Elon Musk has publicly expressed regret over a series of inflammatory posts directed at U.S. President Donald Trump, signaling an effort to de-escalate tensions following one of the most high-profile political feuds of the year.

“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on June 11.

The statement comes after a rapid and public unraveling of the relationship between the tech billionaire and the president — a feud sparked by Musk’s sharp opposition to Trump’s new federal spending plan and worsened by Musk’s unsubstantiated allegations connecting Trump to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

From Praise to Political War

Only a week prior, Trump had publicly commended Musk for his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an advisory unit aimed at streamlining federal expenditures. But things took a drastic turn after Musk resigned from the post, citing disagreements over a newly proposed Republican spending bill.

Musk labeled the legislation unofficially referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” a financial disaster, stating it would inflate the national deficit and undermine DOGE’s work.

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing. I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both,” Musk said in a CBS interview.

He then urged citizens to pressure their representatives in Washington to vote against the bill.

“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” Musk posted online.

Trump Responds with Threats of Consequences

Musk’s criticism triggered a sharp response from the White House. In an NBC interview, Trump warned Musk not to fund Republican primary challengers aligned against him.

“He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,” Trump said. “I have no intention of speaking to him,” he added, ruling out any reconciliation. Trump also dismissed Musk’s importance to his political success, saying Musk had grown “tired” and “went crazy” after leaving his post.

The Epstein Allegations That Crossed the Line

The dispute reached a new peak when Musk made an incendiary claim, without evidence, that Trump’s name appeared in unreleased Epstein-related files.

“Time to drop the really big bomb: (Trump) is in the Epstein files,” Musk posted. “The truth will come out,” he added in a follow-up, encouraging users to “mark this post for the future.”

By Saturday morning, the posts had been deleted without explanation. Trump addressed the claims, dismissing them as baseless.

“Even Epstein’s lawyer said I had nothing to do with it,” Trump told NBC.

Though Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein socially, he has denied ever visiting Epstein’s island or participating in any illegal activities. Public records have not accused him of wrongdoing.

Political Fallout and Uncertain Future

Beyond personal insults, Musk also claimed that Trump owed his 2016 election win to his support, and even suggested launching a new centrist political party to represent “the 80% in the middle.”

“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51–49 in the Senate… Such ingratitude,” Musk posted.

In response, Trump hinted at possible retaliation, including threats to review or cancel federal contracts with Musk’s companies, such as Tesla and SpaceX. His administration has also recently moved to end electric vehicle tax credits a move Musk linked to political payback.

While Musk’s statement of regret may signal a desire to ease tensions, the damage both political and personal may already be done. What once looked like a powerful alliance between business and government has now become a cautionary tale of political fallout in the digital age.