US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to former advisor Elon Musk, threatening “serious consequences” if the billionaire follows through with reported plans to challenge Republicans who support a controversial spending bill currently before Congress.
Speaking to NBC News on Saturday, Trump condemned Musk as “disrespectful” and dismissed any possibility of repairing their once close relationship, saying he has “no intention of speaking to him.”
The rift between the world’s most powerful political figure and the world’s richest man escalated this week after Musk lashed out at Trump’s signature “big, beautiful” spending bill, calling it an “abomination.” Musk’s criticism came after some anti-bill lawmakers urged him to help fund primary challenges against GOP members who back the legislation.
Trump responded with a warning: “He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,” although he did not elaborate on what those consequences would entail.
Just days earlier, Trump had praised Musk following his departure from a role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but their alliance quickly crumbled.
From Cold Words to Conspiracies
The spat took an even darker turn after Musk posted — then deleted — an incendiary claim on his social media platform X, alleging that Trump’s name appears in unreleased government files linked to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
“Time to drop the really big bomb: (Trump) is in the Epstein files,” Musk wrote, suggesting the president’s connection was being concealed. The post, which lacked evidence, ignited a fresh wave of speculation before it was deleted Saturday morning.
Trump dismissed the accusations as “old news,” stating, “Even Epstein’s lawyer said I had nothing to do with it.” The president has not been accused of any wrongdoing in any Epstein-related case, although his name surfaced in materials unsealed by a New York judge earlier this year.
Despite past social interactions with Epstein, Trump has consistently denied visiting Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, where prosecutors alleged the late financier abused and trafficked underage girls.
In a resurfaced quote from the early 2000s, Trump had described Epstein as “a terrific guy,” adding, “He’s a lot of fun to be with… and many of [the women] are on the younger side.”
What you should know
The public breakdown of Trump and Musk’s alliance signals deepening divides within the Republican power structure. With accusations, political threats, and conspiracy theories now in play, their fallout could have serious implications for party unity, campaign financing, and the passage of Trump’s defining legislative agenda.
