Trump says he could forgive Musk

US President Donald Trump says he could forgive Elon Musk after a public falling-out that saw the Tesla CEO lash out over one of the administration’s flagship policy initiatives.

The dispute between the two men, who were once close allies, turned ugly last week over what Trump called his “Big Beautiful” tax and spending bill. Musk, who recently stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), repeatedly criticized the bill, arguing it undermined his efforts to cut waste from the federal budget.

Musk accused Trump of “ingratitude,” while backing calls for his impeachment and threatening to hamstring the US space program by grounding the Dragon spacecraft. Trump fired back, saying Musk had “gone crazy,” blaming the spat on the end of the ‘EV mandate’ – a reference to federal incentives that had benefited Tesla. Musk responded with a now-deleted post that linked Trump to deceased convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

In an interview published by The New York Post on Wednesday, Trump said “I have no hard feelings. But I was really surprised that that happened.”

He called the bill “phenomenal” and said he was disappointed by Musk’s response. “When he did that, I was not a happy camper.”

READ MORE: Musk expresses ‘regret’ for attacks on Trump

Asked if he could forgive Musk, Trump replied: “I guess I could,” adding that he was now focused on how to “straighten out the country.”

Hours before the interview aired, Musk appeared to say he was sorry about attacking the president. He wrote on X that he regrets “some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week,” adding that “They went too far.”

Musk did not clarify which of his posts he was referring to. Media reports have suggested that his associates and the White House are engaged in backchannel communications aimed at easing tensions.

Asked about the apology in a follow-up call with the Post on Wednesday morning, Trump said: “I thought it was very nice that he (Musk) did that.”