Elon Musk's sparring with President Donald Trump and administration officials could be putting his businesses at risk, longtime observers of the billionaire told The Washington Post.
Musk recently opened a new front in his feud with the administration, publicly attacking Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the man who oversees multiple federal agencies critical to Musk's ventures.
Duffy is also acting NASA administrator.
"Having a NASA Administrator who knows literally ZERO about rockets & spacecraft undermines the American space program and endangers our astronauts," Musk wrote Wednesday on X, igniting a bitter back-and-forth that has stretched for days.
The Post reported Thursday that Musk's attacks come as his companies face renewed regulatory scrutiny.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which falls under Duffy's purview, confirmed it has launched an inquiry into Tesla's new "Mad Max" driving mode, a feature that allows vehicles to make aggressive lane changes and roll through stop signs, behavior regulators previously deemed illegal.
The rollout, which occurred during the ongoing government shutdown, mirrors an earlier controversy in 2022 that forced Tesla to recall more than 50,000 vehicles.
An NHTSA spokesperson told the Post the agency "is in contact with [Tesla] to gather additional information."
The investigation follows a broader federal probe into reports that Tesla's Full Self-Driving system ran red lights and crossed into oncoming lanes.
Musk's defiance marks a sharp shift from early this year, when he was considered one of Trump's key allies after contributing heavily to his campaign and briefly leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk since has turned on several top Trump officials — including Duffy, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and trade adviser Peter Navarro — even taking a swipe at Trump himself.
"You're essentially fighting with the guy in charge," said Tesla investor Ross Gerber. "It's so much self-sabotage."
The dispute intensified after Duffy told CNBC that SpaceX was "behind" schedule on NASA's Artemis III moon mission and that he planned to open the lunar lander contract to other companies.
"We're not going to wait for one company," Duffy said, stressing that the administration wanted to "win the second space race against China."
SpaceX's $2.9 billion contract, originally expected to deliver a crewed moon landing by 2027, has faced repeated setbacks and failed test flights.
Musk lashed out online, calling Duffy "Sean Dummy" and accusing him of "trying to kill NASA."
His posts drew widespread criticism, even from loyal fans who warned that antagonizing the official overseeing both NASA and the Department of Transportation could jeopardize Tesla's self-driving approvals and SpaceX's federal contracts.
Musk was notably left off the guest list for a high-profile White House dinner of tech CEOs this week — a striking snub for someone once viewed as a central figure in Trump's technology agenda.
For all his ambitions, from autonomous robotaxis to crewed moon missions, Musk now faces a new kind of obstacle: the political fallout of taking on the administration that controls his regulatory destiny.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.