Musk voices regret for Trump feud: ‘Went too far'
Elon Musk is voicing regret for his public feud with President Trump, days after an explosive set of public attacks shattered the pair's close alliance.
'I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,' Musk wrote in an early morning post on his social media platform X on Wednesday.
Musk's comments represent the tech mogul's clearest effort yet to smooth over tensions after a blowup that upended months of close coordination between the world's richest man and the world's most powerful leader.
In another post on Tuesday night, Musk shared a news headline noting that his net worth had fallen more than $100 billion amid his efforts leading the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, as investors sold off shares of his car company Tesla.
'Worth it,' he wrote of the financial hit.
Musk in a series of posts on X last week lambasted the president's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' in Congress, calling it a 'disgusting abomination' and slamming Republicans in the House who voted for it. The legislation is the centerpiece of Trump's legislative agenda, with the White House dismissing the billionaire's criticism that it would add trillions to the country's debt.
Over the course of several hours, Musk issued rapid-fire social media posts lashing out at the bill and the president himself, saying Trump would have lost the 2024 election without his warchest, backed calls to impeach Trump and replace him with Vice President Vance, and floated forming a third party.
After Trump called Musk 'crazy' and argued his former adviser was upset because the legislation he's seeking to advance in the Senate would repeal electric vehicle tax credits, the Tesla CEO responded with a terse 'Whatever.'
Musk capped off his fusillade by alleging that '[Trump] is in the Epstein files,' referring to documents about the convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein who died by suicide in jail in 2019. 'That is the real reason they have not been made public,' Musk wrote. 'Have a nice day, DJT!'
Republican lawmakers moved quickly to urge Musk and Trump to patch up their feud, arguing the pair remain aligned on many priorities. Within hours of the back-and-forth, Musk signaled a desire to deescalate, replying 'true' to a post that urged the two men to 'make peace for the benefit of our great country.'
Musk's business empire has faced risks in the wake of the blowup, with his aerospace company SpaceX alone holding billions of dollars in federal contracts. Trump in the midst of the pair's feuding last week threatened to cut Musk's government contracts.
The president escalated his threat in a phone interview with NBC News's Kristen Welker over the weekend, warning Musk will face 'serious consequences' if he tries to back Democratic candidates over GOP lawmakers who support his tax and spending bill.
The feud has also worn on views of Musk within the GOP. A YouGov/Economist poll released Tuesday showed a drop in support for Musk among Republicans, with his net favorability sinking 20 points. The survey showed two-thirds of Republicans still view him favorably.
For his part, Trump pushed to turn the page late last week, focusing instead on the economy, his legislative agenda and international issues.
The White House said the president also planned to sell or give away the Tesla he purchased earlier this year. The vehicle was no longer at the White House on Tuesday, ABC News' Jonathan Karl reported.
And Trump told reporters he's 'not really interested' in efforts to reconcile the duo.
'I'm not thinking about Elon Musk,' the president said over the weekend. 'I just wish him well.'
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