Billionaire Elon Musk admitted remorse Wednesday over his final week’s inflammatory posts geared toward U.S. President Donald Trump.
“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X, ending days of fiery rhetoric that had pushed the connection between two of the nation’s strongest males to the brink.
The fallout started earlier this month when Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, lambasted Trump’s flagship “One Big Beautiful Bill” – a sweeping tax and spending package deal – as a “disgusting abomination.”
His criticism centered on what he referred to as bloated authorities “pork” and hypocrisy over vitality subsidies, blasting the invoice for preserving oil and gasoline incentives whereas failing to help electrical autos.
Trump hit again swiftly.
During a joint Oval Office press briefing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, he dismissed Musk’s assaults as self-serving, accusing the tech mogul of being upset over the lack of EV subsidies that immediately affect Tesla’s business.
He urged Musk was extra conversant in the invoice than he publicly claimed, casting doubt on the sincerity of his objections.
But the barbs didn’t cease at coverage.
Musk escalated the feud by floating unsubstantiated claims that Trump’s identify appeared in sealed authorities paperwork tied to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier whose 2019 demise in federal custody stays a lightning rod for conspiracy theories.
“@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,” Musk posted on Thursday.
He went additional, backing a name for Trump’s impeachment and suggesting Vice President JD Vance ought to take over the presidency.
By Saturday, these posts had been quietly deleted.
Trump, by no means one to let an assault go unanswered, took to Truth Social with ferocity.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” he wrote, threatening to yank federal help for each Tesla and SpaceX, which rely closely on authorities partnerships – together with important contracts with NASA.
He additionally accused Musk of “going CRAZY” after being pushed out of his administration and shedding political affect.
Social media exploded with commentary, as observers labeled the conflict every thing from a political disaster to “a glorious day for terminally online people.”
Musk’s sudden tone shift – publicly strolling again his most explosive accusations – suggests greater than only a change of coronary heart. Market turbulence could have performed a key function.
On Thursday, shares for each Tesla and Trump Media & Technology Group (the mum or dad firm of Truth Social) took successful, prompting hypothesis that Musk’s retreat was as a lot about harm management as private reflection.
Behind the scenes, strain mounted.
Musk’s father, Errol Musk, revealed in an interview with Al Arabiya English that he had suggested his son to let the spat “fizzle out.” “I sent him a message,” Errol mentioned. “This needs to end.” He added that Trump, given his voter mandate, would seemingly emerge stronger.
The timing additionally raised questions on Musk’s political ambitions. Even as he apologized, Musk continued floating the concept of forming a brand new centrist “America Party” geared toward voters disillusioned with the standard two-party system. A ballot on X confirmed overwhelming help for the idea – 80% of respondents favored the concept, highlighting his persistent urge for food for political relevance.
Just months in the past, Musk had been certainly one of Trump’s most distinguished allies. He endorsed the president following an assassination try in July 2024 and poured $277 million into Trump’s marketing campaign and affiliated Republican teams.
Appointed co-chair of the newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk pushed to slash $2 trillion in federal spending, although his crew finally delivered solely a fraction of that concentrate on.
Trump rewarded him with a grand White House ceremony and a novelty key, symbolizing the deep mutual admiration that when outlined their bond.
That alliance has frayed, maybe irreparably. Speaking to NBC’s Kristen Welker on Saturday, Trump made clear his view of the connection’s future: “I would assume (our relationship) is over.” Still, he stopped wanting reclaiming the ceremonial White House key and praised Musk’s early efforts with DOGE, suggesting a lingering respect regardless of their public fallout.
The platform dynamics added gasoline to the fireplace. While Trump has his Truth Social base, Musk’s X dwarfs it in attain and affect.
With over 202 million followers, Musk’s posts and memes dominated the digital battlefield, incomes him each admiration and ire.
Saturday, the height of the feud, was hailed by customers as “the most interesting day on X in years,” with commentators marveling on the surreal mix of politics, know-how, and private vendettas unfolding in real-time.
Source: www.dailysabah.com