Scaramucci Warns Elon Musk to Stick to Business Amid Threats of Retaliation on Politics

In a veiled warning to Tesla CEO and SpaceX owner Elon Musk, Donald Trump's former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said the billionaire entrepreneur should stick to his business ventures rather than leveraging his significant influence in politics.

Scaramucci, who recently joined CNN as an analyst, issued the statement during an appearance on the network's "New Day" program. He urged Musk to exercise caution when using his considerable power to shape policy in Washington, suggesting that he is attracting enemies without realizing it. According to the former White House advisor, this kind of behavior will only lead to problems for Musk.

"He's just got to be very, very careful because he's making enemies that he doesn't realize," Scaramucci said. "The incentives in Washington are totally different from those in business."

Scaramucci drew a parallel between Musk's involvement in politics and the symptoms of a rare medical condition known as "Potomac fever." He claimed to have experienced the condition, stating that its key symptom is when an individual fails to recognize their own role in the behavior. Scaramucci offered advice to Musk: "Just lay off the gas on politics a little bit because these people could hurt you."

The comments came as Musk was credited with helping secure the defeat of a bipartisan spending bill by Congress, which had raised concerns about a federal shutdown if new legislation had not been passed in time.

Musk responded to Scaramucci's warning with humor. When asked by a social media user whether he would take advice from the former White House communications director, Musk replied: "Would you like to do the Fandango?" The response was widely shared online and generated amusement among Musk's fans.