Trump acknowledges Elon Musk's apology after spat over 'Big Beautiful Bill'

White House says US President Donald Trump is appreciative of Elon Musk's apology after their public feud last week, exchanging jabs on X over the spending bill

US President Donald Trump has acknowledged and appreciated an apology issued by tech billionaire Elon Musk following their recent public dispute, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Wednesday (local time).

 

At a press briefing, Leavitt said, “President Trump is appreciative of Elon Musk’s apology.” She was referring to last week’s online feud between the two over the US administration’s ambitious spending bill, popularly known as the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’.

 

The spat unfolded on social media platform X, where Musk initially criticised the bill, triggering a sharp rebuke from Trump. The Tesla CEO later appeared to extend an olive branch, posting on X, “I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far.” 

 

Backchannel diplomacy and reconciliation efforts

 

According to a CNN report, Musk placed a brief call to Trump on Monday night, ahead of his public apology on X. The report noted that the call lasted only moments but followed a series of high-level backchannel efforts by White House officials and Trump allies.

 

Vice President JD Vance and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had reportedly spoken with Musk on June 6, attempting to defuse tensions and encourage reconciliation. During the call, the trio discussed the feud and potential ways to ease the political fallout.

 

It was previously reported that the White House advised Trump not to criticise Musk publicly and tried arranging a call between the estranged allies.

 

Fallout over the 'One Big Beautiful Bill'

 

The row between Trump and Musk erupted last week after Musk, in his capacity as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sharply criticised the administration’s sweeping economic legislation. Musk’s resignation from DOGE soon followed.

 

Trump, reacting during an Oval Office Q&A, expressed his disappointment and hinted at reviewing federal contracts involving Musk’s companies. “We’ve done a lot for Elon. I don’t think he remembers that,” Trump said at the time.

 

In response, Musk took to X to defend his position, posting a flurry of comments aimed at the bill and Trump’s leadership.

 

SpaceX threat and potential fallout

 

As the exchange escalated, Musk announced plans to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, currently the only US-operated vehicle capable of ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station. The move was widely interpreted as a retaliatory warning amid Trump’s threats to cancel federal contracts.

 

Musk’s companies—Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink—play key roles in US government programmes ranging from defence communications to civilian space exploration. The possibility of a rift between the administration and its most prominent tech contractor alarmed both lawmakers and agency officials.

 

Republican lawmakers step in

 

Over the past week, Republican lawmakers have reportedly reached out to Musk in private, urging him to support the spending bill and tone down public criticisms. Several of them view Musk as a crucial ally in advancing the administration’s innovation and infrastructure goals.

 

With the public apology now acknowledged by Trump, political observers believe the rift may have been contained, though the long-term dynamics between the tech magnate and the White House remain to be seen.