Elon Musk has publicly expressed regret for a series of incendiary social media posts directed at Donald Trump,United States president, signalling a possible thaw in a high-profile political falling-out that captivated the tech and political worlds last week.
“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote on Wednesday via his X platform, formerly Twitter.
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The Tesla and SpaceX chief’s remarks come after a week of escalating tension between himself and Trump, culminating in a series of blistering personal and political attacks from both men. Until recently, Musk had been one of Trump’s closest allies in government, serving as co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency—a newly created body under the Trump administration tasked with streamlining federal operations and executing mass layoffs across several government agencies.
The rift became public when Musk denounced Trump’s sweeping tax cut and domestic spending bill as a “disgusting abomination,” citing concerns over its projected impact on the federal deficit and long-term government finances. The rebuke was a sharp reversal from Musk’s previous stance, and the feud quickly spiralled, marked by inflammatory online exchanges.
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Among the most controversial of Musk’s posts was an unsubstantiated claim that Trump is “in” the unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files—records pertaining to the disgraced financier who died in custody in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. Musk offered no evidence to support the claim, which has been widely criticised for its speculative and damaging nature.
The inclusion of a name in files related to Epstein does not imply criminal wrongdoing. Nonetheless, the allegation caused ripples throughout political and financial sectors, drawing condemnation from Trump’s allies and supporters.
The fallout extended to threats of retaliation. Trump, posting on his Truth Social platform, suggested that his administration could review and potentially revoke government contracts and subsidies extended to Musk’s various companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. Speaking to CNN on Friday, the president dismissed Musk curtly: “I’m not even thinking about Elon,” he said. “I won’t be speaking to him for a while.”
Yet despite the intensity of the feud, signs of de-escalation have begun to emerge. Musk has deleted several of his most provocative posts, including the Epstein claim and another that echoed calls for Trump’s impeachment.
On Monday, he shared American flag emojis in response to a post from vice president JD Vance, who declared that the administration would not tolerate unrest in Los Angeles following federal immigration raids. Musk, a long-time advocate of closed borders and strict immigration enforcement, appeared to reaffirm his alignment on that front.
While Musk did not specify which of his remarks he regretted, Wednesday’s post marks a notable shift in tone. His father, Errol Musk, weighed in from South Africa over the weekend, telling Russian outlet Izvestia that the feud was “a mistake” on Elon’s part and that reconciliation was inevitable. “Trump will prevail. He is the president,” Errol said. “It’s just a small thing. It will be over tomorrow.”
Despite the high-profile spat, markets responded positively to Musk’s conciliatory gesture, with Tesla shares rising 2% in premarket trading.
Whether Musk and Trump will fully reconcile remains uncertain, but for now, the hostilities appear to be subsiding—a tentative ceasefire between two of the most powerful and polarising figures in American public life.
