Michael Cohen, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, believes the president will turn on his friend Elon Musk due to jealousy over his wealth.
Cohen made the remarks to MSNBC, adding he’s long suspected the pair’s “bromance was going to come to an end.”
Speaking to a network panel on Sunday, Cohen said: “Trump will ultimately go after Elon’s money next, because it bothers him that he is the richest man in the world.”
Trump’s net worth is currently at $5.1bn, while Musk is worth $417bn, according to Forbes.
“Yes, he used him for his money. Now he’s going to go and he’s going to figure out how Elon, with his companies, took advantage of the United States of America,” Cohen said.
Cohen told panelists Trump could attempt to use the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was spearheaded by Musk, against the Tesla CEO.
“They’re going to turn around, use DOGE to go, ‘right, government efficiency, fraud, waste and abuse. How is it that he got $7,000 as a credit for every Tesla vehicle that was sold? That’s where his billions were made. Why should the United States pay for electric vehicles? Pay your own car if that’s what you want.’ So they’re going to claw it back,” Cohen continued.
Tesla and SpaceX, another company founded by Musk, have long benefited from government contracts. In February, Musk tweeted he loves Trump “as much as a straight man can love another man.”
Earlier this year, The Washington Post reported Musk’s companies have received over $38bn in contracts, loans, subsidies and other forms of government aid.
Additionally, a government electric vehicle tax credit has helped Musk make a fortune, Cohen said.
“He’s going to do to Elon Musk, my prediction, what Mohammed bin Salman did to the other members of the royal family,” added Cohen, referencing how the Saudi crown prince was accused of going after the wealth of his relatives.
Musk donated $288m to help elect Trump in 2024 and was seen a handful of times on the campaign trail. His association with the administration has led to some consumers boycotting Tesla, causing the company to lose more than half its value since December 17.
Tesla quickly recovered after Musk announced he’d be taking a step back from his role as a special government employee. Last week, Musk said he was “disappointed” by the president’s tax and spending bill.
In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple federal crimes and later spent three years in prison. He was convicted of campaign finance violations, tax evasion and lying to Congress, stemming from hush money payments made to silence Stormy Daniels, a woman who claimed she had an affair with the president.
Cohen was released after about a year and completed his sentence in home confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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