Elon Musk spoke privately with former President Donald Trump before publicly expressing regret for his harsh personal attacks.
The phone call, confirmed by Reuters through a White House source, took place on the evening of June 10 and marked the first direct contact between the two since their public fallout the previous week.
Just hours after the call, Musk posted an apology on X (formerly Twitter) at 3:04 a.m. on June 11. “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote, though he did not specify which comments he was referring to.
Earlier in the week, Musk had launched several inflammatory posts targeting Trump. These included an unverified claim linking Trump to classified files involving the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as a post supporting Trump’s impeachment, both of which Musk has since deleted.
The call came amid Musk’s broader efforts to mend ties with Trump. Reports from the Wall Street Journal and Axios indicated that Vice President JD Vance and Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had reached out to Musk on June 6, urging him to end the feud.
Musk recently stepped down from his White House role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. During the first months of Trump’s second term, he spearheaded efforts to slash government programs and reduce the federal workforce. Although Trump held a warm farewell event for Musk, the relationship soured shortly afterwards.
Despite the earlier tensions, Musk has voiced support for Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to suppress protests in Los Angeles following a series of ICE raids. He has also toned down his criticism of Trump’s tax and policy package, once calling it a “disgusting abomination.” The bill, which Trump has labelled his “big, beautiful bill,” was at the center of their dispute.
Trump, for his part, also seems to be easing tensions. In a podcast interview released June 11, he said, “I was disappointed in him. But it is what it is. Things like that happen. I don’t blame him for anything.”
