WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump says he has no plans to speak with Elon Musk amid a growing rift with the billionaire entrepreneur, even as tensions threaten to splinter a once-close alliance that helped shape his administration’s fiscal agenda.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump downplayed the fallout with Musk, saying simply: “I wish him well.”
But behind the conciliatory tone was a warning: Trump signaled that Musk’s sprawling government contracts — including lucrative deals for SpaceX and Starlink — could soon come under review.
“We’ll take a look at everything,” Trump said. “It’s a lot of money.”
The president’s remarks follow an unusually public clash between the two men over a sweeping Republican tax-cut and spending bill that passed the House last month and is now facing stiff opposition in the Senate — some of it stirred by Musk himself.
On his platform X, Musk has called the bill a “disgusting abomination” and warned it would saddle the country with unsustainable debt.
He even suggested the formation of a new political party to represent what he called “the 80% in the middle.”
Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?
The dispute has spilled into Trump’s inner circle. The president, according to a White House official, is considering ditching the red Tesla Model S he bought earlier this year.
Meanwhile, sources say Musk was incensed by Trump’s abrupt reversal of his nomination of Jared Isaacman — a Musk ally — to head NASA.
The tension between the two influential figures marks a stunning turn from just weeks ago, when Trump praised Musk at a White House event celebrating the billionaire’s role in a high-profile initiative to cut federal spending.
Despite promises to trim $2 trillion from the budget, Musk’s task force reportedly achieved only a 0.5% reduction — a result that disappointed Trump aides.
Adding fuel to the fire, Musk hinted at deeper discontent within the administration.
Sources familiar with the matter say a personnel spat between Musk and White House staff director Sergio Gor — a Trump loyalist — may have helped sour the president’s view of the tech mogul.
Still, some Republicans are urging calm. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has been in contact with Musk, said he hopes the dispute is temporary.
“I don’t argue with him about how to build rockets,” Johnson said in a CNBC interview. “And I wish he wouldn’t argue with me about how to craft legislation.”
Political analysts warn that a prolonged feud could carry real consequences for Republicans.
Musk was one of the party’s biggest donors in 2024, spending nearly $300 million to boost conservative candidates.
His pullback — combined with growing discontent from Silicon Valley — could make it harder for the GOP to maintain its slim congressional majority in the 2026 midterms.
Tesla stock, which plunged 14% on Thursday in its worst-ever single-day loss, rebounded slightly Friday.
Still, the fallout from Musk’s political activism continues to weigh on the company’s brand, with protests reported at Tesla showrooms across the U.S.
