Elon Musk and President Donald Trump haven’t spoken directly, but their teams did on Friday, trying to slow down a fast-escalating public fight, according to Politico.
The conversation between their aides temporarily paused the attacks that had gone viral across their social platforms.
Trump hasn’t posted about Elon on Truth Social since the call, but officials in the White House say it’s not because he’s calm. The president is reportedly furious about how things played out online.
“The future of their relationship is totally uncertain,” the same official said, adding that the tension hasn’t gone away, it’s just being held back by handlers. They’ve both pulled back, but not because they want to. It was damage control.
Trump reacts to Epstein mention and claims about campaign money
Trump was already pissed off, but Elon made it worse when he posted that the president appeared in the “Epstein files.” The post suggested a tie to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who’s been linked to several powerful men.
Trump’s name has shown up in documents released in Epstein’s court cases, but there’s no charge or claim of any wrongdoing. That didn’t matter to Trump. He was livid that Elon even brought it up.
Then came the part that really set him off. Elon claimed that Trump wouldn’t have won in November without him and said he gave more than $250 million in political support. Trump saw it as a personal attack. Elon posted on X, “Such ingratitude,” after taking credit for the election win. That hit a nerve. Trump hates when anyone tries to take credit for his success, especially someone he doesn’t fully trust.
While the drama was playing out online, Trump and Republicans in Congress were working to pass a massive domestic spending bill. It’s the cornerstone of his second term. But Elon wasn’t impressed. He called the legislation a “MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK,” trashing it publicly while Trump was pushing hard behind the scenes. The president’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, responded by saying, “As President Trump has said himself, he is moving forward focused on passing the One Big Beautiful Bill.”
White House pulled Musk’s NASA pick and meetings turned tense
The relationship between the two billionaires started cracking before any of the public posts. Trump didn’t like Elon’s talk about DOGE and his overpromising about cutting government waste. Then came the real blow: the administration pulled the nomination of Jared Isaacman, Elon’s choice to lead NASA. That was one of the last things holding their uneasy alliance together.
Behind that move was Sergio Gor, the White House personnel director. Gor and Elon have had issues for a while, and it boiled over after a March Cabinet meeting. At that meeting, Trump made it clear to his agency heads that they were in charge—not Elon, who was also in the room. That public statement didn’t sit well.
Afterward, Elon refused to cooperate with Gor. His companies began laying off large numbers of people. Government staff started getting warnings from Musk-controlled entities, and those threats triggered lawsuits. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers called him out. But Elon didn’t care. He kept pushing his agenda, firing staff and pressing forward.
Trump isn’t used to opposition like this. Usually, when he fights, he wins. But Elon isn’t a regular opponent, he’s the richest man alive, and he has a platform that can match Trump’s media firepower. Some political operatives say Trump still has more influence. But no one denies that Elon has something no one else does, which is a megaphone that rivals the president’s.
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