President Donald Trump dismissed Elon Musk as “a man who has lost his mind” during a Friday morning phone interview with ABC News, downplaying their spat that erupted over Musk’s criticism of Trump’s signature tax and immigration bill.
Trump said he’s “not particularly” interested in talking to Musk right now, despite reports of a scheduled call. Instead, he pivoted to discuss topics like inflation and his upcoming trip to China.
Advisers Say Trump Was Sad, Not Angry
Those close to Trump described him as more “bummed” than outraged over the falling out with Musk. One senior official said Trump is considering giving away or selling the red Tesla he bought to support Musk, which was parked at the White House Thursday.
Musk’s Father Weighs In
Speaking from India, Elon Musk’s father, Errol Musk, told Al Arabiya English he urged his son to “make sure this fizzles out.” He predicted Trump would win the feud, citing his majority support among voters.
He attributed his son’s behavior to “a great deal of stress.”
Heated Accusations Spark Feud
On Thursday, Musk accused Trump of being linked to the Epstein files, even suggesting the documents haven’t been released to protect him. Musk also threatened to pull support from NASA’s Dragon spacecraft, but later reversed course after a random X user suggested he “cool off.”
Trump, in turn, threatened to cut Musk’s government contracts and subsidies, calling him “CRAZY.”
Vance and White House React
Vice President JD Vance offered tepid support for Trump, praising his leadership but not directly addressing Musk’s attacks. Vance later slammed the media for portraying Trump as impulsive.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the feud “an unfortunate episode from Elon” and reaffirmed Trump’s focus on passing the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Musk Starts to Soften Tone
Late Thursday, Musk responded to an X user’s call for peace by reversing his threat to shut down Dragon spacecraft.
“Good advice,” Musk replied. “Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon.”
For more on the Trump-Musk feud, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.