It is an escalation whose sharpness seems unusual even for Donald Trump – and at the same time a glimpse into the power dynamics of a president who tolerates no loyalty short of total devotion. In an interview with NBC anchor Kristen Welker on Saturday, Trump stated that he has no intention of repairing his fractured relationship with Elon Musk. On the contrary, Musk – once a celebrated supporter and beneficiary of Trump’s administration – must now expect “serious consequences” should he dare to support Democrats in the upcoming elections.
“I assume it’s over,” Trump said when asked if the relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was definitively broken. And he added, true to his style of self-dramatization: “I’m too busy doing other things. I won an election in a landslide. I gave him a lot of breaks back then, I saved his life in my first administration. I have no intention of speaking to him again.” What may sound like personal disappointment is in truth an open threat. Trump’s warning to Musk came in the midst of speculation that the billionaire might back Democratic candidates in the 2026 midterms. “If he does, he’ll have to face the consequences,” Trump said – without specifying what that might entail. The fact that Musk holds several multibillion-dollar government contracts likely counts as sufficient leverage in Trump’s world.
The break between the president and the world’s richest man did not come out of nowhere. It began earlier this week when Musk publicly criticized Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” – a sweeping legislative package including tax breaks, budget cuts, and massive social rollbacks. Musk called it a “disgusting abomination” and warned of a dramatic expansion of the federal deficit. What followed was a digital clash of titans. Trump lashed out at Musk from the Oval Office, and Musk struck back on X (formerly Twitter) – eventually accusing Trump of preventing the full disclosure of his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a now-deleted post, Musk claimed the government was withholding damaging documents because Trump himself was mentioned in them.
Vice President J.D. Vance, meanwhile, attempted to downplay the conflict – though not without criticizing Musk. In a conversation with right-wing “manosphere” comedian Theo Von, Vance said: “Elon is making a huge mistake. He’s an emotional guy who’s just frustrated.” He added that he hoped Musk would return “to the fold,” even though he “might have already gone too far.” While Vance called Musk an “incredible entrepreneur,” he made it clear that Trump’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency – which laid off thousands under Musk’s leadership – had done “really good” work.
The interview, recorded Thursday at a Nashville restaurant owned by Trump ally Kid Rock, quickly became a political issue in its own right. Theo Von, who performed at a Trump event in Qatar in May and stirred controversy with racist and homophobic jokes, showed Vance Musk’s post claiming Trump was hiding Epstein records. Vance responded: “Absolutely not. Donald Trump didn’t do anything wrong with Jeffrey Epstein.” And further: “This kind of stuff helps no one.”
Musk’s call for Trump’s impeachment – paired with the suggestion that Vance should replace him – was also dismissed by the vice president as “completely insane.” “The president is doing a good job,” Vance said. He also defended the bill that had so enraged Musk. Its main goal, he insisted, was not to cut spending but to extend the 2017 tax cuts passed during Trump’s first term. The reality, however, is more explosive. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill would not only drastically reduce taxes and spending, but also leave 10.9 million more people without health insurance – and increase the deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next decade.
“It’s a good bill,” Vance said. “Not a perfect one – but a good one.”
What remains is the shattered relationship of two men who once aimed to shape the future together – or at least the version of it they believed in. Today, they face each other as adversaries: the president who governs through threats – and the tech billionaire who may become his fiercest critic. A conflict with economic, political, and personal consequences. And perhaps with the potential to permanently shift the balance of power in Republican America.
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