Elon Musk- Donald Trump Feud Live Updates: Trump says 'I asked him to leave'; public spat X-plodes

As President Donald Trump and Elon Musk argued on social media on Thursday, the world's richest man threatened to decommission a space capsule used to take astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station.

A few hours later, Musk said he wouldn't follow through on the threat.

After Trump threatened to cut government contracts given to Musk's SpaceX rocket company and his Starlink internet satellite services, Musk responded via X that SpaceX "will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.”

It was unclear how serious Musk's threat was, but several hours later — in a reply to another X user — he said he wouldn't do it.

The capsule, developed with the help of government contracts, is an important part of keeping the space station running. NASA also relies heavily on SpaceX for other programs including launching science missions and, later this decade, returning astronauts to the surface of the moon.

As the Republican Party braces for aftershocks from President Donald Trump's spectacular clash with Elon Musk, lawmakers and conservative figures are urging détente, fearful of the potential consequences from a prolonged feud.

At a minimum, the explosion of animosity between the two powerful men could complicate the path forward for Republicans' massive tax and border spending legislation that has been promoted by Trump but assailed by Musk.

“I hope it doesn't distract us from getting the job done that we need to,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington state. "I think that it will boil over and they'll mend fences.”

As of Friday afternoon, Musk was holding his fire, posting about his various companies on social media rather than torching the president. Trump departed the White House for his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, without stopping to talk to reporters who shouted questions about his battle with Musk.

“I hope that both of them come back together because when the two of them are working together, we'll get a lot more done for America than when they're at cross purposes,” Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night.

Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, sounded almost pained on social media as Trump and Musk volleyed insults at each other, sharing a photo composite of the two men and writing, "But … I really like both of them.”

US Vice President JD Vance said Elon Musk was making a “huge mistake” going after President Donald Trump in a storm of bitter and inflammatory social media posts after a falling out between the two men.

But the vice president, in an interview released Friday after the very public blow up between the world's richest man and arguably the world's most powerful, also tried to downplay Musk’s blistering attacks as an “emotional guy” who got frustrated.

“I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that’s not possible now because he’s gone so nuclear,” Vance said.

Vance’s comments come as other Republicans in recent days have urged the two men, who months ago were close allies spending significant time together, to mend fences.

Musk's torrent of social media posts attacking Trump came as the president portrayed him as disgruntled and “CRAZY” and threatened to cut the government contracts held by his businesses.

Musk, who runs electric vehicle maker Tesla, internet company Starlink and rocket company SpaceX, lambasted Trump's centerpiece tax cuts and spending bill but also suggested Trump should be impeached and claimed without evidence that the government was concealing information about the president's association with infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

“Look, it happens to everybody," Vance said in the interview. “I’ve flown off the handle way worse than Elon Musk did in the last 24 hours.”

Vance made the comments in an interview with “ manosphere” comedian Theo Von, who last month joked about snorting drugs off a mixed-race baby and the sexuality of men in the U.S. Navy when he opened for Trump at a military base in Qatar.

Chiselling away at President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. Rolling back the green energy tax breaks from President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.

At its core, the Republican “big, beautiful bill” is more than just an extension of tax breaks approved during President Donald Trump's first term at the White House.

The package is an attempt by Republicans to undo, little by little, the signature domestic achievements of the past two Democratic presidents.

“We're going to do what we said we were going to do,” Speaker Mike Johnson said after House passage last month.

While the aim of the sprawling 1,000-page plus bill is to preserve an estimated USD 4.5 trillion in tax cuts that would otherwise expire at year's end if Congress fails to act — and add some new ones, including no taxes on tips — the spending cuts pointed at the Democratic-led programmes are causing the most political turmoil.

In a stunning 48-hour breakdown, the alliance between US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk unraveled publicly and dramatically. The fallout began when Musk slammed Trump’s proposed “big beautiful bill,” criticizing it as fiscally reckless and lacking in innovation. Trump retaliated by threatening to strip Musk’s companies of federal contracts and subsidies, branding the entrepreneur as ungrateful and disloyal.

Musk fired back, accusing Trump of dishonesty, poor leadership, and pushing outdated political ideas. What started as a pragmatic partnership between political might and tech influence has now turned into a very public feud, unfolding across social media and carrying major implications for business, governance, and the 2024 election.

Their relationship has seen ups and downs — from clashes and camaraderie to an eventual and seemingly final falling out.

SpaceX, the crown jewel of Elon Musk's empire, has become indispensable to US space and defense operations — launching astronauts to the International Space Station, blanketing the globe with Starlink broadband, and working on top-secret Pentagon projects like hypersonic missile tracking. So when Donald Trump publicly threatened to cancel Musk’s federal contracts, the space community was jolted.

Musk, never one to back down, responded with characteristic bravado — vowing to mothball Dragon, Nasa’s only operational crew capsule, before later walking back the threat. Experts say the mutual dependence between Musk’s ventures and the US government will likely prevent an outright rupture, but the episode underscored how volatile — and potentially disruptive — their relationship has become.

Since its founding in 2002, SpaceX has leapfrogged traditional contractors to become the world’s dominant launch provider. More than just a private company, it now stands as a vital symbol of US space leadership and the backbone of its astronaut missions — making any rift with the government a matter of national concern.

Now that the break-up is complete with both Trump and Musk mudslinging on each other in public, it's time to return possessions too though the Tesla was not a gift from Musk.

ABC News reported that when a reporter of the news outlet asked Trump about some media reports that US president has a call scheduled with Musk, Trump said, "You mean the man who has lost his mind?" He added that he was "not particularly" interested in talking to him right now.

What began with Musk criticizing Trump's 'big beautiful bill' quickly escalated, with Trump threatening to revoke government subsidies and Musk accusing him of deception and failed leadership.

Ashley St. Clair, who claims to be the mother of one of Elon Musk’s 14 children, has publicly offered President Donald Trump “breakup advice” amid an escalating feud between the tech billionaire and the president. The spat, which has unfolded across social media platforms, highlights tensions following the 2024 U.S. presidential election.“

Hey @realDonaldTrump lmk if u need any breakup advice,” Ashley Clair posted on Twitter with a playful jab, shortly after Musk claimed he was instrumental in Trump’s 2024 election victory. In a pointed X post, Musk wrote, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House, and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude!” He doubled down in another post, adding, “Trump’s team begged for my support, and I delivered.”

Following a very public split between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, US vice president JD Vance has voiced strong support for Trump, praising his leadership and expressing pride in standing by him.

“President Trump has done more than any person in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads. I'm proud to stand beside him,” Vance posted on X, as tensions between Trump and Musk boiled online.

Elon Musk recently reignited public interest in Jeffrey Epstein by claiming on social media that Donald Trump is mentioned in secret government files related to the disgraced financier.

Epstein was a convicted sex offender accused of running a vast network of underage girls for sex. He died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial.

In a stunning display of how quickly political alliances can crumble, the once-strong partnership between former President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk dissolved into a bitter public feud in the last one week.

What began as a cordial farewell quickly escalated into a series of explosive accusations, threats, and revelations that have sent shockwaves through both political and business circles.

After Elon Musk revived the contentious conspiracy theory on US President by connecting Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, White House called it 'an unfortunate episode'.

Reacting to the fallout, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that the Tesla chief executive's dissatisfaction stems from the One Big Beautiful Bill's exclusion of his preferred policies.

Steve Bannon, a prominent critic of Elon Musk, urged the president to terminate all contracts with the tech entrepreneur and initiate multiple investigations. "They should initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status, because I am of the strong belief that he is an illegal alien, and he should be deported from the country immediately," stated Bannon, the former senior adviser to President Donald Trump who maintains significant influence as an informal consultant.

A social media dispute erupted between Musk and Trump on Thursday, with both individuals exchanging criticisms. Musk, who serves as chief executive of Tesla, SpaceX and the AI venture xAI, recently stepped down from his position as a special government adviser responsible for reducing federal expenditure.

Throughout the years, Musk's enterprises have secured substantial federal funding, with 2023 seeing his companies allocated £3 billion across approximately 100 contracts involving 17 federal organisations.

Bannon suggested that the Trump administration should scrutinise Musk's reported substance use, as documented by The New York Times, alongside his request for a classified China briefing from the Pentagon.

He further recommended suspending Musk's security clearance whilst these investigations proceed.

Democrats demanded the release of Jeffrey Epstein's file after Tesla CEO and Doge's former chief, Elon Musk, dropped the bomb, making a striking allegation against US President Donald Trump.

In a post on X, the Democrats, taking advantage of the Trump-Musk feud, have demanded to kill the "One Big Beautiful Bill" and release the Epstein file.

Tesla's stock experienced a dramatic decline of over 14% as investors hastily sold their holdings during an intense verbal dispute between the former president and the world's wealthiest individual. The company's market value decreased by $150 billion in a single trading session, an amount exceeding the total market capitalisation of Starbucks and numerous other major US-listed corporations.

The conflict originated from discussions about the president's budget legislation before escalating rapidly. Following Musk's assertion about his role in Trump's electoral victory, the former president suggested potential governmental action against Musk's enterprises, including Tesla and SpaceX.

"The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Trump wrote on his social messaging service Truth Social. "I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!"

The significant decline on Thursday partially reversed the substantial gains achieved since Musk announced Tesla's plans to test an autonomous "robotaxi" service in Austin, Texas, this month.

The investment community is concerned that Trump might resist the advancement of autonomous vehicles in the United States, potentially affecting Tesla adversely. With the company's core electric vehicle business facing challenges, the successful implementation of driverless technology has become increasingly crucial for its future prospects.

The nation's capital had never seen anyone like Elon Musk, who announced this week that he's stepping back from his role as Donald Trump's most unorthodox adviser.

Musk, the world's richest person in the world, had an outsized role leading the Department of Government Efficiency as it canceled contracts and slashed the federal workforce. Musk says he's moving away from political activity to refocus on his businesses, such as electric automaker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Elon Musk escalated his feud with Donald Trump with a single word: “Yes.”

The Tesla CEO was responding to a post by right-wing commentator Ian Miles Cheong, who floated the idea of impeaching Trump and replacing him with Senator JD Vance. “President vs Elon. Who wins? My money’s on Elon. Trump should be impeached and JD Vance should replace him,” Cheong wrote. Musk’s reply—“Yes”—was anything but subtle.

The comment marked a new peak in the growing rift between the two billionaires, once considered political allies.

Tensions had already boiled over when Musk accused Trump of being named in the sealed Jeffrey Epstein files, implying the former president’s administration had suppressed their release. The accusation sparked an online firestorm.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk's unlikely bromance imploded in spectacular fashion Thursday as the US president and his billionaire former aide tore into each other in a very public, real-time divorce.

Trump said in a televised Oval Office diatribe that he was "very disappointed" with criticisms from his top donor of a "big, beautiful" spending bill before Congress, before threatening to tear up the tycoon's multi-billion-dollar US government contracts.

The South African-born Musk hit back live, saying that the Republican would not have won the 2024 election without him and slamming Trump on his X social media platform for "ingratitude."

As the spat got increasingly bitter, Musk also posted that Trump "is in the Epstein files," referring to US government documents on disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in jail while awaiting trial for sex crimes.

Shares in Musk's Tesla electric vehicle manufacturer plummeted about 15 percent as the astonishing row escalated -- wiping off more than $100 billion of the company's value.

Questions had long swirled about how long the extraordinary alliance could last between the world's richest person and the most powerful.

The world got the answer from Trump in a 10-minute rant after he was asked about Musk calling his tax and spending mega-bill a "disgusting abomination."

"I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, as visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looked on.

Shares of Elon Musk’s electric vehicle maker fell sharply Thursday as investors feared his dispute with President Donald Trump will hurt the company.

Tesla closed down more than 14% as a disagreement over the U.S. president's budget bill turned nasty. After Musk said that Trump wouldn't haven't gotten elected without his help, Trump implied that he may turn the federal government against his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX.

“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” Trump wrote on his social messaging service Truth Social. “I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”

The drop on Thursday wiped out nearly $150 billion from Tesla’s market value, partially reversing a big runup in the eight weeks since Musk confirmed that Tesla would testing an autonomous, driverless “robotaxi” service in Austin, Texas, this month.

Investors fear Trump might not be in such a rush to usher in a future of self-driving cars in the U.S., and that could slam Tesla because so much of its future business depends on that.

“There is a fear that Trump is not going to play Mr. Nice Guy when in come to autonomous,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. “The whole goal of robotaxis is to have them 20 or 25 cities next year. If you start to heighten the regulatory environment, that could delay that path.”

Trump's threat to cut government contracts seem targeted more to another of Musk's businesses, SpaceX, his privately held rocket company that received billions of dollars to send astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station, provide launches and do other work for NASA. The company is currently racing to develop a mega rocket for the space agency to sent astronauts to moon next year.

A subsidiary of SpaceX, the satellite internet company Starlink, appears to also have benefited from Musk's once-close relationship with the president.

Amid a spiralling feud with US President Donald Trump on the latest US bill, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has claimed that Trump 's name is mentioned "in the Epstein files" and added that it is the "real reason they have not been made public."

In a post on X, Musk stated, "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT."

Time to drop the really big bomb:@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.

Have a nice day, DJT!

In another post on X, Musk stated, "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out."

Names of powerful people previously related to convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in Manhattan jail in 2019, including Trump, Prince Andrew and former US President Bill Clinton, have been named in court documents associated with Epstein's years of sexual abuse, The Hill reported.

Before being elected in November, Trump said that he would have "no problem" releasing files related to Epstein, something some lawmakers have demanded on social media following Epstein's death.

In 2024, Trump denied any association with Epstein, The Hill reported. In a post on X, he stated, "I was never on Epstein's Plane, or at his 'stupid' Island. Strong Laws ought to be developed against A.I. It will be a big and very dangerous problem in the future."

Musk's allegation came just minutes after Trump threatened to cancel government contracts with Musk's companies. Musk stated that considering Trump's cancellation of government contracts with Tesla, SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.