President Trump told CNN Friday morning that he “is not thinking about” billionaire Elon Musk after their shocking public spat yesterday, and does not plan to speak to him anytime soon.
Trump reportedly told CNN political correspondent Dana Bash, “I’m not even thinking about Elon. He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem.”
According to Bash, Trump said he had no immediate plans to talk with Musk, but that he “wishes him well.”
Fox News also reported Friday morning that Trump “does not intend” to speak with Musk today.
The freezeout comes after a very public clash between the two titans the day before caused their extraordinary alliance to flameout in spectacular fashion.
The hostilities began Thursday morning when Trump expressed disappointment in his former DOGE chief over his vocal criticism of the “Big Beautiful Bill” during a meeting with Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office.
An online flame war ensued after Trump suggested that the Tesla CEO had come out against the bill because it cut electric vehicle subsidies, negatively affecting his business.
Musk immediately wrote on X: “Whatever. Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill.”
In a subsequent post, he denied that he was ever shown the details in the measure when it was being crafted, writing that “this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”
The billionaire also shared a video of himself saying in 2021 that he was against an EV tax credit and Congress should get rid of all subsidies.
Musk continued to sharply criticize Trump’s “BBB” and refute his comments throughout the afternoon, prompting Trump to hit back on Truth Social.
“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” the president wrote of his former friend.
Musk fired back on X, saying: “Such an obvious lie. So sad.”
In another post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
Musk then dropped what he called “the really big bomb” on his former boss.
“@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,” the billionaire posted. “Have a nice day, DJT!”
In an ominous follow-up, Musk urged X users to “mark this post for the future. The truth is coming out.”
It was already known that Trump had flown on Epstein’s plane multiple times, including two rides with his then-wife Marla Maples and daughter Tiffany. Trump was friendly with the financier in the 1990s, but the friendship reportedly soured after Trump became aware of Epstein’s sexual proclivities.
In response to Trump’s post about terminating “Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” Musk wrote: “@SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.”
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft are primarily used for delivering cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).
The president took to Truth Social again to defend his BBB.
“I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago,” Trump said. “This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It’s a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given. If this Bill doesn’t pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that. I didn’t create this mess, I’m just here to FIX IT. This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
By Thursday evening allies of both men were urging the two to make up for the good of the country.
“I support @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk and they should make peace for the benefit of our great country,” billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted on X. “We are much stronger together than apart.”
In response to Ackman’s post, Musk wrote: “You’re not wrong.”
“Who else really wants @elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump to reconcile?” Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) followed up.
Online influencers overwhelmingly favored a reconciliation between the two strong-willed men.
“Call Trump and make peace,” wrote North Carolina independent journalist Matt Van Swol. “The fastest way to end conflict is to apologize as fast as humanly possible.”
“This is a very rare scenario where humbling yourself would piss off the Democrats, take it,” wrote data expert “Data Republican.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers,” said Article III Project’s Will Chamberlain.
“Let’s put it this way. The people who want to destroy our country would be distraught if you and POTUS made peace,” wrote Florida Voice asst. news director Eric Daugherty.
“Please make up. Don’t kiss tho,” writer Heidi Briones posted, prompting Musk to respond with a laughing emoji.
Friday morning, “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams weighed in on the unfortunate situation.
“The first rule of persuasion is getting attention for your topic, Elon’s score: A+,” said Adams, who recently announced that he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized.
“Ordinary complaining about the BBB wasn’t getting anything done. The country was (is) sleepwalking into a debt disaster. Now we’re paying attention,” he added.
Adams recommended a debate between Musk and Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, who, in recent days, has been as aggressive in defending the spending bill as Musk has been in attacking it.
“Put Stephen Miller and Elon Musk in the same room and turn on the camera, please,” Adams said. “We’re all ears.”