Trump Unleashes His Most Menacing Threat to Elon Musk Yet
The president retaliated after the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO went on a posting spree against Trump's so-called 'big, beautiful bill,' railing against the trillions it would add to the national debt as the Senate debates its fate.
'Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate,' Trump posted on Truth Social in the early hours of Tuesday morning. 'It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign.'
Trump's bill would scrap the electric vehicle tax credit, a change that could hit Tesla's bottom line. Trump also hinted at yanking government contracts for SpaceX and its satellite arm, Starlink.
'Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,' he wrote.
'No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE.'
And then, the kicker: Trump suggested that the Department of Government Efficiency, the cost-cutting agency Musk infamously spearheaded until the end of May, could set its sights on the billionaire himself.
'Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!' he wrote.
Musk posted multiple times on X shortly after Trump's late-night missive, but didn't directly address the feud.
In one post, Musk said he'd donate to re-elect congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican opponent of the bill whom Trump is actively trying to unseat. In another, he wrote, 'Hitting the debt ceiling is the only thing that will actually force the government to cut waste and fraud.'
He also posted a cryptic hugging-face emoji without comment about an hour after Trump's blast.
Trump had, on Sunday, told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo that Musk is a 'wonderful guy' but 'I haven't spoken to him much.'
'But he got a little bit upset, and that wasn't appropriate,' Trump said, suggesting that Musk was disappointed about the electric vehicle tax credits.
At the height of their public feud in early June, Trump wrote on social media that 'the easiest way to save money in our budget, billions and billions of dollars, is to terminate Elon's government subsidies and contracts.'
Musk and Trump had seemingly cooled off in the weeks since the explosive end to their bromance, but Musk has upped the ante this week.
'It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!' Musk wrote on X on Monday.
Musk said he would work to primary any lawmaker who campaigned on reducing government spending but votes to pass the megabill.
'They will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,' he wrote.
Musk's posts put competing pressures on Republican members of Congress. Trump has threatened to support primary challengers of lawmakers who oppose the legislation.
Shortly before targeting Musk, the president urged Republicans to pass the bill, as senators slogged through a late-night vote-a-rama on amendments.
'Republicans, the One Big Beautiful Bill, perhaps the greatest and most important of its kind in history, gives the largest Tax Cuts and Border Security ever, Jobs by the Millions, Military/Vets increases, and so much more,' Trump wrote on Truth Social.
'The failure to pass means a whopping 68% Tax increase, the largest in history!!!' he added.
Trump has cited that figure before, but there's no credible analysis to suggest that would be the case.
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