WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to cut off the billions of dollars in subsidies that Elon Musk’s companies receive from the federal government, in an escalation of the war of words between the president and the world’s richest man, one-time allies who have since fallen out.
The feud reignited on Monday when Musk, who spent at least $250 million on Trump’s re-election, renewed his criticism of Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill, which would eliminate subsidies for electric vehicle purchases that have benefited Tesla, the leading U.S. EV maker. That bill passed the Senate by a narrow margin midday Tuesday.
Overnight, Trump posted on social media that Musk has long known of his opposition “against the EV Mandate,” which he called “ridiculous.” Saying that, without subsidies, the Tesla CEO “would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump suggested that
