President Donald Trump said he wants Elon Musk to “thrive” just weeks after suggesting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) might investigate the billionaire CEO.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon’s companies by taking away some, if not all, of the large-scale subsidies he receives from the U.S. Government. This is not so!”
“I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE, in fact, THRIVE like never before! The better they do, the better the USA does, and that’s good for all of us. We are setting records every day, and I want to keep it that way!” he added.
Earlier this month, Trump publicly hinted that DOGE could investigate Musk, stating, “DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible?” He added, “He gets a lot of subsidies. But, Elon was very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated.”
Trump has previously said that his relationship with Musk shifted after discussions about ending the federal electric vehicle mandate, a move that would directly impact Musk’s electric car company, Tesla.
On June 12, Trump signed three congressional resolutions aimed at repealing California’s strict diesel engine rules and electric vehicle mandates. At the time, he declared his action would “kill the California mandates forever.”
Despite tensions, Trump has continued to praise Musk, even referring to him as a “wonderful guy,” though he also criticized Musk’s reported plans to launch a third political party as “ridiculous.”
Musk, for his part, criticized the Trump administration’s June spending package, calling it a “massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill” and “a disgusting abomination.”
Earlier this year, Trump publicly showed support for Musk by purchasing a Tesla during a period of backlash over Musk’s political activism.
