On June 11, Elon Musk admitted on the social media platform X that he regrets some of the posts he shared about US President Donald Trump last week, saying that "they went too far." The high-profile tension between Musk and Trump, marked by policy disagreements and personal attacks, has been the subject of widespread attention.
From "close allies" to "fierce rivals"
The relationship between Musk and Trump was once marked by "close allies".
On November 28 last year, during the Thanksgiving holiday, Trump hosted a party at his Florida estate to celebrate his election victory. Musk sat beside Trump and mingled with his family, sharing a festive atmosphere filled with music, including Trump's campaign anthem, "YMCA." At the time, the two appeared to be aligned in their goals and vision.
However, cracks in their relationship began to surface as policy disagreements emerged.
In an interview on May 28, Musk subtly criticized Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," arguing that it could increase government debt and negatively impact the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk oversees.
On June 3, Musk escalated his criticism on X, calling the bill a "disgusting abomination" and shaming lawmakers who supported it. While he avoided naming Trump directly, the tension became evident.
By June 5, Trump publicly expressed his disappointment in Musk and threatened to terminate government contracts with Musk. Musk responded by criticizing Trump's tariff policies, claiming they could lead to a US economic recession. Musk also retweeted posts calling for Trump's impeachment and suggested replacing him with Vice President J.D. Vance.
The conflict intensified on June 6 when Musk posted a controversial statement claiming, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election."
Musk also accused Trump of being ungrateful and even alluded to Trump's alleged ties with the late Jeffrey Epstein. These posts, particularly the one referencing Epstein, drew significant backlash and were later deleted. Republicans criticized Musk for crossing the line.
On June 8, Trump announced in an interview that his relationship with Musk was "over" and warned of "serious consequences" if Musk funded Democratic campaigns. In the same vein, Musk deleted several controversial posts, signaling a willingness to reconcile.
By June 9, Trump softened his tone, telling the media, "We had a good relationship and I wish him well." Musk responded with a heart emoji, marking a public thaw in their feud.
Analysts attribute the rapid de-escalation of this public spat to mutual business and political interests. While the feud escalated from policy disagreements—particularly over the tax bill—to personal attacks, neither party ultimately severed ties completely.
Trump refrained from terminating SpaceX contracts, and Musk's move to delete posts suggests that the inherent conflict between "the most powerful and the richest people in the world" is still a game of interests.
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