Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has publicly acknowledged his regrets regarding certain posts he made about US President Donald Trump during their turbulent exchange on social media. On his platform X, Musk stated, “They went too far.”
The fallout between Musk and Trump
The discord between Musk and Trump escalated after the Tesla founder distanced himself from his role in the White House, criticizing Trump’s tax legislation as a “disgusting abomination.” This public disagreement has drawn significant attention, particularly after Trump expressed a willingness to reconcile in a recent interview with the New York Post. He admitted to feeling “a little disappointed” over the rift but maintained that there were “no hard feelings.”
“I think he feels very badly that he said that,” Trump remarked regarding Musk’s earlier criticisms.
The contentious tax bill, which proposes substantial tax breaks alongside increased defense spending, has already passed the House of Representatives and is currently under consideration by the Senate. Musk has urged the American public to contact their congressional representatives to “kill the bill,” asserting that its passage could lead to a recession later this year.
Claims and counterclaims
In a controversial assertion, Musk claimed—without providing evidence—that Trump was mentioned in unreleased government documents associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The White House quickly dismissed these claims as unfounded. In response, Trump accused Musk of having “lost his mind” and even threatened to terminate his government contracts, which are estimated to be worth around $38 billion (£28 billion), a significant portion of which is allocated to Musk’s SpaceX.
Trump further criticized Musk for his disrespectful remarks, stating, “You could not disrespect the office of the president,” during an NBC interview on Sunday. Over the weekend, Musk appeared to have deleted numerous posts, including one that called for Trump’s impeachment.
Interestingly, Musk had previously been the largest donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and was viewed as a close ally of the former president. In a surprising turn, former Trump aide Steve Bannon suggested that Musk, who originally hails from South Africa, should be deported.
US Vice-President JD Vance expressed hope for Musk’s return to good terms with Trump, although he acknowledged the challenges, stating that Musk had gone “nuclear.” The ongoing feud has captured the attention of many, with most Republicans advocating for reconciliation, while Democrats observe the developments with interest.
The conflict arose shortly after Musk’s brief tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), where he served for only 129 days before resigning.