It didn’t take long for the war of words between President Donald Trump — the most powerful man on the planet — and Elon Musk — the world’s richest — to turn ugly. One could be forgiven for thinking their relationship was finished after Musk accused Trump of withholding the Epstein files because he’s in them, and even threatened to pull the plug on NASA’s SpaceX-developed Dragon spacecraft.
Yet, following Thursday’s extraordinary and widely watched online clash, there are signs that tensions may be beginning to cool.
First, Musk endorsed a post on X from billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who urged him and Trump to “make peace for the benefit of our great country,” noting that “we are much stronger together than apart.”
Musk’s brief but telling reply: “You’re not wrong.”
Musk also walked back his threat to decommission Dragon. Replying to a post that suggested he “cool off and take a step back for a couple of days,” Musk replied, “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon.”
Politico reported on Thursday, “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.” The timing of the potential call remains unclear.
But a Friday morning report from NewsNation contradicted Politico’s account. Citing a White House official, NewsNation reported that “no phone call is currently planned.”
Moreover, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that, according to a senior White House official, “Trump has no plans to call Musk and has little interest in talking to” him. The official added that “the president is also considering selling or giving away his Tesla.”
While the two have stopped duking it out on social media, what’s happening behind closed doors remains anyone’s guess. All we can do is read the tea leaves — and so far, the signals are decidedly mixed.
It will be difficult—if not impossible—for the two to return to their previously close relationship. After such a public airing of grievances, including Musk’s pointed insinuation about Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, rebuilding trust may be out of reach.
The Wall Street Journal characterized the alliance between Trump and Musk as one of the most consequential in modern American politics. Musk’s tremendous contributions to Trump’s campaign, both financial and otherwise, and their collaboration on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse from the federal government was good for America.
The very public rupture in their relationship will only benefit the Democrats.
Of course, the Democrats are reveling in the spectacle just as Republicans would have if former President Barack Obama had publicly traded barbs with his unelected confidante, Valerie Jarrett.
Many liberal talking heads patted themselves on the back on Thursday night for correctly predicting that the bromance would ultimately end in a fiery clash and that it would happen sooner rather than later.
But, beyond the immediate drama, the larger question is whether this high-profile rupture will hurt America. Will it jeopardize Trump’s “big beautiful bill?” Will Musk try to hurt Republican candidates during the crucial 2026 midterms?
[It may also damage Musk’s businesses, which remain heavily reliant on federal support. Tesla shares plunged 14% as the feud unfolded, though the stock made up some ground by Friday morning.]
Both men hold enough power to damage the other. More troubling, they also hold enough power to damage the country. One can only hope they recognize that — and act accordingly.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on LinkedIn or X.
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