Elon Musk expressed regret on Wednesday over several recent social media posts targeting President Donald Trump, admitting that his comments went too far.
“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk posted on X, the platform he owns.
The apology follows a highly public fallout between Musk and Trump that unfolded across their respective social media platforms. Once close allies, the two have recently engaged in a war of words that marked a sharp decline in their relationship.
Musk had previously served as co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency in Trump’s administration, where he oversaw sweeping layoffs of federal employees. But the relationship soured when Musk criticized Trump’s sweeping tax cuts and domestic policy bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination” for its projected damage to the federal budget.
Escalating tensions, Musk resurfaced years-old comments from Trump and other Republican lawmakers warning about rising deficits—pointing to what he called hypocrisy in Trump’s fiscal approach.
Among Musk’s most controversial posts was a claim that Trump would have lost the previous year’s election without his support. He also alleged that Trump’s name appeared in the confidential Jeffrey Epstein files—an explosive assertion made without evidence. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Musk provided no proof to support his claim, and the presence of a name in the case files does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.
In response, Trump fired back on his Truth Social platform, threatening to terminate federal contracts and subsidies awarded to Musk’s companies. Speaking to CNN’s Dana Bash on Friday, Trump dismissed the feud, saying he was “not even thinking about Elon” and wouldn’t engage with him “for a while.”
Trump echoed that sentiment on the New York Post podcast Pod Force One, released Wednesday. “I was disappointed,” he said of Musk’s recent comments. “I was really surprised. No hard feelings, but I don’t know what his problem is.”
In recent days, Musk has noticeably softened his tone. He deleted several inflammatory posts, including the Epstein reference and another agreeing that Trump should be impeached. Even at the height of their clash, Musk endorsed a post by investor Bill Ackman calling for reconciliation. Musk replied, saying Ackman was “not wrong.”
Despite their rift, Musk has shown continued support for some Trump administration policies. On Monday, he posted a series of American flag emojis in response to a message from Vice President JD Vance warning against violence in Los Angeles protests following immigration raids. Musk has consistently backed strict immigration policies, including deportations and closed borders.
In his latest post, Musk did not specify which of his remarks he regretted, but the timing aligns with public comments from his father, Errol Musk. In a Saturday interview with Russian outlet Izvestia, Errol Musk said his son had made a mistake by clashing with the president.
“Trump will prevail. He is the president,” Errol said, adding that he believed the feud would be short-lived. “It’s just a small thing. It will be over tomorrow.”
