U.S. News

Elon Musk Says His Anti-Trump Comments ‘Went Too Far’

By Jake Beardslee · June 11, 2025

President Donald Trump participates in a press conference with departing DOGE adviser Elon Musk. The White House / Wikimedia

Elon Musk has issued a rare public expression of regret for a series of inflammatory social media posts directed at President Donald Trump, signaling a sharp turn in their rapidly deteriorating relationship.

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

The clash, rooted in Musk’s vocal opposition to Trump’s latest tax-cut bill, quickly escalated into a broader conflict. Trump responded by threatening to sever federal contracts with Musk’s companies, a move that briefly sent Tesla shares tumbling and raised concerns over the future of SpaceX’s lucrative government ties. Though the stock later recovered, investor anxiety lingered.

Tesla shares rebounded by nearly 2% in U.S. premarket trading Wednesday following Musk’s conciliatory message. The stock had already begun to climb in after-hours trading after Musk announced a tentative June 22 launch for Tesla’s long-anticipated robo-taxi service. Despite the uptick, Tesla stock remains down more than 19% year-to-date, in part due to fallout from Musk’s alignment with Trump and the subsequent schism.

Musk had escalated tensions by taking credit for Trump’s electoral success, supporting his impeachment, and alleging ties between the president and Jeffrey Epstein. Those remarks drew sharp backlash, with Trump signaling no desire to reconcile. “I wish him well,” the president told reporters. In an NBC News interview on Saturday, he added that he had no plans to repair the relationship.

The feud also imperils Musk’s past influence in Washington. During Trump’s second term, Musk played a prominent role in the administration, heading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. The initiative aimed to save $1 trillion by slashing federal spending and agencies, but only managed $180 billion in reported savings. Musk saw this effort as undermined by the tax bill he dubbed a “disgusting abomination.”