Tension in US as Trump warns Musk of ‘serious consequences’

The rift between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk reached a dramatic climax this week, culminating in a public feud that unfolded largely on social media.

Tensions flared after Musk sharply criticized a major spending proposal championed by Trump and currently under consideration in Congress. The billionaire, who was a key Republican backer during the last election, came under fire from Trump after reports suggested he might support primary challenges against GOP lawmakers who vote in favor of the bill.

“He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,” Trump told NBC News on Saturday, describing Musk as “disrespectful.” He did not elaborate on the nature of those consequences.

Trump added that he had “no” interest in mending ties with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO and has “no intention of speaking to him.”

Just days earlier, Trump had praised Musk as he stepped down from his advisory role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But their relationship quickly soured after Musk branded the president’s budget proposal an “abomination.”

Trump responded forcefully during an Oval Office address, triggering a political spectacle that has left Washington observers stunned.
Despite the charged rhetoric, both men appeared to slightly de-escalate on Friday. “I just wish him well,” Trump said to reporters. Musk replied on X: “Likewise.”

Musk’s Epstein Allegation

The fallout intensified after Musk posted, then later deleted, a controversial claim linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.

“Time to drop the really big bomb: (Trump) is in the Epstein files,” Musk wrote on X, alleging that the president appears in unreleased government documents tied to Epstein. “That is the real reason they have not been made public.”

He didn’t specify which documents he was referring to and provided no supporting evidence. In a follow-up post, Musk insisted: “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.” Both posts were deleted by Saturday morning.

Trump dismissed the allegation as “old news,” telling NBC: “Even Epstein’s lawyer said I had nothing to do with it.”

The Trump administration has confirmed it is reviewing a large cache of documents related to Epstein’s case, which many within the MAGA movement claim could expose powerful figures involved in his alleged crimes.

Although Trump was named in unsealed documents released in 2024, he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. He acknowledged knowing Epstein socially but denied ever visiting Little Saint James, the private island where Epstein allegedly abused underage girls.

“Terrific guy,” Trump once said of Epstein in a profile from the early 2000s. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”