Trump Brushes Off Musk Feud: “The Poor Guy’s Got A Problem”
The temperature has dropped quite a bit after yesterday’s heated war of words between President Trump and his former aide and fellow billionaire Elon Musk. Trump told CBS News on Friday morning that he’s focused on moving forward with his presidency, not on Musk, which is “why I have my highest poll numbers,” he added.
Refresher: The rap-battle-style exchange began after Musk publicly attacked Trump’s “big, beautiful” reconciliation bill, but escalated to Musk accusing Trump of being in the Epstein files and supporting his impeachment. Trump threatened to cut federal government contracts with Musk’s companies. Check the receipts in our Mo News highlights.
BEHIND THE BREAKUP
On Friday, Trump seemed to be moving more toward the “I’m not mad, just disappointed” postures. Sources told ABC he seemed “bummed” about the breakup Thursday night, and Trump told CNN today, “The poor guy’s got a problem.” A rumored phone call between the two never happened, after Trump said he wasn’t interested.
Trump is now reportedly considering giving up his red Tesla, which he bought to show solidarity with Musk’s company in March after incidents of vandalism at Tesla dealerships across the country.
Speaking of Tesla, the company’s stocks plunged 14% during yesterday’s war of words – more than a $150 billion market value, or a loss of $9 billion per X post 📩. By close on Friday, Tesla stocks were back up nearly 4%.
Meanwhile, a random X user with less than 200 followers Thursday (now nearly 6,000 by Friday) got Musk to back down from a threat to kill a program by his other company, SpaceX, shuttling astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station.
TEAM TRUMP VS. TEAM MUSK
YouGov polled nearly 4,000 Americans Thursday evening after the spat, asking whose side they would choose if pressed. 71% of Republicans said they’d side with Trump, while only 4% of Democrats agreed. Meanwhile, only 8% of all adults who participated in the poll said they’ve got Musk’s back.
It seems one of Musk’s former allies agrees. One of the leading voices in Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said he’s stepping away from the project after watching the breakup unfold. He expressed disappointment in Musk’s underperformance (slashing $175 billion in government spending, instead of the promised $2 trillion) and said, “What’s not okay is his baseless personal attacks against President Trump.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon is running around town telling reporters that Trump should direct the federal government to seize control of Musk’s companies and investigate his immigration status and drug use.
In the middle: Lest we not forget the origins of this feud, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is concerned the drama is distracting from the tax cut and spending bill he’s trying to pass through Congress. “I just hope it resolves quickly, for the sake of the country,” Johnson said on CNBC Friday morning.
