WASHINGTON — Their breakup was full of insults and acrimony, but President Donald Trump says Elon Musk can keep his golden key.
“I don’t take things back, I gave him a key, he tried very hard,” Trump said of his former DOGE head. The golden key, etched with the White House insignia, is not a real key but symbolizes respect and honor from the president.
Trump and Musk had a public falling out this week after the billionaire, who worked part-time for the federal government until last month, waged a war on the president’s tax bill over it’s projected $2.5 trillion price tag.
The fight spiraled as the pair traded attacks, and the two men stopped speaking. Trump told reporters on June 6 that he was not interested in reconciling with Musk.
Elon Musk hits back after Trump threatens contracts. SpaceX’s government ties, explained
In social media posts on June 5, the president said he asked Musk to leave his post spearheading the DOGE initiative and threatened to cancel billions of dollars of the SpaceX founder’s federal contracts.
Trump said the following day that he was serious about ending the government contracts —and would do so if he thought it was in the financial interest of the country.
“We’ll take look at everything. I look at everything. He’s got a lot of money. He gets a lot of subsidy,” Trump told reporters on June 6. “Only if it’s to be fair for him and for the country, I would certainly think about it.”
Musk responded by saying he would decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft immediately. He said in another post that without his help, Republicans would have lost the House and Senate and Trump would not currently be the president.
A Washington Post analysis found that Musk’s companies have received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies and tax credits over the years. SpaceX has about $22 billion in government contracts alone, Reuters reported.
Trump says he’s ‘not thinking’ about ex-pal Musk
While the country might be twittering about his breakup with Musk, the president said on June 6 that his focus was squarely on a cache of complex international issues.
“Honestly, I’ve been so busy working on China, working on Russia, working on Iran … I’m not thinking about Elon Musk,” Trump told reporters riding with him on Air Force One to his New Jersey golf club.
He also claimed he had not thought about whether or not he would keep his new Tesla.
SpaceX works closely with the Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. But the president told reporters the federal government can survive without its partnerships with Musk’s companies.
“The U.S. can survive without almost anybody,” Trump said. “Except me.”
Contributing: Joey Garrison of USA TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says ex-pal Elon Musk can keep his golden White House key
