President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House on Monday, said he’s holding on to his Tesla and keeping Starlink running despite a nasty fallout with Elon Musk that dominated headlines all week. Trump said he “wished Musk well” but also made it clear the next move was on the tech billionaire. “I would think that if I were him, I’d want to speak to me,” Trump said, adding, “maybe he has already called—you’d have to ask him.” The feud exploded after Elon went after Trump’s tax bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination.” Trump responded by threatening to cancel federal contracts with Musk’s companies and questioned whether the billionaire had been high on ketamine while involved with government work. He also said he hadn’t seen the physical confrontation between Elon and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, brushing it off with, “I really don’t know—I don’t think so. I hope not.” Trump threatens contracts as Musk deletes posts Elon’s public meltdown started when he trashed Trump’s new tax bill . That bill extends Trump’s first-term tax cuts but slashes other spending, including a $7,500 credit for electric cars. Analysts from JPMorgan Chase & Co. said killing that credit would cost Tesla $1.2 billion in profits this year. Elon didn’t take it lightly. He told lawmakers to kill the bill and warned it would explode the national debt. Things got worse when Trump pulled Elon’s friend Jared Isaacman from the shortlist to lead NASA—a decision Elon didn’t see coming. During a joint press moment with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump responded bluntly to Elon’s lobbying: “I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot.” Then he added, “He said the most beautiful things about me… but I’m sure that’ll be next,” signaling that personal attacks were probably around the corner. And that’s exactly what happened. Elon posted that Trump was named in secret Epstein documents. “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” he wrote on X. “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!” The post was deleted soon after, but screenshots were everywhere. Tesla’s stock nosedived. Trump immediately floated the idea of cutting off government deals to all of Elon’s companies, saying, “I’d be allowed to do that. I haven’t given it any thought.” Trump also went on NBC News and said Elon would face “very serious consequences” if he backed Democratic challengers to the Republicans who voted for the tax bill. “I gave him breaks in my first administration, and saved his life in my first administration,” Trump said. “I have no intention of speaking to him.” White House divided as feud shakes Republican base Elon’s attacks left Republican lawmakers stuck between two powerful allies. Musk’s money has helped fund conservative campaigns, but Trump remains the face of the party. The situation got weirder when Elon started agreeing with social media users calling for Trump’s impeachment and his replacement with Vice President JD Vance. He didn’t stop there—he openly criticized Trump’s trade policy, saying his tariffs would trigger a recession. Inside the White House, officials tried to downplay it. But after Elon accused Trump of being tied to Epstein, the silence broke. Trump’s team made it clear they weren’t taking it lightly. Still, Trump said he hadn’t given the idea of canceling Elon’s contracts any real thought. But the way he said it—short and sharp—left the door wide open. For now, Trump says Starlink will stay in use at the White House. The Tesla is still parked on the grounds too, though Trump hinted that might change. “Maybe I’ll move it, maybe not,” he said, without confirming either way. Asked if Musk had called him to try to patch things up, Trump dodged: “I’d have no problem with—well, I don’t want to say that.” Your crypto news deserves attention - KEY Difference Wire puts you on 250+ top sites
