Musk, who supported Trump's campaign and also served as an adviser to the White House, has criticized the tax and spending bill the president is pushing.

Trump late Monday night fought back, suggesting his administration may investigate Musk’s companies’ massive government contracts. On Tuesday at the White House, Trump said Musk risked losing “a lot more” than government subsidies and threatened that the Department of Government Efficiency that Musk once led may “go back and eat Elon.”

In late May, Musk stepped down from DOGE and became a critic of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” claiming his opposition to it was because it would increase the budget deficit. Another scenario is Musk’s fear that the bill will remove electric vehicle tax credits, which would significantly hurt Tesla.