In a new escalation of the dispute between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, the White House announced that the president "does not intend" to speak to Musk, in a step that reflects the depth of tension between the two sides after Musk's harsh criticisms of the new budget bill supported by Trump.
A senior White House official told the French news agency that the president is not interested in communicating with Musk, despite the latter's request to contact him. The official added that Trump "is fully focused on presidential affairs," denying reports of a possible meeting between the two men.
This tension comes after Musk described the budget proposal that Trump dubbed the "beautiful big law" as "a disgusting abomination," warning that it would lead to an increase in the government deficit by about $2.5 trillion over the next decade. Trump responded by calling Musk "the man who has lost his mind," hinting at the possibility of selling or donating a "Tesla" car he owns, which had become a symbol of his previous support for the head of "SpaceX."
Tesla shares fell more than 14% last Thursday, resulting in a loss of over $100 billion in market value, before partially recovering yesterday. The dispute seems to threaten massive government contracts that Musk's companies rely on, especially in the fields of space and energy.
