Trump, Musk plan peace talks after public dispute
A Politico report claimed that White House aides have scheduled a call between Donald Trump and Elon Musk for Friday, after a huge public spat that saw threats fly over government contracts and ended with the world’s richest man suggesting the U.S. president should be impeached.
The feud between Trump and Musk has been unfolding over several days, with both figures using their respective social media platforms to exchange insults and accusations.
Their public spat began after Musk left the Trump administration and started criticizing a massive budget bill that Trump had dubbed a “big, beautiful bill.”
The reasons behind the feud are multifaceted, involving disagreements over policy, personal egos, and financial interests.
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Trump and Musk had a close relationship, with Musk being a significant donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and serving in the Trump administration, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
However, their alliance began to fray when Musk started criticizing the budget bill, which included cuts to electric vehicle subsidies that benefited Musk’s company, Tesla.
The feud escalated on Thursday when Trump posted on Truth Social that Musk was “wearing thin” and had gone “crazy” after Trump removed his “EV Mandate.”
Musk retaliated on X by claiming that Trump could not have won the presidency without him and suggesting that Trump should be impeached. Musk also alleged that Trump’s name appears in the Jeffrey Epstein files, claiming this was the reason they had not been made public.
The White House has described Musk’s accusations about Trump and the Epstein files as an “unfortunate episode.”
Despite the public feud, there are reports that the White House is planning to broker a peace between Trump and Musk. The feud has significant implications for Republican politicians, who now face a dilemma in choosing between angering Musk, whose financial support could fund primary challenges, and provoking Trump, whose approval is crucial for their political careers.
The reported peace move could ease the feuding after an extraordinary day of hostilities – largely conducted over social media – that marked a stark end to a close alliance.
