‘Serious consequences’ if Musk payrolls Democrats

The US president issues a stark warning to his former ally

- MICHELLE L. PRICE BILL BARROW

Mr Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker in a phone interview that he has no plans to make up with tech entrepreneur Mr Musk. Asked specifically if he thought his relationship with the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX was over, Mr Trump responded: “I would assume so, yeah.”

“I’m too busy doing other things,” Mr Trump continued. “You know, I won an election in a landslide. I gave him [Mr Musk] a lot of breaks, long before this happened, I gave him breaks in my first administration, and saved his life in my first administration, I have no intention of speaking to him.”

The US President also issued a warning amid speculation that Mr Musk could back Democratic legislators and candidates in the 2026 midterm elections.

“If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences for that,” Mr Trump told NBC, although he declined to share what those consequences would be. Mr Musk’s businesses have many lucrative federal contracts.

The president’s latest comments suggest Mr Musk is moving from close ally to a potential new target for Mr Trump, who has aggressively wielded the powers of his office to crack down on critics and punish perceived enemies.