As Elon Musk and President Donald Trump traded jabs on their rival social media platforms, their feud has escalated beyond a public spat, threatening billions of dollars in federal contracts and throwing the future of America's space program into question.

The billionaire’s feud with the president over the nation’s debt is jeopardizing lucrative deals for SpaceX and other Musk companies.

"The easiest way to save money in our Budget … is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Trump said in a post.