Months after a bitter public feud, US President Donald Trump has softened his tone toward former ally Elon Musk. Speaking on the Scott Jennings Show in an interview recorded Tuesday, Trump indicated that Musk’s political future would inevitably lead him back to the Republican Party.
“I don’t think he has a choice,” Trump said, framing Musk’s options as a choice between the GOP on one side and “radical left lunatics” on the other. Despite their past differences, Trump largely complimented the billionaire and downplayed the dispute.
“He’s a good man. He got off the reservation, incorrectly, and that’s okay, because, you know, it’s just one of those things,” Trump added.
However, Trump also pointed at Musk’s flaws, calling him “80 per cent super genius, and then 20 per cent he’s got some problems. And when he works out the 20% he’ll be great, but he’s got some difficulty.”
His remarks reflect a shift from the spiteful exchanges the two men had earlier this year. Musk is yet to respond publicly to Trump’s latest comments.
HOW TRUMP-MUSK RELATIONSHIP COLLAPSED
The Trump-Musk relationship, once partners, deteriorated in May 2025. Musk, who had been appointed as a special government employee to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), became a vocal critic of Trump’s signature tax and spending legislation, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Musk alleged that the bill, which Trump championed, would worsen the federal deficit by trillions of dollars, undermining his cost-cutting initiatives.
He publicly called the legislation a “disgusting abomination” and even floated the possibility of forming a new political party, “The America Party.”
Tensions escalated further when Musk made unverified claims about Trump’s alleged presence in unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files.
In response, the US President threatened to terminate Musk’s government contracts and subsidies, leading to a period of sharp friction between the two influential figures.
– Ends
With inputs from agencies
Tune In