Elon Musk publicly walked back his attacks on Donald Trump following a pair of private calls, one with the president himself and another days earlier with JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
The conflict between Trump and Musk erupted on June 5, when Musk accused the president of being ungrateful for his political support and suggested Trump’s name appeared in documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Those posts, including one alleging misconduct, were later deleted. The dustup followed Musk’s abrupt departure as a close Trump adviser, souring a relationship that had once shaped key decisions in the administration.
In the days that followed, Vance and Wiles called Musk to de-escalate the situation. Then, on Monday, Musk and Trump spoke directly. By Wednesday, Musk posted on X that he regretted some of his remarks, writing, “They went too far.”
Vance avoided public criticism of Musk, positioning himself as a mediator. He has been working to solidify his role as both a loyal supporter and behind-the-scenes fixer. The White House said Trump acknowledged and appreciated Musk’s statement.
Though Trump initially fired back at Musk’s criticism by threatening to cut government contracts with his companies, causing Tesla’s stock to plunge 14% and lose over $150 billion in value, he later struck a more forgiving tone, telling the New York Post he was open to moving past it.
Originally published on Latin Times
