Trump-Musk beef back on as US president threatens tech billionaire's subsidies

Published on 01/07/2025 - 18:03 GMT+2

The feud betwixt US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk has reignited spectacularly connected Tuesday, pinch nan tech billionaire threatening to motorboat a caller governmental statement and nan president informing that Musk's companies could suffer billions of dollars successful subsidies.

Musk and Trump's governmental confederation appeared to travel to a melodramatic conclusion a period agone successful a blistering warfare of words, pinch Trump threatening to target Musk's business interests and nan world's richest man calling for nan president to beryllium impeached.

While Musk backtracked connected immoderate of his attacks and Trump wished him well, hostilities resumed connected Monday erstwhile Musk erstwhile again criticised Trump's taxation cuts and spending bill.

Musk, who formerly spearheaded nan Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aimed astatine cutting authorities spending, lashed retired astatine Republicans for backing nan bill, referring to it arsenic "political suicide" and calling nan GOP nan "Porky Pig party".

The Tesla and SpaceX proprietor besides renewed threats to commencement a caller governmental party, called nan "America Party", if nan measure passed.

The US "needs an replacement to nan Democrat-Republican uniparty truthful that nan group really person a voice," Musk wrote connected X, nan societal media level that he owns.

This came aft Musk — who spent hundreds of millions of dollars connected Trump's statesmanlike run past twelvemonth — said successful May that he would apt walk "a batch less" connected authorities successful nan future.

In consequence to Musk's latest disapproval and threats, Trump connected Tuesday suggested that Musk could suffer subsidies for his businesses.

"No much rocket launches, satellites, aliases electrical car production, and our state would prevention a fortune," Trump wrote connected Truth Social.

Without subsidies, Musk "would astir apt person to adjacent up shop and caput backmost location to South Africa," Trump added.

Trump went moreover further astatine nan White House later connected Tuesday, erstwhile asked by a newsman if he would see deporting Musk, who is simply a naturalised US citizen.

"I don't know. We'll person to return a look," Trump said.

"We mightiness person to put DOGE connected Elon, he added. "You cognize what DOGE is. DOGE is nan monster that mightiness person to spell backmost and eat Elon."