Elon Musk issued a public apology to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, following a bitter week-long dispute that played out on social media.
“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote on X, the platform he owns. The billionaire did not specify which posts he regretted, though he deleted several inflammatory messages, including an unverified claim linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein files.
The conflict began when Musk harshly criticized Trump’s spending legislation, calling it a “disgusting abomination” that would increase the national debt. Musk had recently ended his 130-day stint leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was tasked with reducing federal spending.
Trump responded publicly at a White House press conference, expressing disappointment in his former advisor. “Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody. He knew everything about it. All of a sudden, he had a problem,” Trump said.
The situation quickly escalated. Musk fired back on X, claiming, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” adding, “Such ingratitude.”
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In now-deleted posts, Musk made serious allegations against Trump, claiming the president’s name appeared in unreleased Epstein files. He also shared photos appearing to connect Trump with the convicted sex offender and called for Trump’s impeachment, suggesting Vice President JD Vance should replace him.
Trump threatened to cancel government contracts with Musk’s companies, which have an estimated value of $38 billion. A significant portion of these contracts benefit SpaceX, Musk’s space technology company.
“I think it’s a very bad thing, because he’s very disrespectful. You could not disrespect the office of the president,” Trump told NBC on Sunday. Before Musk’s apology, Trump stated he had “no desire” to repair their relationship.
Vice President JD Vance previously commented that he hoped Musk would “come back into the fold” but acknowledged it might be difficult after the billionaire went “nuclear.” Former Trump aide Steve Bannon took a more extreme stance, suggesting the South African-born Musk should be expelled from the country.
The remarkable public falling-out came just months after Musk made significant donations to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. The unresolved question about Musk’s Epstein files claim remains a point of ongoing public interest, as his apology did not directly address or retract this specific allegation.
