Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a former advisor to Donald Trump, said Wednesday he regretted some of his recent criticisms of the U.S. president following their public falling-out last week.
“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote on his social media platform, X.
Musk’s statement came just days after Trump warned him of “serious consequences” should the tech billionaire seek to punish Republican lawmakers who support a controversial spending bill currently before Congress.
The high-profile rift — played out largely on social media — began when Musk publicly condemned Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful” spending bill, calling it an “abomination.” The proposal has stirred internal Republican debate and faced opposition from several lawmakers.
Some of those lawmakers had urged Musk — one of the Republican Party’s most prominent donors in the 2024 election cycle — to help fund primary challenges against GOP members backing the bill.
“He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News on Saturday, calling Musk “disrespectful,” though he did not elaborate on what those consequences would be.
The president also said he had “no” interest in repairing their relationship, adding, “I have no intention of speaking to him.”
Musk did not clarify which specific remarks he was walking back in his post on Wednesday.
From allies to adversaries
The two men had appeared to part ways amicably just two weeks earlier, when Musk stepped down from a cost-cutting advisory role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump had at the time praised Musk’s contributions.
However, tensions quickly escalated when Musk blasted the spending bill and warned it could define Trump’s second term. Trump fired back during an Oval Office press event, triggering a heated back-and-forth that riveted Washington and political observers.
“Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised,” Trump told reporters last week.
Musk, who was reportedly Trump’s top financial backer in the 2024 race, also took credit for the president’s electoral success.
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election. Democrats would control the House, and Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” he wrote on X. “Such ingratitude.”
In response, Trump suggested the government could cut contracts and subsidies to Musk’s companies, including Tesla and SpaceX.
“The easiest way to save money is to cut Musk off,” he said on Truth Social.
U.S. media outlets estimate the value of those contracts and subsidies at around $18 billion.
Backpedaling amid fallout
As political and financial tensions mounted, both Musk and Trump appeared to soften their stances late last week.
“I just wish him well,” Trump told reporters Friday. “Likewise,” Musk replied on X.
The de-escalation came after Musk deleted one of the more incendiary claims made during their falling-out — a post alleging that Trump was named in sealed government files linked to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.
“Time to drop the really big bomb: (Trump) is in the Epstein files,” Musk had written on X, without providing evidence.
The post referred to unreleased documents reportedly tied to Epstein’s associates. While Trump’s name has appeared in previously unsealed court records, he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Musk’s post, which did not specify what files he was referencing, was removed by Saturday morning.
AFP
