In a dramatic turn of events, Elon Musk publicly expressed regret on Wednesday for some of his recent posts about President Donald Trump. “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter), marking a significant shift in his tone towards the president.
The admission comes after a spectacular and very public fallout between the two, which saw the tech mogul and the president exchanging barbed remarks across social media platforms.
Musk and Trump’s relationship has been a tale of high highs and low lows. Until recently, the two men were considered close allies, particularly in the political and business spheres. Musk served as a co-head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, a position where he led controversial efforts to streamline federal operations, including spearheading mass layoffs of government workers.
Their alliance was seen as a mutual benefit to their respective interests, with Musk aligning himself with Trump’s vision of deregulation and tax cuts.
However, cracks began to show when Musk began to take issue with some of Trump’s policies. The first significant blow came with Musk’s public criticism of Trump’s massive tax cut and domestic policy bill, which Musk condemned as a “disgusting abomination” for its anticipated long-term negative impact on U.S. government finances.
This was a sharp break from his previous stance of supporting the president's economic agenda, and it marked the beginning of a souring relationship.
As the weeks went on, Musk’s criticisms became more pointed and personal. He shared years-old comments from Trump and other Republican lawmakers that questioned the U.S. government’s spending practices and its growing budget deficit. These comments only fueled the fire, but it was Musk’s social media posts that truly made headlines.
In one of his most controversial posts, Musk claimed that Trump would have lost the 2024 presidential election without his support, a claim that immediately raised eyebrows. However, it was his next post—claiming that Trump’s name appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files—that pushed the feud to its breaking point.
Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted pedophile who died in jail in 2019, was at the center of one of the most notorious criminal investigations in modern history. Musk’s claim that Trump’s name was linked to Epstein’s files caused a media storm, with many calling Musk's accusation reckless and baseless. Musk did not provide any evidence to back up his assertion, further igniting backlash.
It’s important to note that the mere inclusion of a person’s name in documents related to Epstein does not imply any criminal wrongdoing. Yet Musk’s post led to widespread media coverage, speculation, and anger from Trump’s supporters.
Trump was quick to respond. On his Truth Social platform, the president threatened to terminate the government contracts and subsidies that Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, rely on.
The president also commented during an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, stating that he was “not even thinking about Elon” and wouldn’t be speaking to him “for a while.” These remarks came after Musk’s social media outbursts and pointed criticisms of the Trump administration’s policies.
Trump also appeared on the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast, where he expressed disappointment in Musk. “I don’t know what his problem is, really, I don’t know,” Trump said. “I haven’t thought too much about him in the last little while.”
The president went on to add that he held “no hard feelings” but seemed genuinely surprised that Musk had criticized his tax cut bill. The coldness between the two was palpable.
In the wake of the heated exchange, Musk took steps to de-escalate the situation. He began deleting some of his more inflammatory posts, including those related to Epstein and one that agreed with the suggestion that Trump should be impeached. The cooling of tensions between the two was evident, and Musk even expressed his support for a post by billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who urged Musk and Trump to “make peace.”
Musk responded by acknowledging that Ackman was “not wrong.”
Musk also appeared to align himself with some of Trump’s positions, including support for the president’s stance on the protests in Los Angeles, which were sparked by federal immigration raids. Musk posted American flags in response to a statement from Vice President JD Vance, who emphasized that the president would not tolerate violence and rioting.
Musk, who has long supported the Trump administration’s tough stance on illegal immigration and closed borders, appeared to reaffirm his alignment with these policies.
In his X post on Wednesday, Musk did not specifically outline which comments he regretted, leaving room for speculation. However, his public expression of remorse seemed to be an attempt to move past the feud and repair his relationship with the president.
The apology also came days after comments from Musk’s father, Errol Musk, who had his own take on the situation. In an interview with Izvestia, a Russian newspaper, Errol stated that his son had “made a mistake” by picking a fight with the president. "Trump will prevail. He is the president," Errol said.
Despite their own strained relationship, Errol seemed to believe that the feud between Musk and Trump was something that could easily be patched up. "It’s just a small thing. It will be over tomorrow," he added.
This perspective from Errol Musk highlights the familial tension that often underpins Elon’s public actions. While Errol acknowledged that his son had overstepped, he also hinted that the fallout could be short-lived, with the two men—Musk and Trump—likely reconciling in the near future.
Musk’s decision to apologize and walk back his previous remarks could be a strategic move to protect his business interests, particularly with regard to the significant government contracts his companies rely on. Tesla’s stock rose 2% in premarket trading following Musk’s walk-back on X, which indicates that investors welcomed the shift in tone and saw it as a positive development.
Whether or not Musk and Trump will truly reconcile remains to be seen. The two men’s relationship has been one of mutual benefit, but it has also been fraught with moments of tension and disagreement. Musk’s recent apology is a step toward healing the rift, but only time will tell whether it will be enough to restore the once strong political alliance between the two powerful figures.
For now, the public feud appears to have cooled, but the implications for both Musk’s business dealings and his political relationships are yet to be fully realized. Musk’s actions in the coming weeks and months will determine whether his apology marks a genuine attempt at reconciliation or if it is merely a temporary patch to a more complex and ongoing political saga.