Trump-Musk Rift Widens; Trump Threatens To Cut Musk's Contracts

The world is currently witnessing a war of words between US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. The public feud began after Elon Musk officially exited the Trump administration last week, where he led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). US President also threatened to cut off government contracts with Musk's companies.

"The easiest way to save money in our budget, billions and billions of dollars, is to terminate Elon's governmental subsidies and contracts," said Trump in a social media post. Amid this, Musk-owned Tesla's stock saw a 14% drop on Thursday. At the same time, Musk claimed that Trump 'would have lost' in 2024 without his support. In the 2024 election, the Tesla CEO provided nearly $300 million in financial support to Donald Trump and other Republicans. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature tariffs would push the country into a recession later this year.

In a post on X, Elon Musk alleged that Donald Trump's inclusion in the Epstein files is the reason the investigation's details and findings have remained undisclosed. “The Epstein files” is a reference to US government documents about Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced multimillionaire financier, reported Variety. Authorities stated that Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019, where he was awaiting trial on various charges.

Musk has been a regular presence at the White House and frequently visited Capitol Hill in recent months. Musk had previously stated his intention to reduce his political spending in future. He also criticised the White House-backed tax and budget proposal, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.