Donald Trump. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/AP
US President Donald Trump has warned billionaire Elon Musk of “very serious consequences” if he decides to finance Democratic Party candidates. He said this in an interview with NBC News.
“If he does that, he’s going to have to answer for it,” Trump said, without specifying what consequences he meant.
This is another round of public conflict between the former allies. When asked by journalists whether the US president plans to reconcile with Musk, Trump answered briefly: “No.”
“I would assume that our relationship is over,” he added.
According to the head of the White House, the confrontation with the owner of X (formerly Twitter) has united the Republican Party:
“The party has never been so united. In fact, it’s more united than it was three days ago,” Trump said.
In addition, the president accused Musk of disrespecting the presidency:
“He’s being very disrespectful. You cannot disrespect the office of the president,” the US leader said.
Despite the conflict, Trump dismissed suggestions that Musk’s criticism could hinder the budget’s passage. He stressed that the initiative, called “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” would be voted on in the Senate by 4 July.
“Elon actually drew more attention to the bill. People saw how good it is,” Trump said.
The confrontation between Trump and Musk has escalated following a series of critical statements by the billionaire, including Trump’s alleged interference with social media regulation, campaign finance, and tax policy. Musk used to support Trump, but has been increasingly distancing himself from him in recent years.
