Conflict Between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump Could Destroy Tesla

• The Trump administration's anger could impact future regulations, investigations and government dealings with Tesla, as well as whether the company receives tariff exemptions.
• As CNBC points out, CEO Elon Musk officially ended his term in President Donald Trump's administration at the end of May, reaching the 130-day mark, the maximum amount of time allowed for a "special government employee."
• As he was leaving, Musk issued sharp criticism of Trump’s signature spending bill, which is being debated in Congress because of its expected impact on the national debt.

What started as a political dispute, CNBC notes, quickly turned into an "internet brawl," with Musk and President Donald Trump hurling insults at each other on their social media platforms.

After Musk called the bill an abomination, Trump said Musk was “crazy” and threatened to end government contracts and subsidies to Musk’s companies. Musk responded, “Go ahead, make my day.”

The crack caused Tesla shares to plummet 14% on Thursday, June 5, losing about $152 billion in value, the most in the company's 15-year history on the public market. "While Musk is still the richest person in the world on paper, his net worth has fallen by $34 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index," CNBC reports.

The dispute fractured a relationship that linked business, politics and government in a way virtually unseen in U.S. history.

The consequences for Tesla could be dire , and not just because Donald Trump is reportedly considering selling or giving away the red Model S he bought in March after transforming the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom.

A senior White House official told NBC News on Friday that the president has “no interest” in talking to Musk to resolve their dispute.

The Trump administration's anger could impact everything from future regulations, investigations and government support for Tesla to decisions on tariff exemptions, CNBC reports.