Donald Trump-Elon Musk bromance 2.0? After public fallout, US President hints at reunion, but with a catch
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'I guess I could,' says Trump
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Musk's regret and recalibration
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US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk were once aligned. Now, after weeks of clashing headlines and explosive posts, both say they're open to peace—but it's not a priority.In the first episode of Pod Force One, Trump told New York Post columnist Miranda Devine, 'I haven't really thought about it actually. I would imagine he wants to speak to me. If I were him, I would want to speak to me. Maybe he's already called. You'd have to ask him.''We had a good relationship and I just wish him well, very well actually,' Trump added. Within hours, Musk posted a heart emoji on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.The gesture was small. But it broke a silence that followed a very public feud.Despite the back-and-forth, both men have since softened their tone.Trump, when asked if he could forgive Musk, said: 'I guess I could, but we have to straighten out the country. And my sole function now is getting this country back to a level higher than it's ever been. And I think we can do that.'Speaking on the same podcast, Trump said he did not 'blame' Musk entirely for their feud. 'I have no hard feelings,' he told Devine. 'But I was really surprised that that happened. He went after a bill that's phenomenal. … He just — I think he feels very badly that he said that, actually.''I was disappointed in him,' Trump added. 'But, you know, it is what it is.'Their fallout began not with personal attacks, but with policy. Musk criticised Trump's signature legislation, the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'—a sweeping Republican proposal on tax cuts and defence spending. He called it 'outrageous, pork-filled' and a 'disgusting abomination.' He also urged GOP lawmakers to 'kill the bill.'At the time, Musk had recently stepped down from his White House advisory role, where he led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The role had aimed to cut waste and fraud in federal spending. His exit was reportedly cordial—but the tone changed fast.Trump later responded to the criticism by questioning Musk's stability. 'He went crazy,' the President told reporters. 'He's lost his mind.'The clash escalated online. Musk accused Trump of withholding government files linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Musk posted that Trump may be mentioned in those files—a claim he later deleted.But the damage was done. The post, which Musk later admitted went too far, intensified scrutiny and personalised the feud.Trump responded by floating the idea of revoking federal contracts with Musk's companies—Tesla and SpaceX among them. 'He was never like that when he was in the White House,' Trump said.Musk, in turn, made an extraordinary threat. He said he could pull SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft from NASA missions, a move that would have disrupted the US space programme.Just before the podcast aired, Musk posted a note of reflection. 'I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,' he wrote on X. The post was short and came with no further explanation.This comes amid reports that Musk, who allegedly spent nearly $300 million supporting Trump's 2024 campaign, now plans to scale back his political donations.In one of his more incendiary earlier posts, Musk had claimed, 'Trump would have lost the election without me,' and hinted at impeachment.There's no confirmed meeting or call yet. But the sharp edges of this feud seem to be blunting.Both men have left the door slightly ajar. For now, though, Trump says his focus is elsewhere.Whether this public truce will last—or unravel once more—remains uncertain.
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