Trump says Musk will face ‘severe penalties’ if he funds Democratic candidates

President Donald Trump on Saturday mentioned there could be “severe penalties” if tech mogul Elon Musk funds Democratic candidates to run in opposition to Republicans who vote in favor of the GOP’s sweeping funds invoice.

“If he does, he’ll should pay the implications for that,” Trump informed NBC Information in a cellphone interview, however declined to share what these penalties could be.

“He’ll should pay very severe penalties if he does that,” he added.

The president additionally mentioned he has no need to restore his relationship with Musk after a feud between the 2 males erupted into public view earlier this week.

“No,” Trump mentioned when requested if he had any want to take action.

Requested if he thought his relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was over, Trump mentioned, “I might assume so, yeah.”

Trump’s feedback had been essentially the most intensive since he and Musk exchanged threats and assaults on X and Fact Social earlier this week. He added that he thought the Republican Occasion was extra unified than ever after the 2 males fell out in entrance of the world.

Trump mentioned he has no plans to talk with Musk anytime quickly. “I’m too busy doing different issues,” he mentioned, including, “I’ve no intention of talking to him.”

Trump additionally accused Musk of being “disrespectful to the workplace of the President.”

“I believe it’s a really dangerous factor, as a result of he’s very disrespectful. You can not disrespect the workplace of the President,” he added.

Musk on Thursday launched a barrage of posts on X in opposition to the president, together with a now-deleted publish highlighting the onetime hyperlinks between the president and the late intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“That’s known as ‘outdated information,’ that’s been outdated information, that has been talked about for years,” Trump mentioned on Saturday. “Even Epstein’s lawyer mentioned I had nothing to do with it. It’s outdated information.”

Within the days main as much as their public falling out, Musk had been essential of a GOP-led spending invoice that the Home handed final month.

Within the Oval Workplace on Thursday, Trump responded to Musk’s criticisms, telling reporters, “I’m very disillusioned as a result of Elon knew the inside workings of this invoice. I’m very disillusioned in Elon. I’ve helped Elon lots.”

Shortly after these feedback, Musk launched his flurry of posts, together with selling a publish calling for Trump to be impeached and one other the place he mentioned the president’s tariff agenda would trigger a recession later this 12 months.

Trump on Thursday additionally responded along with his personal posts on Fact Social. In a single publish, he wrote, “I don’t thoughts Elon turning in opposition to me, however he ought to have completed so months in the past,” suggesting that Musk knew what was within the invoice earlier than it was handed.

He additionally wrote on Thursday, “The best manner to save cash in our Price range, Billions and Billions of {Dollars}, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” referring to federal contracts with SpaceX. “I used to be at all times stunned that Biden didn’t do it!”

On Saturday, Trump mentioned he hadn’t given his suggestion about canceling Musk’s corporations’ federal contracts any extra thought.

“I’d be allowed to try this,” he mentioned, “however I’ve, I haven’t given it any thought.”

He additionally solid doubt on the notion that Musk’s opposition to the “One Huge Lovely Invoice Act” is jeopardizing the invoice’s probabilities of success, saying he’s “very assured” that the invoice will move the Senate earlier than July 4.

“The Republican Occasion has by no means been united like this earlier than. It’s by no means been. It’s truly extra so than it was three days in the past,” Trump mentioned.

Musk contributed main monetary help to Trump’s presidential bid in 2024, spending over 1 / 4 of a billion {dollars} to spice up him in swing states final 12 months. Within the first months of the administration, Trump put Musk answerable for the Division of Authorities Effectivity, the place he oversaw mass layoffs of federal staff and the shuttering or partial closing of a number of companies.

The feud, Trump mentioned, has made lawmakers see the advantages of the invoice.

“I believe, truly, Elon introduced out the strengths of the invoice as a result of those who weren’t as centered began specializing in it, they usually see how good it’s,” Trump mentioned. “So in that sense, there was an enormous favor. However I believe Elon, actually, I believe it’s a disgrace that he’s so depressed and so heartbroken.”