Former allies turned adversaries, President Donald Trump has confirmed that his relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk has come to an end, capping off weeks of growing tensions and public feuding over federal spending and political loyalty.
In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump was asked whether his once-close ties with Musk were now broken. “I would assume so, yeah,” he said. When pressed on whether he hoped to repair the relationship, Trump flatly replied, “No.”
The rift began over Musk’s criticism of the administration’s flagship tax and spending legislation, known among Republicans as the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Musk, who briefly led the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), condemned the bill as a “disgusting abomination,” arguing it would balloon the national deficit and undo cost-cutting reforms he championed during his 129-day tenure in government.
Though Musk initially stopped short of naming Trump directly, the criticism escalated last week. In a series of posts on X, Musk claimed Trump would have lost the election without his financial support and accused the president of ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein — an allegation he later deleted. Epstein’s legal representatives have denied any connection.
Trump hit back via Truth Social, calling Musk “crazy” and warning of possible repercussions, including terminating federal contracts held by Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla.
“Elon Musk has been very disrespectful to the office of the president,” Trump told NBC. “I think it’s a very bad thing. You could not disrespect the office of the president.”
Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, saying Musk had “gone so nuclear” that reconciliation appeared unlikely. “It was a big mistake,” Vance said during an appearance on Theo Von’s podcast. “You don’t take a blowtorch to your own house.”
Musk, who donated an estimated $250 million to Trump’s campaign, has hinted at supporting rival candidates in next year’s midterm elections, particularly those challenging lawmakers who backed the tax bill. Asked about that prospect, Trump warned of “serious consequences” if Musk were to support Democratic challengers.
The public unraveling of the relationship has sent shockwaves through Republican ranks, many of whom are scrambling to show unity behind the president. Despite Musk’s prominence and past influence in conservative circles, Trump’s allies have made clear they consider the split final — with some suggesting Musk is now politically radioactive.
The feud adds yet another unpredictable chapter to the Trump presidency, as one of the party’s biggest donors and most influential business figures appears poised to turn his political fire inward.
