After a heated exchange with President Donald Trump, Elon Musk retracts and deletes controversial posts as Tesla stocks rebound.
Elon Musk has publicly expressed regret over several inflammatory social media posts made last week during an escalating feud with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday morning, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO admitted that some of his recent posts “went too far,” though he did not specify which messages he was referring to. Notably, one of the now-deleted tweets appeared to accuse Trump of being named in the Jeffrey Epstein files—an unsubstantiated claim that the White House dismissed outright.
The controversy stemmed from Musk’s harsh criticism of Trump’s proposed tax bill, which he called a “disgusting abomination” last week. This sparked a public fallout between the two former allies, with Trump declaring that his relationship with Musk was “over” and vowing he had “no interest in mending it.”
The clash intensified after Musk urged American citizens to pressure their lawmakers to “kill the bill.” In retaliation, Trump claimed Musk had “lost his mind” and even threatened to revoke federal contracts reportedly worth $38 billion that are held by Musk’s companies.
Over the weekend, Musk appeared to scale back, deleting a series of tweets, including one in which he called for Trump’s impeachment.
Despite the sharp rhetoric, the tone shifted slightly on Tuesday with Musk’s acknowledgment of overstepping. His post read, “I regret some of the things I said. Emotions ran high, and I let that get the better of me.”
Musk’s statement appeared to ease investor concerns, with Tesla’s shares climbing 2.6% in pre-market trading shortly after his retraction. The brief rally suggested cautious optimism that the high-profile row wouldn’t evolve into a full-scale political and financial crisis for Musk’s ventures, which remain heavily tied to government contracts and regulatory policies.
The drama has also put a spotlight on Musk’s political affiliations. Once a key financial backer of Trump’s 2024 campaign, Musk’s recent comments marked a stark reversal from previous support. Whether the rift is permanent remains unclear, but the public backpedaling may indicate a desire to de-escalate.
As of now, neither Trump nor the White House has responded to Musk’s latest remarks.