WALEED KAYNI
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Trump Says Goodbye to Tesla, Feud With Musk Escalates — And It Could Cost Them Both Big
So, it’s official — President $TRUMP is ditching his Tesla. Two senior officials confirmed Friday that he’s getting rid of the red Model S he picked up just a few months ago, back in March, supposedly to show support for Elon Musk. That support? Very much over.
What started as a tech-and-politics bromance has now blown up into a public feud — with insults, threats, and billions on the line. Trump has no intention of calling Musk, according to the White House, and Musk doesn’t seem too eager to patch things up either (even though he’s sending mixed signals).
Behind the scenes, Musk has been trying to quietly dial things back. On Thursday, he walked back a threat to pull the plug on SpaceX’s Dragon missions — the spacecraft that sends astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station for NASA. Not long after, hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman jumped in with a classic rich-guy olive branch, saying the two should bury the hatchet “for the benefit of our great country.” Musk replied: “You’re not wrong.”
But even with that, the fallout could get expensive. For Musk, it’s not just personal — it’s business. His companies have pulled in billions in federal contracts, with more in the pipeline. If $TRUMP follows through on his threats to cut those deals, Musk could be looking at serious losses.
Trump’s not immune either. Musk dropped an estimated $275 million to help get him elected in 2024 — and had pledged another $100 million to pro-$TRUMP
groups ahead of the 2026 midterms. That money hasn’t arrived yet, and after this week, it’s looking unlikely it ever will.
So now, we’ve got a president publicly dumping his Tesla, a billionaire backpedaling on threats to NASA, and a once-powerful alliance unraveling in real-time. All of it with massive political and financial stakes.
What started as a tech-and-politics bromance has now blown up into a public feud — with insults, threats, and billions on the line. Trump has no intention of calling Musk, according to the White House, and Musk doesn’t seem too eager to patch things up either (even though he’s sending mixed signals).
Behind the scenes, Musk has been trying to quietly dial things back. On Thursday, he walked back a threat to pull the plug on SpaceX’s Dragon missions — the spacecraft that sends astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station for NASA. Not long after, hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman jumped in with a classic rich-guy olive branch, saying the two should bury the hatchet “for the benefit of our great country.” Musk replied: “You’re not wrong.”
But even with that, the fallout could get expensive. For Musk, it’s not just personal — it’s business. His companies have pulled in billions in federal contracts, with more in the pipeline. If $TRUMP follows through on his threats to cut those deals, Musk could be looking at serious losses.
Trump’s not immune either. Musk dropped an estimated $275 million to help get him elected in 2024 — and had pledged another $100 million to pro-$TRUMP
groups ahead of the 2026 midterms. That money hasn’t arrived yet, and after this week, it’s looking unlikely it ever will.
So now, we’ve got a president publicly dumping his Tesla, a billionaire backpedaling on threats to NASA, and a once-powerful alliance unraveling in real-time. All of it with massive political and financial stakes.
Disclaimer: Includes third-party opinions. No financial advice. May include sponsored content. See T&Cs.
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