On June 5, 2025, former President Donald Trump escalated a public feud with Elon Musk by threatening to cut "billions and billions" of dollars in federal subsidies and contracts tied to Musk’s companies, following Musk’s criticism of a Republican legislative priority. Trump claimed he had previously urged former President Joe Biden to end such funding but expressed surprise he had not done so. The dispute followed Musk’s condemnation of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a legislative package containing Trump’s tax-cut proposals, which Musk argued would exacerbate the national debt. In response to Trump’s threat, Musk announced via X (formerly Twitter) that SpaceX would immediately decommission its reusable Dragon spacecraft, which NASA relies on for crew and cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS) under multiple contracts. The decision risked delaying a planned June 10 astronaut launch and subsequent missions. After receiving advice to reconsider, Musk reversed course, stating he would pause further action. Details revealed extensive federal financial ties to Musk’s enterprises. SpaceX secured $3.8 billion in grants in fiscal 2024, while Tesla, which holds a near 50% market share in the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) sector, benefited from $2 billion in EV tax credits under the Biden administration. These subsidies are targeted for phaseout in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Trump’s previous support for Musk included purchasing Tesla vehicles at the White House and hosting Musk for weekend stays at Mar-a-Lago and the White House. The feud intensified when Musk accused Trump of being named in the Jeffrey Epstein files, suggesting this was why their release remained delayed. Musk further implied Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President J.D. Vance. Trump countered that Musk’s opposition stemmed from concerns about losing EV mandates and subsidies, not fiscal responsibility, and claimed he had asked Musk to leave after their relationship deteriorated. The fallout triggered significant financial losses for Musk. Tesla’s stock plummeted 14.3%, eroding nearly $13 billion from Musk’s net worth, which stood at $372.7 billion as of April 2025. Musk’s other ventures, including X (social media), Neuralink (neurotechnology), and the Boring Company (tunneling), also face potential funding impacts under Trump’s threats. The conflict underscored vulnerabilities in U.S. space operations, as SpaceX’s Dragon remains critical to NASA’s ISS logistics until competitors like Boeing enter service. The episode highlighted the entanglement of political and corporate interests, with Musk’s firms receiving expanded federal support during Trump’s presidency, such as Starlink’s White House internet provision after a successful 2024 astronaut rescue mission. The feud reflects broader tensions between political alliances and policy priorities, with immediate economic and operational consequences for key players across government and technology sectors.