Washington: Days after a high-profile fallout, US President Donald Trump has spoken out about his strained relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk, hinting at a possible reconciliation but making it clear it’s not on his priority list. In an appearance on Miranda Devine’s new podcast “Pod Force One,” Trump admitted he was “a little disappointed” with Musk after their once-strong rapport unravelled, but he insisted there were no lingering hard feelings.
“I was disappointed in him…But, you know, it is what it is. I don’t blame him for anything,” he said. When asked during the podcast if a future friendship was still on the table, Trump responded with a characteristically blunt line: “I guess I could, but we have to fix the country first.”
Trump-Musk feud
Their feud, which played out publicly and dramatically on social media, escalated after Musk levelled serious accusations, including a bold claim involving the Epstein files and taking credit for Trump’s 2016 victory. Tensions further flared over policy disagreements — particularly Musk’s vocal opposition to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a legislation projected by the Congressional Budget Office to add $3 trillion to the national debt over a decade. Prior to the fallout, Musk had been spearheading cost-cutting initiatives through the Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump once cordial, later threatened contracts
Adding to the drama, Trump had earlier bid Musk a cordial farewell at the White House after the Tesla CEO stepped down from his advisory role. But in the aftermath of their rift, Trump went so far as to suggest slashing federal contracts for Musk’s companies, claiming the entrepreneur had “lost his mind.”
Elon Musk backs off from feud with Trump
Earlier on Wednesday, Musk backed off from feud with Trump, saying he regrets social media posts that ‘went too far. “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk posted. His break with a President on whom he spent hundreds of millions of dollars to elect appeared to put an end to his influence in the White House and prompted concerns about effects on his companies.
Musk earlier deleted a post in which he claimed without evidence that the government was concealing information about the president’s association with infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, other posts that irritated Trump, including ones in which Musk called the spending bill an “abomination” and claimed credit for Trump’s election victory, remained live.
