The Worst Part of Donald Trump’s Fight With Elon Musk – Mother Jones
Mother Jones illustration; Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP; Matt Rourke/AP
Last fall, members of the California Coastal Commission criticized Elon Musk’s political rhetoric during a meeting in which they voted against allowing SpaceX—Musk’s rocket company—to conduct more launches. Musk, one commissioner complained, had been “hopping about the country, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking FEMA while claiming his desire to help the hurricane victims with free Starlink access to the internet.”
“Incredibly inappropriate,” Musk tweeted in response. “What I post on this platform has nothing to do with a ‘coastal commission’ in California!”
The commissioners’ behavior amounted to “naked political discrimination…in violation of the rights of free speech and due process,” SpaceX has charged in its ongoing lawsuit against the agency. “Rarely has a government agency made so clear that it was exceeding its authorized mandate to punish a company for the personal political views and statements of its largest shareholder and CEO.”
I couldn’t help thinking of that incident yesterday, as Donald Trump—the man Musk once promised would protect free speech and “preserve the Constitution”—weaponized his government power against a political enemy in a way that Golden State bureaucrats could hardly dream of. And that political enemy was none other than Musk himself.
Importantly, yesterday’s meltdown seems to have grown largely out of policy and personnel disputes. In particular, Musk has enraged the White House by calling on lawmakers to sink Trump’s signature budget bill—supposedly because it would add too much to the deficit. (It would also eliminate electric vehicle incentives that benefit Tesla, though Musk insists that isn’t why he’s trying to kill the legislation.)
But as the two billionaires traded insults and allegations, it was the president who took the fight to a lawless new level. He seemingly threatened to retaliate against his former ally by cancelling the government contracts held by Musk’s companies.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
Some Trump allies went even further. Steve Bannon called on Trump to “sign an executive order” seizing control of SpaceX, suspend Musk’s security clearances, and possibly have him deported from the country. “He crossed the Rubicon,” Bannon told NPR. “You can’t sit there and…try to destroy the bill. You can’t come out and say kill the president’s most important legislative occurrence.” Bannon also slammed Musk for calling for Trump’s impeachment and for attempting to link the president to Jeffrey Epstein.
Musk, of course, is not a sympathetic figure. If he got his way, Trump’s budget bill would hurt even more people than it already does. Nor is Musk anything close to a reliable defender of free speech. He’s done nothing to stop Trump from using presidential power against other political enemies. But in a democracy, politicians simply cannot be allowed to punish dissent by threatening to destroy the businesses of people who cross them—whether those businesses are media companies, law firms, or a defense contractor run by the world’s richest man.
After his felony conviction in New York last year, Trump claimed to be the victim of political persecution. “If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” he said. That’s worth remembering. If Trump can do this to Elon Musk, he can do it to you.
Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners.
For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:
• Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account
• Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations
• Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall
But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.
For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:
• Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account
• Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations
• Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall
But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.
Nina Martin
Julia Métraux
Jamilah King
Inae Oh
Amy Green
Sophie Hurwitz
Sophie Hurwitz
Sponsored Post
Moms Clean Air Force
Tik Root
Sophie Hurwitz
Fiona Harvey and Jonathan Watts
Reveal
Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners.
Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.
Help Mother Jones‘ reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.
Inexpensive, too! Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $19.95.
Award-winning photojournalism.
Stunning video. Fearless conversations.
Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2026 Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting. All Rights Reserved.
And we respect that! But maybe you’re of a mind to support our work directly instead? We’re working hard to deliver fierce, independent journalism you can’t find elsewhere. But we can’t do that without reader support—your support. Please chip in today.
We noticed you have an ad blocker on. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones’ investigative journalism?
Mother Jones is an independent newsroom—not owned by billionaires who want to control the narrative or tell us what to publish. The only people we answer to are our readers: YOU.
Because we’re funded by readers, our need for your support continues past the fundraising drives. So don’t just read the investigations. Fund the investigations. If you can, make a donation today. Your contribution helps our newsroom keep telling the truth, exposing the lies, and standing strong.
Mother Jones is an independent newsroom—not owned by billionaires who want to control the narrative or tell us what to publish. The only people we answer to are our readers: YOU.
Because we’re funded by readers, our need for your support continues past the fundraising drives. So don’t just read the investigations. Fund the investigations. If you can, make a donation today. Your contribution helps our newsroom keep telling the truth, exposing the lies, and standing strong.
Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.
