Trump’s relationship with Musk remains icy as public spat goes private

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is blaming Elon Musk’s behavior on drug use, as the acrimonious blowup of their partnership left both men — who lobbed online insults and threats at each other Thursday — with a lot at risk.

Trump has been telling associates over the last 24 hours that Musk’s “crazy” behavior is linked to his drug use, according to two people with knowledge of Trump’s private comments.

Trump is also considering selling his Tesla, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity. That official said earlier that Trump was planning to sell the car.

Trump originally purchased the car to demonstrate his support for Musk amid a backlash over his role in the administration. Administration officials said Trump showed little interest in engaging with Musk, even after the billionaire signaled he would be open to de-escalating the fight.

Late Thursday, Musk backed off a threat to “immediately” decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which transports NASA astronauts and supplies to and from the International Space Station. A short time later, when Bill Ackman, the hedge-fund billionaire, posted on social media that the two men “should make peace for the benefit of our great country,” Musk responded, “You’re not wrong.”

For Musk, a prolonged feud with Trump could be hugely expensive. His companies, including SpaceX, have benefited from billions of dollars in government contracts and were positioned to receive billions more. Trump threatened Thursday to end those contracts.

The feud is risky for Trump as well. Musk, the world’s richest person, who spent about $275 million to help elect Trump in 2024, had promised to give $100 million to groups controlled by the president’s team before the 2026 midterms. Those funds have yet to be delivered and are now very much in doubt.

Trump must also confront the wrath of an ally-turned-foe who appears determined to undermine his standing on the right.

Administration officials warned that the president could change his mind at any point and decide to speak with Musk.

Still, some of Trump’s political advisers are preparing for a possible drawn-out war against Musk in which allies of both men in tech and politics are forced to choose sides, according to one person close to the president who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal conversations.

Here’s what else to know:

— How it started: Their dispute began days ago over the president’s signature domestic policy bill, which Musk had panned as a “disgusting abomination.” It escalated Thursday into a fight over who deserved more credit for Trump’s election victory, why Musk had not covered up his black eye with makeup during an Oval Office appearance last week and why Trump had abruptly dropped his support for a Musk associate nominated to lead NASA.

— How it’s going: While Musk has been relatively quiet on X, he has continued his insults directed at Steve Bannon, one of his most vocal critics. Trump is focusing his Truth Social posts on promoting his administration: “GREAT JOB NUMBERS, STOCK MARKET UP BIG! AT THE SAME TIME, BILLIONS POURING IN FROM TARIFFS!!!”

— Tesla: Shares of Tesla rose, bouncing off one of the stock’s sharpest declines in years Thursday.

— Speaker of the House: Mike Johnson said he hoped Musk and Trump would reconcile, adding that it “would be good for the party and the country if all that’s worked out.” But Johnson, whom Musk has criticized for helping push through the sweeping domestic policy bill that the billionaire now opposes, made his support for Trump clear. “Do not doubt and do not second-guess and don’t ever challenge the president of the United States,” Johnson said.

— A Russian view: Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president who is deputy chair of the Kremlin’s security council, made an apparent joke Friday on social platform X about intervening to mend the rift. “We are ready to facilitate the conclusion of a peace deal between D and E for a reasonable fee and to accept Starlink shares as payment,” he wrote, referring to Musk’s satellite internet company. “Don’t fight, guys!” Musk later responded with a laughing emoji.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

© 2025 The New York Times Company