US president Donald Trump and tech tycoon Elon Musk鈥檚 unlikely political marriage exploded in a fiery public divorce Thursday, with Trump threatening to strip the billionaire of his huge government contracts in revenge.
Trump said in a televised Oval Office diatribe that he was 鈥榲ery disappointed鈥� after his former aide and top donor criticized his 鈥榖ig, beautiful鈥� spending bill before Congress.
The pair then hurled insults at each other on social media 鈥� with Musk even posting, without proof, that Trump was referenced in government documents on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The row could have major political and economic fallout, as shares in Musk鈥檚 Tesla car company plunged and the South African-born tech tycoon vowed that he would end a critical US spaceship programme.
Speculation had long swirled that a relationship between the world鈥檚 richest person and its most powerful could not last long 鈥� but the speed of the meltdown took Washington by surprise.
鈥業鈥檓 very disappointed in Elon. I鈥檝e helped Elon a lot,鈥� Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looked on silently.
鈥楨lon and I had a great relationship. I don鈥檛 know if we will anymore.鈥�
A hurt-sounding Trump, 78, noted in a 10-minute diatribe that it had been only a week since he hosted a grand farewell for Musk as he left the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Trump later called Musk 鈥榗razy鈥� and insisted he had asked the tycoon to leave because he was 鈥榳earing thin.鈥�
Musk hit back in real time on his X social media platform, saying the Republican would not have won the 2024 election without him and slamming Trump for 鈥榠ngratitude.鈥�
As the spat got increasingly vindictive, Musk also posted that Trump 鈥榠s in the Epstein files,鈥� referring to US government documents on Epstein, whose 2019 jail cell suicide, while awaiting trial, sparked a major conspiracy theory.
鈥楬ave a nice day, DJT!鈥� added Musk.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told AFP that Musk鈥檚 Epstein tweet 鈥榠s an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the 鈥淥ne Big Beautiful Bill鈥� because it does not include the policies he wanted.鈥�
Musk, who was Trump鈥檚 biggest campaign donor to the tune of $300 million, separately claimed the Republican would not have won the 2024 election without his support and accused him of 鈥榮uch ingratitude.鈥�
He replied 鈥榶es鈥� to a post suggesting Trump should be impeached, and blasted Trump鈥檚 global tariffs for risking a recession.
Trump finally suggested hitting the 鈥榗razy鈥� entrepreneur where it hurts, threatening Musk鈥檚 multibillion-dollar government contracts including for launching rockets and for the use of the Starlink satellite service.
鈥楾he easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon鈥檚 Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,鈥� Trump said on Truth Social.
Again Musk fired back, with the SpaceX chief saying he would begin 鈥榙ecommissioning鈥� his company鈥檚 Dragon spacecraft 鈥� vital for ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station 鈥� in response.
He later appeared to walk that back, replying to a user on Twitter: 鈥極K, we won鈥檛 decommission Dragon,鈥� though his tone was unclear.
When the crossfire finally relented after several astonishing hours, Tesla had seen more than $100 billion wiped off the company鈥檚 value.
Trump and Musk鈥檚 whirlwind relationship had initially blossomed, with the president backing DOGE鈥檚 cost-cutting rampage through the US government and the tycoon sleeping over at the White House and traveling on Air Force One.
But the 53-year-old ultimately lasted just four months on the job, becoming increasingly disillusioned with the slow pace of change and clashing with some of Trump鈥檚 cabinet members.
The two men had however kept tensions over Trump鈥檚 tax and spending mega-bill relatively civil 鈥� until Musk described the plan, the centerpiece of Trump鈥檚 domestic policy agenda for his second term, as an 鈥榓bomination鈥� because he says it will increase the US deficit.
Washington will now intently watch the fallout from the row.
Musk posted a poll on whether he should form a new political party 鈥� a seismic threat from a man who has signaled he is ready to use his wealth to unseat Republican lawmakers who disagree with him.
Trump ally Steve Bannon 鈥� a vocal opponent of Musk 鈥� meanwhile called for the tycoon to be deported, the New York Times reported.
