The two men have been embroiled in a feud over legislation that encompasses the president’s agenda.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (left) and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump attend a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Signs of a truce are emerging in the increasingly bitter clash between two of the world’s most powerful men.
President Donald Trump projected an air of nonchalance in an interview Thursday with POLITICO during a day of sparring over social media with Elon Musk.
Separately, White House aides, after working to persuade the president to temper his public criticism of Musk to avoid escalation, scheduled a call Friday with the billionaire CEO of Tesla to broker a peace.
“Oh it’s okay,” Trump told POLITICO in a brief telephone call when asked about the very public breakup with his onetime megabacker. “It’s going very well, never done better.” Trump went on to tout his favorability ratings saying, “The numbers are through the roof, the highest polls I’ve ever had and I have to go.”
It was a marked contrast to what appeared for all the world to be an ugly online feud between Trump and Musk over his “big beautiful bill,” the legislation now in the Senate that incorporates his presidential agenda, from tax cuts to immigration enforcement.
The stakes were high enough, and the exchanges so alarmingly bitter, that aides and allies, including hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, rushed to ease the tension — and Musk seemed agreeable.
“I support @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk and they should make peace for the benefit of our great country,” Ackman wrote on X.
Musk responded, “You’re not wrong.”
Tesla shares rallied 6.3% in overnight trading.
Earlier Thursday — as Musk raged about the cost of legislation that is projected to add $2.4 trillion to the deficit — Trump tempered some of his commentary on his own social media platform at the urging of White House aides.
The aides advised him to focus on the bill and getting it through the Senate instead of the conflict with Musk, according to one person close to the White House who was granted anonymity to discuss private exchanges.
One of Trump’s Truth Social posts reflected that restraint. “I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago,” the president wrote. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress,” he added, before focusing on its benefits and signing off, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”