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Musk admits some Trump criticisms ‘went too far’

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a former advisor to Donald Trump, expressed regret on Wednesday over some of his recent remarks about the former U.S. president, following a public dispute…

By Modupeola Showunmi 3 min Jun 11, 2025

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a former advisor to Donald Trump, expressed regret on Wednesday over some of his recent remarks about the former U.S. president, following a public dispute between the two.

“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk posted on his platform, X.

His apology comes shortly after Trump warned Musk of “serious consequences” if he tried to penalize Republican lawmakers supporting a contentious spending bill.

Their disagreement, which began last Thursday and unfolded publicly on social media, was sparked by Musk’s strong disapproval of Trump’s “big, beautiful” spending proposal currently before Congress.

Some Republicans opposed to the bill had urged Musk, one of the party’s top donors in the last presidential election, to fund campaigns against fellow Republicans backing the legislation.

Trump responded with a warning, calling Musk “disrespectful” and hinting at undefined “serious consequences” if he pursued that course of action. He also said he had no interest in mending ties with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.

Although Musk didn’t specify which comments he regretted, his remarks followed a period of escalating tensions between the two.

Their once-friendly relationship appeared to have ended peacefully just weeks prior, when Trump praised Musk as he exited his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

But relations soured after Musk labeled the spending bill an “abomination” that could tarnish Trump’s second term.

Trump fired back from the Oval Office, igniting a bitter feud that captivated political observers. Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised.”

Musk, who was a major donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign, also took credit for Trump’s electoral success, stating, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election… Such ingratitude.”

In retaliation, Trump posted on Truth Social that slashing federal funding and contracts to Musk’s businesses—reportedly worth $18 billion—would be an easy way to cut government spending.

As the clash threatened to spill into real political and financial fallout, both figures appeared to ease tensions slightly. Trump told reporters, “I just wish him well,” and Musk echoed the sentiment on X with a simple: “Likewise.”

The détente followed Musk’s deletion of a controversial post accusing Trump of being named in confidential documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Musk had claimed Trump appeared in unreleased government files linked to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

While Trump’s name did appear in unsealed records in early 2024, he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Musk did not provide evidence for his claim and later deleted the post.

Musk admits some Trump criticisms ‘went too far’

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