US President Donald Trump said his relationship with his former ally Elon Musk is over, warning him against funding Democratic candidates, in the latest dramatic collapse of the close alliance between the two men.
Trump said in a phone call with NBC News on Saturday that Musk should refrain from funding Democratic candidates who oppose Republican lawmakers who support the tax cut bill, or he will face "very serious consequences."
The US president declined to disclose these consequences, but said he had not discussed the possibility of opening an investigation into Musk.
When asked if he believed his relationship with Musk was over, Trump said, "I suppose so, yes," stressing that he had no desire to mend ties with the billionaire who heads Tesla and SpaceX.
Musk funded a significant portion of Trump's presidential campaign and was later tapped to be the president's top advisor. He led a broad and controversial effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce and cut spending.
The dispute between them began a few days ago when Musk criticized Trump's tax and spending cuts bill.
ABC News reported on Friday that Trump said Musk had "lost his mind" and that he was not interested in speaking to him at this time. Fox News also reported that the US president said he was not concerned about Musk's call to form a third political party in the United States.
Earlier, Musk wrote in a post on his X website, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election."
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Trump ends relationship with Musk, threatens him with "very serious" consequences