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Ted Cruz Urges Trump and Musk to 'Kiss and Make Up'
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Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, is calling for President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to "kiss and make up" as their public feud over Trump's signature legislation continues to escalate.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House and Musk via email on Saturday for comment.
Why It Matters
Musk and Trump initiated a war of words this week after the tech mogul started attacking the House-approved spending bill, which the president has nicknamed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," that will help him launch a wider effort to implement some of his broader economic and social reforms.
Musk, who spent four months rooting around the federal government with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut "waste, fraud, and abuse," criticized the bill as a "disgusting abomination" and that it was full of "pork," a reference to abundant discretionary spending in a bill, known as "pork barrel spending."
Trump hit back on his own social media platform Truth Social by saying he had asked Musk to leave government because he was "wearing thin."
Meanwhile, Musk gave over $200 million to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and called himself his "first buddy."
The breakdown between Trump and Musk threatens the unity of the Republican coalition, with Cruz warning that "every enemy of America, every Marxist, every person who hates our country" is cheering for the divide to be permanent.
What To Know
The Texas lawmaker made the comments on his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, revealing that he was inside the Oval Office when Musk began posting his criticism on X, formerly Twitter, and "the relationship between the billionaire CEO and Trump imploded."
The feud centers on Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill Act," which would extend his 2017 tax cuts and boost spending on military and border security while making cuts to Medicaid and other assistance programs. Musk has called the legislation "a disgusting abomination," expressing concerns about its estimated $3.8 trillion addition to the federal debt over the next decade.
On his podcast, Cruz described witnessing the breakdown firsthand: "These are two alpha males who are pissed off and, unfortunately, they're unloading on each other. And I wish that were not the case, because I think the country does better when these two amazing heroes are working side-by-side for the country."
He warned that "every enemy of America, every Marxist, every person who hates our country, every person who hates freedom, is cheering for this divide to be real, to be deep, to be lasting, to be permanent."
The senator added: "Everyone who loves our country is cheering for Elon and President Trump to kiss and make up."
The lawmaker expressed hope the relationship could be repaired quickly, saying: "I hope it goes back to zero just as quickly" and comparing the situation to "the kids of a bitter divorce where you're just saying, 'I really wish mommy and daddy would stop screaming.'"
Amid their fiery dispute on Thursday, Trump warned that the "easiest way" to save billions in the budget was to "terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts."
Musk responded by saying SpaceX, which he is the CEO of, will "begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately," although he has since walked that threat back.
Cooler heads prevailed Friday, with Musk and Trump refraining from slinging direct insults at each other. However, when asked by a reporter on Air Force One if he planned to follow through on his threat to cut Musk's government subsidies, Trump did not rule it out.
"We'll take a look at everything," he said. "It's a lot of money. It's a lot of subsidy. So, we'll take a look at that, only if it's fair for him and for the it has to be fair."
Elon Musk speaks with then-President-elect Donald Trump and guests including Donald Trump Jr., Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, and Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, at a viewing of the launch of the sixth...
Elon Musk speaks with then-President-elect Donald Trump and guests including Donald Trump Jr., Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, and Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, at a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on November 19, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas. MoreWhat People Are Saying
Elon Musk wrote on X on Thursday: "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate."
President Donald Trump on Thursday: "Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore. I was surprised. You were here. Everybody in this room practically was here as we had a wonderful send-off. He said wonderful things about me. You couldn't have nicer-said the best things. He's worn the hat. Trump was right about everything, and I am right about the 'Great Big Beautiful Bill.'"
Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, wrote earlier this month on X: "I do support President Trump, and I support most of the bill. I'm his biggest defender on foreign policy. But at the same time, I want conservative government, so I have to fight for what I believe in."
Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, to Fox News' Sean Hannity on Thursday: "I think it's incredibly unfortunate. You and I are both good friends with President Trump and we're both good friends with Elon Musk. They're both extraordinary men, and they've both done extraordinary things for our country."
He added: "Elon is an incredible inventor and business leader. His buying Twitter was massively important, his leadership of DOGE for President Trump was massively important. President Trump is doing phenomenal work every single day. His victory pulled this country back from the abyss. I'll tell you Sean, I was in the Oval Office with the president when this back-and-forth began, and it's really unfortunate. They are both, I think, American heroes. They are both incredibly strong leaders. And listen, it's obvious they are both pissed off right now."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, on Friday: "Do not doubt and do not second-guess and don't ever challenge the president of the United States, Donald Trump. He is the leader of the party."
What Happens Next
It was not clear whether Trump and Musk would meet or call to discuss the fallout over the bill, which Trump has suggested the Senate should pass by July 4.
