From red flags to American flags: Trump keeps Tesla, Musk keeps quiet; 'big, beautiful' feud over?
Elon Musk and Donald Trump (R)
Just days after calling for US President
Donald Trump
's impeachment,
Elon Musk
is now softening his stance, offering indirect praise and patriotic emojis for the administration, in a dramatic shift after what had been dubbed the 'big, beautiful breakup' between the two giants.
The rapid shift in tone comes after a public and messy split between the tech mogul and the US president.
Last week, Musk's social media posts took direct aim at Trump, accusing him, without evidence, of appearing in documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and demanding his removal from office. But by the weekend, many of those posts had vanished.
As clashes between demonstrators and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers escalated in LA, Musk threw his weight behind the administration's firm stance on immigration enforcement.
He reposted Vice President JD Vance's message that the 'president will not tolerate rioting and violence,' adding a string of American flags.
Musk has long voiced support for closed borders and stricter immigration controls, positions closely aligned with Trump's own policies.
Tech billionaire also amplified a post from Trump on Truth Social demanding apologies from California governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass over the chaos in the city.
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'They should apologize to the people of Los Angeles,' Trump wrote, as images of burning cars and violent confrontations flooded social media.
In a gesture that signals a possible thaw in tensions, President Trump announced Monday that he would not sell the Tesla he purchased from Elon Musk—despite their recent public fallout. The car, acquired during friendlier times as a symbolic move to promote American-made electric vehicles, was reportedly intended for White House use rather than personal driving.
Following the clash between the two, there had been speculation that Trump might sell or give away the vehicle. However, the President clarified he had no plans to part with it.
'I could move it around,' Trump said, 'but I won't sell the car.'
He also confirmed he had no intention of cutting ties with Musk's Starlink satellite service, further suggesting that a complete break between the two may not be in the cards.
In another surprising turn, Musk re-followed White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, one of the architects of the administration's immigration policy -- after unfollowing him during last week's feud.
The move stirred speculation, especially given that Miller's wife, Katie Miller, recently left her White House post to work with Musk full-time. The Millers had been regulars at Musk's social gatherings, and their proximity to both camps has made them the subject of White House gossip amid the falling out.
Katie Miller declined to comment.
Musk also moved to quash viral rumours that had fanned the flames of the feud.
When his AI chatbot Grok seemingly confirmed a fake post showing Musk telling Miller 'Just like I took your wife,' Musk replied, 'No, it's fake ffs I never posted this.'
Despite the apparent thaw, Musk has not fully abandoned criticism. Over the weekend, he took more subtle jabs at the president's sweeping domestic policy proposal, nicknamed the 'One, Big, Beautiful Bill'—which recently passed the House and is now under Senate review.
Wall Street, however, seems to be welcoming the détente. Tesla's stock rebounded 4.6% on Monday, though it remains below levels seen before last week's dramatic fallout.
'While we do not expect Trump and Musk to be back to their Mar-a-Lago connected at the hip days, it would not be a surprise to see Trump and Musk slowly mend the fences (with the help of intermediaries behind closed doors) over the coming months,' wrote WedBush analyst Dan Ives.
'At the end of the day Trump needs Musk to stay close to the Republican party and Musk needs Trump for many reasons including a green light on a federal framework for autonomous [vehicles].
'
On Monday afternoon, Trump himself struck a more conciliatory tone when asked about Musk.
'We had a good relationship, I wish him well, very well,' the president told reporters at the White House.
But when asked if he would answer Musk's call, Trump paused: 'I haven't really thought about it actually. I would imagine he wants to speak to me, I would think so.'
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