagreement between the two during the same April meeting. The meeting involved discussions about Internal Revenue Service leadership candidates. The president ultimately supported Bessent's recommendation. Earlier, Musk had endorsed Howard Lutnick for Treasury Secretary, though Lutnick was later appointed as Commerce Secretary. Reports indicate that during the meeting, Bessent criticised Musk's performance in reducing government expenditure through the Department of Government Efficiency, noting significant shortfalls in achieving the targeted $1 trillion in cuts.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Biden 2.0 here we go: Internet mocks Trump after stumble on Air Force One steps
US President Donald Trump stumbled while climbing the stairs of Air Force One in New Jersey. A video of the incident quickly went viral on social media. Internet users have compared it to similar stumbles by former President Joe Biden during his time in incident occurred as Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were boarding Air Force One, heading to Camp David. Both men appeared to lose their footing briefly on the DOWN GOES DONALDTrump just stumbled and almost faceplanted boarding Air Force One. I've been telling you — he drags his legs and he's clearly not Biden stumbled, the media lost its mind and Tapper wrote an entire fake 'nonfiction' are they Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) June 8, 2025advertisementSOCIAL MEDIA MOCKS TRUMP'S STUMBLETrump has often mocked Joe Biden for his public stumbles. However, this time, many on social media turned the joke on Trump himself. Here's how the internet users reacted:"When Biden did this it was wall to wall coverage for days on right wing media and set a narrative. What do you want to bet it won't be mentioned now that Trump has done the same. Human beings trip imagine that.""Biden 2.0 here we go.""It's time again for his cognitive and neurological fitness tests.""Lmao. Dude's 80 why is he president. He's too damn old."A user on X humorously noted, "Damn! We were that close to having a holiday."Earlier that day, Trump spoke to reporters in Hagerstown, Maryland, where he was asked about using the Insurrection Act in response to protests against immigration raids in Los replied, "Depends on whether or not there's an insurrection." When pressed if he believed an insurrection was happening, Trump said, "No, no, but you have violent people. And we're not going to let them get away with it." He added, "We're going to have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country. We're not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden."
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Los Angeles riot: LAPD declares citywide tactical alert amid anti-ICE protests - What does it mean?
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared a citywide tactical alert on Sunday in response to escalating anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid protests in the city. 'The City of Los Angeles is on Tactical Alert,' the LAPD said on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. According to Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, a tactical alert 'is the preliminary step to personnel mobilization. It includes the controlled redistribution of on-duty personnel'. 'A Tactical Alert may be initiated in selected Stations/Units, all Stations or any Department facility,' the department adds. The alert ensures sufficient officer availability by extending shifts, canceling leaves, and prioritizing urgent calls (Code 2 and 3, involving lights/sirens or felonies), while non-urgent calls, like business disputes, are deferred. This comes a day after National Guard troops were deployed in LA as protestors marched against the ICE raids in the city. Several rioters confronted troops in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where several of the newly arrived National Guard troops stood shoulder to shoulder behind plastic riot shields. Video showed uniformed officers shooting off the smoke-filled canisters as they advanced into the street, forcing protesters to retreat. The deployment followed two days of protests that began Friday. Governor Gavin Newsom accused Trump of a 'complete overreaction' designed to create a spectacle of force. The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor's permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Trump told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, Sunday: 'We're gonna have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country. We're not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.' He, however, didn't elaborate. 'If officials stay in the way of law and order, yeah, they will face charges,' Trump said.
