President Trump threatened to cut billions of dollars in federal contracts and tax subsidies for Elon Musk’s companies on Thursday, the latest escalation in the growing feud between the two men.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
Last year, Mr. Musk’s companies were promised $3 billion across nearly 100 different contracts with 17 federal agencies. Most of the contracts were for SpaceX, Mr. Musk’s space technology company. Tesla, his electric vehicle company, also has contracts with the federal government.
But the relationship between the two men very publicly dissolved Thursday. Mr. Musk until last week was a top presidential adviser and has since turned into a critic of one of Mr. Trump’s priorities. Mr. Musk has called the president’s signature legislation currently moving through Congress a “disgusting abomination.”
The two lashed out at each other from the social media platforms that they each own on Thursday.
“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Mr. Musk responded on X, the social media platform he owns, “Such an obvious lie. So sad.”
Tyler Pager is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Trump and his administration.
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