Donald Trump targets Elon Musk’s Government contracts, Musk responds, ‘will decommission Dragon spacecraft’

The escalating feud between former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk took a sharp turn after Trump publicly called for the termination of Musk’s government subsidies and contracts, prompting Musk to announce the immediate decommissioning of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

“In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately,” Musk wrote.

Trump on Truth Social said: "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!"

Dragon Spacecraft’s crucial role

The Dragon capsule is currently the only US vehicle capable of ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). It has been critical to NASA’s operations, especially after a Dragon capsule successfully brought NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth in March, following their extended stay aboard the ISS due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule.

Escalating Musk-Trump fallout

The announcement comes amid a widening public spat between Musk and Trump, which intensified after Musk criticised Trump’s tax bill.

Trump fires: ‘I asked him to leave’

In a retaliatory post on Truth Social, Trump dismissed Musk’s claims, saying Musk was "wearing thin" by the end of his tenure as a “special government employee.” Trump added: "I asked him to leave."

Musk promptly called that statement “an obvious lie.”

Earlier on Thursday, Trump said Musk was “upset” because the bill reduces electric vehicle credits.

“I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” Trump wrote in the social media post.

Elon Musk-Donald Trump feud escalates amid clash over till bill

The public spat between Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and President Donald Trump has taken a sharp turn just days after they exchanged compliments during an Oval Office send-off celebrating Musk’s role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Musk accuses Trump of ‘ingratitude’ and Political Obstruction

By Thursday afternoon, Musk expressed frustration on X (formerly Twitter), calling Trump’s attitude “ingratitude” and asserting his political influence: "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate."

Rising tensions between former allies

The feud highlights a rapid deterioration in the relationship between Musk and Trump, shifting from mutual praise to a public battle over policy and personal grievances within a week. With Musk’s dramatic accusations and Trump’s pointed responses, the conflict shows no sign of abating.