Former President Donald Trump has declared that his relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk is over. This announcement follows a series of public disagreements and escalating tensions between the two prominent figures. Musk had previously attempted to de-escalate the tensions with Trump.
However, those efforts were unsuccessful, as Trump firmly shut the door on any reconciliation. The falling-out marks a significant shift in the dynamic between Trump and Musk, who had once stood as staunch allies on various fronts. It adds to the growing list of high-profile feuds involving the former president.
In a new phone interview on Saturday, President Trump warned that Musk would face “serious consequences” if he funds Democratic candidates to run against Republicans who vote in favor of the GOP’s sweeping budget bill. “Mr. Musk is free to support any cause he chooses, but there will be very serious repercussions if his financial backing goes against Republicans who are working towards this critical budget,” Trump said.
The statement comes amid heightened tensions between tech titans and political leaders, with recent actions by Musk drawing significant attention. While Trump did not specify what the consequences would be, the warning adds to the fractious political landscape. Elon Musk called President Donald Trump Monday night before expressing regret for some of his social media posts about the president during their public feud last week, sources told CNN.
The brief call between Musk and Trump came after Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had spoken with Musk on Friday, discussing the tensions between Trump and the tech billionaire. Following these discussions, Musk deleted some of his most critical social media posts about Trump. On Wednesday, he admitted that some of his posts had “gone too far.”
“I regret some of my posts about President last week.
Trump and Musk tensions escalate
They went too far,” Musk wrote on X. Republican lawmakers and Trump allies have spent the last week urging Musk to reconcile with Trump and support his domestic policy bill.
Many of Trump’s advisers have reached out to the billionaire to deescalate the feud and promote the president’s policy agenda. House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN he was in touch with Musk and was optimistic about the reconciliation. “I think the temperature’s being turned down, and I’m very hopeful that these two will reconcile,” he said.
While Musk and Trump seem to be on the path to reconciliation, many in Trump’s camp hope that Musk will eventually endorse the president’s policy bill. “He has real concerns, but we’re all hoping he comes around. His words carry a lot of weight,” one source said.
White House officials, while initially concerned about a possible irrevocable break between the two, now believe there is a possibility Musk and Trump will mend their relationship. Trump, sources said, has not been as harsh toward Musk in recent days as some had expected. Vice President Vance voiced his hope for reconciliation during an interview recorded for a conservative podcast.
“I actually think that if Elon chilled out a little bit, everything would be fine,” Vance said. After their public feud and subsequent discussions, Musk began moving back toward Trump, showing support for the administration’s stance on unrest and protests of immigration raids in Los Angeles. Musk, who shares many of the administration’s views on immigration, added American flags to a post from Vance about the president’s intolerance of rioting and violence.
Musk also re-followed White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk, who had been advocating for Musk and Trump to reconcile. Musk’s message of regret early Wednesday appears to have been well-received by Trump, who told CNN in a brief phone interview, “I thought it was very nice that he did that.”
