Trump Threatens Musk As Epstein Claim Sparks Rift

Trump on Friday told ABC News that he was “not particularly” interested in speaking with Elon Musk, dismissing the tech mogul as “the man who has lost his mind.”

Trump repeated similar remarks in calls to other media outlets.

The feud intensified after Musk accused Trump of being named in the still-sealed Epstein files and suggested this was why key documents remain withheld from the public.

In January 2024, US authorities released a portion of the so-called “Epstein files,” while many documents remain redacted or sealed.

Musk, founder of Tesla and Starlink, posted on his platform X: “@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.”

Trump has not directly addressed the accusation.

However, during a White House meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, he criticized Musk’s opposition to his fiscal bill.

“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate... and he just went CRAZY!” Trump wrote on social media.

Trump also threatened to cut off federal subsidies and contracts to Musk’s companies, saying it would save billions of dollars.

The conflict follows Musk’s resignation in May 2025 from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency Trump created.

Their relationship had previously been close, with Musk donating to Trump’s campaign and supporting his initial presidency.

Musk now denounces Trump’s fiscal package as a “disgusting abomination,” criticizing its expansion of national debt and removal of EV subsidies.

In response, Tesla’s stock value dropped 14% after Trump’s threat to terminate contracts.

Musk has since called for Trump’s impeachment and endorsed Vice President JD Vance as a replacement.

The controversy has sparked renewed demands from lawmakers for full disclosure of the Epstein documents.

Flight logs and contact books released so far show Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet multiple times between 1993 and 1997.

Trump was also listed in Epstein’s “Black Book,” which included contact information for his office, home, and Mar-a-Lago.

In a 2002 interview, Trump described Epstein as a “terrific guy” who liked women “on the younger side.”

Observers say the remaining sealed documents could implicate powerful figures, which may explain political resistance to full release.

Russian lawmaker Dmitry Novikov suggested Musk might be offered political asylum in Russia, though added that Musk likely has other plans.

Novikov said, “If he did (seek asylum), Russia, of course, could provide it.”

Meanwhile, former White House strategist Steve Bannon accused Musk of being “an illegal alien” and called for his deportation.

Bannon urged the US government to seize SpaceX under the Defense Production Act after Musk threatened to halt its space missions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the dispute, saying it was a domestic issue for the US

He added, “We’re confident the US president will handle this situation on his own.”

Moscow previously granted asylum to Edward Snowden and British blogger Graham Phillips.

Pressure continues to mount for full declassification of Epstein’s files, with increasing scrutiny on why certain names — including Trump’s — may remain hidden.