Washington: President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Elon Musk, suggesting the tech billionaire could face "serious consequences" if he supports Democratic candidates in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.
In a phone interview with NBC, Mr. Trump said he had no interest in reconciling with Musk, whose relationship with the president has publicly deteriorated over the past week. The rift reached a boiling point after Musk accused Trump of being named in unreleased government files tied to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — an explosive claim he later deleted.
When asked whether the once-strong relationship was over, Trump responded bluntly: “I would assume so, yeah.”
Speculation has been mounting that Musk, who previously aligned with Trump's political agenda and served in his administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), might now throw his support behind Democratic candidates. Trump responded to that possibility with a veiled threat: “If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences for that.” He did not elaborate on what those consequences might be.
The implication is significant given that Musk’s companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, rely heavily on government contracts. Trump hinted those deals could be on the chopping block, saying, “I gave him a lot of breaks… I saved his life in my first administration.”
The feud intensified after Musk posted — then deleted — a claim on X (formerly Twitter) that Trump was included in sealed government files concerning Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges. Musk wrote: “Time to drop the really big bomb: [Trump] is in the Epstein files,” adding, “That is the real reason they have not been made public.” No evidence accompanied the allegation.
Trump’s political base has long circulated conspiracy theories around Epstein, often accusing Democrats and celebrities of complicity — but generally sparing Trump himself. While Trump did have a past social relationship with Epstein, including attending parties together, he has consistently denied involvement in any of Epstein’s alleged crimes and said he never visited Epstein’s notorious island estate in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Despite their rapidly unraveling relationship, Vice President JD Vance attempted to downplay the feud in a podcast interview recorded Thursday. “I think Elon’s making a huge mistake,” Vance said, chalking up Musk’s behavior to emotional frustration. “I hope he comes back into the fold… maybe that’s not possible now because he’s gone so nuclear.”
Vance still praised Musk’s tenure leading the DOGE, a controversial initiative aimed at slashing government spending, which led to mass layoffs across federal agencies. “He’s an incredible entrepreneur,” Vance said.
The interview was conducted by Theo Von, a comedian known for provocative humor, who recently opened for Trump at a military base event in Qatar.
As both men retreated slightly from their public brawl, the White House denied rumors that Trump and Musk were preparing for a private reconciliation call. But for now, the once-allied power duo — one wielding the presidency, the other the world’s largest fortune — appear locked in a standoff that could reshape both political and business landscapes ahead of the 2026 election.
