Former President Donald Trump is under intense pressure from allies to take drastic action against Elon Musk after the SpaceX CEO threatened to decommission a key space capsule used by NASA, potentially leaving American astronauts stranded in orbit.
The feud exploded on Thursday, June 5, as a once-warm relationship between Trump and Musk unravelled into public insults and political threats.
Musk, in response to Trump’s remarks about revoking his multibillion-dollar federal contracts, fired back by suggesting he would begin decommissioning the Dragon spacecraft, which plays a vital role in ferrying astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station.
Trump, writing on his Truth Social platform, had written,
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.”
The back-and-forth escalated quickly, with Musk calling for Trump’s impeachment and linking him to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, while Trump’s allies retaliated with calls for federal action.
One of the most vocal voices was former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who urged Trump to invoke the Defence Production Act to seize SpaceX, citing national security concerns. On his War Room Live show, Bannon said:
“Elon Musk is here illegally. He’s got to go,” despite Musk being a naturalised U.S. citizen for over two decades.
Bannon also demanded the immediate suspension of Musk’s federal contracts and security clearances pending an investigation.
In reality, while the Defence Production Act allows the government to prioritise and direct the production of materials deemed essential for national defence, it does not authorise the seizure of private companies like SpaceX.
SpaceX remains integral to U.S. space efforts, with involvement in both NASA’s Artemis lunar mission and military communications infrastructure through Starlink.
Despite the hostile exchange, there may be room for reconciliation.
Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman posted online urging the two to settle their differences for the sake of national interest, to which Musk replied, “You’re not wrong.”
According to reports, Trump’s aides are exploring the possibility of arranging a call between the former president and Musk on Friday to de-escalate the growing tensions, which now threaten to shake both the MAGA movement and U.S. space operations.
