President Donald Trump declared Friday that Elon Musk had “lost his mind,” signaling an intensification of their dramatic falling out as the political and economic implications of the feud between the billionaire tech mogul and the U.S. president continue to ripple through Washington and Wall Street.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to his New Jersey golf club, Trump sought to downplay the rift while simultaneously delivering sharp jabs at his former ally. “Honestly, I’ve been so busy working on China, working on Russia, working on Iran… I’m not thinking about Elon Musk. I just wish him well,” Trump said, before pointedly referring to Musk as “the man who has lost his mind” during a separate interview with ABC.
The once-rosy relationship between the two powerful figures unraveled this week after Musk publicly denounced Trump’s sweeping new spending bill as an “abomination.” The bill, which aims to fund a broad infrastructure overhaul but has drawn criticism for increasing the deficit and cutting social programs, is central to Trump’s legislative agenda. Trump, visibly stung, responded with a scathing Oval Office rebuke on Thursday, expressing he was “very disappointed” in Musk.
White House insiders revealed that Trump canceled a planned call with Musk and is even contemplating selling or donating the cherry red Tesla S he purchased in March. “He’s thinking about it, yes,” a senior official confirmed, noting the vehicle remained parked on White House grounds.
Tesla shares took a nosedive amid the public spat, plummeting over 14 percent on Thursday before partially rebounding. Meanwhile, Musk, who had previously served in a high-profile but controversial role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has since gone quiet on his X platform and reportedly attempted to de-escalate tensions by reversing threats to suspend NASA-critical spacecraft projects.
Despite efforts to cool the rhetoric, there is no sign of reconciliation. The White House denied that Trump intended to speak with Musk, even though Musk reportedly requested a call.
The standoff carries real political risks. Musk, once the largest donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign with nearly $300 million in contributions, may now redirect his resources — either withholding future support or financing rival conservative causes ahead of the 2026 midterms.
With multi-billion-dollar government contracts and influential campaign backing at stake, the Trump-Musk feud is shaping into a power struggle with far-reaching consequences for both Washington and Silicon Valley.
Written By Rodney Mbua
