AUSTIN, Texas (Diya TV) — Elon Musk expressed regret Wednesday over a string of incendiary social media posts targeting President Donald Trump, signaling a step back from a high-profile feud that had threatened to impact his sprawling business empire.
“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote on X, the platform he owns.
The statement marks a dramatic shift from the rhetoric Musk deployed just days earlier, when he launched a barrage of criticism at Trump, including a post calling for his impeachment and another, since deleted, suggesting without evidence that the president was implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Musk also accused Trump of pushing through a “disgusting abomination” of a tax and spending bill that would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s break from Trump stunned observers. Musk had been the single largest donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign, and until recently, served as co-head of the Trump administration’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency — a controversial initiative aimed at slashing federal programs, which critics argue may have skirted legal boundaries.
Trump responded swiftly. “I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform, signaling his willingness to undercut Tesla’s future. He also threatened to end government subsidies and contracts awarded to Musk’s companies, including SpaceX, which holds several critical contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense.
The feud rattled investors, prompting concerns about the financial stability of Musk’s companies, particularly Tesla. Analysts noted that political uncertainty and Musk’s polarizing online persona have already contributed to declining EV sales in parts of Europe. However, Tesla shares rose 2.6% in pre-market trading on Wednesday following Musk’s conciliatory post, suggesting investors welcomed signs of de-escalation.
Trump, speaking on the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast, said he was “disappointed” but ultimately held “no hard feelings” toward Musk. “I think he feels very badly, that he said that,” Trump added in an interview also reported by the Post.
The apparent thaw comes at a pivotal moment for Musk. Tesla is preparing to unveil its highly anticipated “robotaxi” service in Austin, Texas — a launch seen as crucial for the company to justify its status as the world’s most valuable carmaker amid growing scrutiny of its ageing lineup and stagnant innovation.
Musk’s softening tone follows public pressure not only from markets but also from his own family. His father, Errol Musk, told Russia’s Izvestia in a video interview Saturday that his son had “made a mistake” by picking a fight with the president. “Trump will prevail. He is the president,” Errol said, adding that he believed the spat would soon blow over.
Even during the height of the conflict, Musk appeared to leave room for reconciliation. He liked a post from investor Bill Ackman urging the two billionaires to “make peace,” responding simply: “Not wrong.”
Still, tensions may linger. In a pre-recorded interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Trump said he wasn’t “even thinking about Elon” and had no immediate plans to speak with him again. On Sunday, Trump warned on NBC’s Meet the Press that Musk could face “serious consequences” if he aligned with Democrats in the upcoming election.
For now, Musk has deleted several of the most controversial posts, including those invoking Epstein and calls for impeachment, but has left others criticizing Trump’s fiscal policies intact. He has not specified which remarks he regrets.
Whether the brief détente holds remains to be seen. But for now, Musk appears to be signaling a desire to keep the peace—or at least the contracts.
