Trump Threatens Elon Musk With ‘Serious Consequences’ Over Support For Democrats

President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to billionaire Elon Musk, threatening him with “serious consequences” if he backs Democratic candidates running against Republicans who support Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill.

In a phone interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump declared that his once-close relationship with Musk was now over.

“I would assume so, yeah,” Trump said when asked if their relationship had ended. He also made it clear he had no intention of reconciling: “I have no intention of speaking to him.”

While Trump stopped short of detailing what those “serious consequences” would be, he said he had not discussed any investigation into Musk or the possibility of cancelling U.S. government contracts with Musk’s companies, including Starlink and SpaceX.

The rift between the two influential figures escalated after Musk publicly slammed Trump’s bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination.” His opposition has added complications to the bill’s passage, especially with Republicans holding only narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress.

Despite the tension, Trump expressed confidence the legislation would be passed before the July 4 Independence Day holiday.

“In fact, yeah, people that were going to vote for it are now enthusiastically going to vote for it, and we expect it to pass,” he told NBC.

The bill, which has already narrowly passed in the House, is now being reviewed in the Senate, where potential changes are being discussed. Nonpartisan analysts estimate it would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over a decade, a concern for fiscal conservatives.

Musk, meanwhile, has called for a new political party to represent the “80 percent in the middle” and has deleted several posts critical of Trump, including one where he supported the idea of impeachment. Insiders say Musk’s frustration appears to be cooling, and some believe he may try to repair ties with the president.

One now-deleted post had Musk responding “yes” to a comment suggesting Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance. Vance, appearing on Theo Von’s podcast, called Musk’s remarks a “huge mistake” but said he hoped Musk would eventually return to Trump’s camp.

“I’m always going to be loyal to the president,” Vance said. “And I hope that eventually Elon kind of comes back into the fold. Maybe that’s not possible now because he’s gone so nuclear. But I hope it is.”

Trump is expected to attend a UFC fight card in New Jersey on Saturday. Though Musk had previously attended such events with Trump, he is not expected to join him this time.

Musk, who played a key financial role in Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign by donating nearly $300 million, was recently praised by Trump and appointed to lead a cost-cutting task force. However, his efforts have so far resulted in only minimal federal spending reductions.