Elon Musk signals truce with Trump after feud over ‘big beautiful bill’ and Epstein allegations

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has responded to investor Bill Ackman’s public appeal urging reconciliation with U.S. President Donald Trump. In a post on social media platform X, Ackman wrote, “I support @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk and they should make peace for the benefit of our great country. We are much stronger together than apart.” Musk replied to the post saying, “You’re not wrong.”

The public dispute between Musk and Trump began after Musk openly criticised the so-called ‘big beautiful bill’ endorsed by the President. Musk stated that the bill would increase the national budget deficit by $2.5 trillion. This led to an escalation in tensions, with Musk also alleging on X that Trump’s name appears in the unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files. Musk wrote, “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.”

Following these statements, aides from the White House reportedly urged Trump to reduce public criticism of Musk. A phone call between the President and Musk was scheduled for Friday to address the matter. When asked about the disagreement, Trump said, “Oh it’s okay. It’s going very well, never done better.”

Musk has also claimed that his influence played a significant role in Trump’s 2024 election victory. He stated, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.” Trump responded to Musk’s recent statements through a post on Truth Social, saying, “I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago.”

The developments mark a shift in the public dynamic between Musk and Trump, who were previously aligned on several policy issues. The situation remains closely followed as both figures continue to shape public and political discourse in the United States.