Musk Steps Back After Harsh Attacks on Trump Spark Political Storm
Tensions between Elon Musk and Donald Trump have cooled after the billionaire tech mogul posted a rare apology on X, admitting he went too far with his recent online remarks about the US President.
Musk wrote on 11 June,
“I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far.”
The unexpected admission came just days after a heated exchange between the two high-profile figures escalated across social media and news networks.
What began as a policy disagreement turned personal, with both sides trading increasingly bitter jabs.
From Policy Clash To Personal Attacks
The fallout began after Musk openly criticised a major federal spending package backed by Trump, referring to it as the “Debt Slavery Bill” and calling it “a disgusting abomination.”
He urged his followers to “KILL the BILL” and accused lawmakers of betraying the public by supporting what he described as a pork-filled, debt-expanding proposal.
Trump, reportedly caught off guard by the intensity of Musk’s attacks, fired back during a press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“Very disappointed” was how he described his former adviser, questioning Musk’s motives for launching such a strong offensive.
Musk, who left his short-lived government role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on 30 May, appeared to be growing increasingly frustrated with Washington’s direction.
In one of several posts slamming the bill, he said,
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore.”
Explosive Epstein Allegation Fuels Backlash
The dispute took a dramatic turn when Musk suggested—without providing evidence—that Trump’s name appeared in confidential documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
He claimed in a post that was later deleted on 7 June,
“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.”
He added,
“Have a nice day, DJT! Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”
The claim was widely criticised, even among Trump’s opponents, for lacking substantiation and appearing to politicise a sensitive issue.
Musk also posted a decades-old image and video of Trump with Epstein, fuelling further speculation online.
The reaction was swift.
Within hours, conservative voices warned Musk he was risking his influence with Trump’s base, while financial markets responded with uncertainty.
Bitcoin dropped nearly 4% shortly after the post, rattled by the public clash between two powerful figures with deep ties to the crypto space.
Trump Says He Wishes Musk Well Despite Rift
Despite the public fallout, Trump adopted a more measured tone when questioned by reporters on 10 June.
When the president was asked if he planned to speak to Musk, he replied,
“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… We had a good relationship and I just wish him well, very well actually.”
Though neither party has confirmed whether they’ve spoken privately, the shift in tone from both sides suggests an attempt to de-escalate.
Still, their online feud left a visible mark, not only on political discourse but also in financial markets and public perception.
A Fragile Truce After A Week Of Escalation
The friction reached its peak when Trump, in a Truth Social post, accused Musk of going “CRAZY” and hinted at cutting off his government contracts.
Musk retaliated by threatening to ground SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and pointedly accused Trump of “ingratitude” over past political support.
At one point, Musk claimed credit for the Republican party’s success in Pennsylvania.
He wrote,
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.”
He continued in the same thread,
“Such ingratitude.”
The apology posted on 11 June marks Musk’s first public step toward calming the situation.
Whether it leads to reconciliation or simply pauses a deeper fallout remains to be seen.
For now, both men appear to be stepping back—at least publicly.
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