(The Hill) — On Saturday, President Trump warned that tech magnate Elon Musk will encounter “serious consequences” if he chooses to endorse Democratic candidates in future elections. This follows a recent public fallout between the pair.
During a phone interview with NBC News, Trump stated that Musk “will have to pay the consequences” if he decides to support challengers to Republican lawmakers who are advocating for the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill.”
“He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,” he told the outlet.
These comments from the president followed an unraveling of his once-friendly relationship with Musk, after disagreements over the Republican megabill escalated into a heated social media feud. Musk has even claimed that Trump is mentioned in the Jeffrey Epstein documents, supported impeachment calls, and suggested Trump might not have won the presidential election without his backing.
Trump in response threatened to cancel federal government contracts for Musk’s companies while calling the Tesla and SpaceX CEO “crazy.”
Prior to the implosion of the duo’s relationship, the tech mogul indicated he would roll back his political spending in upcoming elections.
“In terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” Musk said last month.
“If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it,” he added. “I do not currently see a reason.”
The billionaire became one of the most powerful forces in U.S. politics after he threw his support behind Trump’s reelection bid last summer, spending at least $250 million.
He soon became a central figure in the White House as he advised the Department of Government Efficiency and the administration’s efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. Musk left the administration late last month as he voiced opposition to the House-crafted GOP spending bill over its potential impact on the national debt.
When asked by NBC on Saturday if the president intends to reconcile with Musk, Trump replied in the negative. But he reiterated his confidence in his budget bill despite some GOP concerns in the upper chamber.
“The Republican Party has never been united like this before. It’s never been. It’s actually more so than it was three days ago,” Trump said, stating Musk’s outburst benefited his push to get the bill passed before July 4.
“I think, actually, Elon brought out the strengths of the bill because people that weren’t as focused started focusing on it, and they see how good it is,” the president added. “So in that sense, there was a big favor. But I think Elon, really, I think it’s a shame that he’s so depressed and so heartbroken.”
Some of Musk’s social media posts that intensified the feud on Thursday have since been deleted.
