Roving Periscope: In S-2, Trump threatens, Musk dares; more fireworks likely
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Frenemies, they are irrepressible, and can bounce back when their foes believe they are finished. They found each other in 2024 when Donald Trump campaigned for a second term in the White House, and Elon Musk shifted allegiance from the Democrats to the Republicans and promptly donated USD 288 million to the Trump campaign.
After re-entering the White House on January 20, President Trump paid him back. He created a non-governmental Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and tasked Musk to clean up the federal stables packed with the Democrats. Musk sacked many and rubbed hundreds of thousands the wrong way; his new enemies poisoned Trump’s ears. The President distanced. Musk moved out.
Soon, the tech mughal found Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” the whipping boy and even announced to form The America Party (TAP), with the likely intent to contest the 2028 Presidential election. That’s where he rubbed Trump and many the wrong way, to the delight of the Democrats, and chagrin of anti-Trump Republicans, some of whom discovered his ‘controversial’ US Citizenship and demanded his deportation!
Their feud has now entered Season Two.
The media reported on Monday that, amid the ongoing shadow-boxing with Musk over his flagship legislation now being debated in the US Congress, Trump slammed his former aide, threatening to cut government subsidies given to the tech entrepreneur’s companies.
He said that Musk, who was born in South Africa, would “probably have to close up shop and head back home” if his administration cuts subsidies given to his various companies, such as Tesla and SpaceX.
The world’s richest man with a net worth of USD 363 billion responded shortly after, saying the Republican leader should follow through on his threat and cut the subsidies given to his companies. “I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now,” he wrote in a post on X.
Musk, who served as presidential advisor to Trump from January 21 to May 31, had an acrimonious public falling out with the President in June over the new bill. He reprised his sharp criticisms and renewed his calls for the formation of a new political party, as the US Senate assembled to vote on the bill.
Trump criticised Musk for his opposition to the bill, implying that without the government subsidies, Musk might have to shut down his operations in the US.
“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one,” the President wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” he added.
He even hinted that he could now direct DOGE to train its guns on the SpaceX founder’s business interests.
“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED,” the President added.
Trump, who is eager to somehow clinch a Nobel Peace Prize as a feather in his cap, is hoping to seal his legacy with the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which would extend his expiring first-term tax cuts at a cost of USD 4.5 trillion and beef up border security. But Republicans eyeing the 2026 midterm congressional elections are divided over the package, which would strip health care from millions of the poorest Americans and add more than USD 3 trillion to the country’s debt of USD 36 trillion.
As lawmakers began voting on the bill on Monday, Musk accused the Republicans of supporting “debt slavery,”
“All I’m asking is that we don’t bankrupt America,” he said on social media Tuesday. “What’s the point of a debt-ceiling if we keep raising it?”
Watch this space for more updates!
