President dismisses billionaire’s peace offering after vicious social media war – reveals he’s considering DUMPING his red Tesla as bitter split turns personal
Donald Trump has sensationally branded Elon Musk “the man who has lost his mind” in an extraordinary phone interview with ABC News, declaring he’s “not particularly” interested in speaking to his former ally as their bitter feud explodes into public view.
In a bombshell revelation, the White House confirmed the president is considering selling or giving away the red Tesla he purchased earlier this year – a symbolic move that would mark the complete breakdown of what was once Washington’s most powerful bromance.
The dramatic split comes after a vicious 24-hour social media war that saw Musk make wild accusations about Trump appearing in Jeffrey Epstein files, while the president threatened to terminate billions in government contracts with the billionaire’s companies.
‘NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT ELON’
Speaking to ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl at 7am Friday morning, Trump delivered a devastating assessment of his former confidant’s mental state.
When asked about reports of a scheduled phone call with Musk, Trump shot back: “You mean the man who has lost his mind?
The president added he was “not particularly” interested in talking to him right now, despite Musk’s apparent desire to reconcile.
In a separate call with CNN’s Dana Bash, Trump twisted the knife further: “I’m not even thinking about Elon. He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem.”
TESLA DUMPING BOMBSHELL
In perhaps the most symbolic move of the feud, Trump is considering either giving away or selling the red Tesla he purchased to support Musk, a senior administration official told ABC News.
The red vehicle was still visible parked in the West Executive Driveway on Friday morning, just one day after the very public feud erupted – a stark reminder of how quickly the relationship has soured.
The president had made a show of checking out Tesla models at the White House in March, sitting in the vehicle with Musk for photographers in what now appears to be a distant memory.
FROM BROMANCE TO BREAKUP
The explosive fallout centers on Trump’s signature “One Big Beautiful Bill” – a sweeping tax and immigration package that Musk has savaged as a “disgusting abomination” that would add trillions to the national debt.
Musk, the world’s richest man, bankrolled a large part of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, spending nearly $300 million to help secure his victory. But the relationship has spectacularly imploded over policy differences.
Thursday’s social media warfare saw both men trade increasingly personal attacks, with Musk making serious allegations on social media that President Donald Trump appears in Jeffrey Epstein files, posting: “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”
‘WITHOUT ME, TRUMP WOULD HAVE LOST’
In a series of inflammatory posts, Musk wrote “Without me, Trump would have lost the election” and appeared to endorse calls for the president’s impeachment.
The Tesla CEO also threatened to shut down a SpaceX program that NASA relies on to transport astronauts — before later backtracking after being urged by followers to “cool off.
Trump hit back by threatening to “terminate Elon’s governmental subsidies and contracts” – a move that could cost Tesla and SpaceX billions in federal funding.
REPUBLICANS RALLY TO TRUMP
Vice President JD Vance broke his silence on the feud with a carefully worded statement of support for Trump, though he didn’t directly weigh in on Musk’s attacks or criticize the Tesla billionaire.
“President Trump has done more than anyone in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads. I am proud to stand beside him,” Vance posted on social media.
House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed he had been texting with Musk, expressing disappointment at the billionaire’s “sudden opposition” to Trump’s agenda. I don’t argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn’t argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it,” Johnson said on CNBC.
‘BUMMED’ ABOUT THE BREAKUP
Despite his dismissive public comments, sources close to Trump paint a different picture behind the scenes. People close to Trump have described him as more sad than angry at Musk. One adviser who was with Trump on Thursday night said he seemed “bummed” about the breakup.
ABC’s Jonathan Karl noted that “Donald Trump, to use his phrase, really holds the cards here. Donald Trump could do severe damage to Elon Musk if he were to go vindictive, and he’s been remarkably restrained.
PUTIN COMPARISONS EMERGE
The dramatic split has drawn international attention, with the Trump-Musk bust-up drawing comparisons in Russia to the feud between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin, the former leader of the Wagner mercenary group who mounted an abortive mutiny.
The comparison is particularly ominous given Prigozhin’s fate – he died in a mysterious plane crash months after challenging Putin’s authority.
WHAT’S NEXT?
As Washington holds its breath over the implications of this spectacular falling out, the immediate focus turns to Trump’s legislative agenda. The president continues lobbying wavering Republican senators to support his massive tax and immigration bill – the very legislation that sparked Musk’s rebellion.
For now, there appears to be no reconciliation in sight. Trump plans to sign more executive orders and participate in a swearing-in ceremony for the Navy secretary before heading to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey – without any scheduled calls to his former ally.
The man who once called Musk “one of our great brains” now dismisses him as someone who has “lost his mind.” In the cutthroat world of Washington politics, even the strongest alliances can shatter in an instant – and this one has exploded more spectacularly than most.
Image credit:
“President Donald Trump participates in a press conference with departing DOGE adviser Elon Musk” by The White House is in the public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
