Musk reportedly rebuffs Vance's call attempt, yetVance remains hopeful for Musk's potential White House reappearance
Elon Musk, the tech mogul behind Tesla and SpaceX, and former President Donald Trump have had a tumultuous relationship that has seen its fair share of public conflicts and private disagreements.
Musk's criticism of Trump began in earnest over the 2025 tax-and-spending bill, which Musk described as a "mountain of disgusting pork," particularly opposing provisions that rolled back electric vehicle subsidies affecting Tesla. This marked a turning point after Musk had been a strong Trump supporter and close advisor during the 2024 election cycle.
The relationship deteriorated further as Musk publicly criticized Trump multiple times, including references to controversies like the Jeffrey Epstein files. Trump responded by threatening to cancel subsidies and government contracts for Musk's companies. However, Trump later softened his stance, stating he wanted Musk and his companies to "thrive" and that pulling support would harm American interests.
Musk contested Trump's claims about subsidies, insisting contracts like those from NASA were won fairly and that no such subsidies existed as Trump described. Despite these disagreements, there are indications that Musk may be attempting some reconciliation with Trump, as evidenced by a recent $15 million donation to the GOP and praise for Trump's National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C.
Meanwhile, JD Vance, a key Trump ally, maintains communication with Musk. Vance has expressed hope that Musk might rejoin the MAGA movement by the midterms, but believes the left would not accept Musk back into their ranks. Vance is not concerned about minor disagreements with Musk and joked that he didn't expect Musk to answer his call at the moment.
Musk's description of the Republicans' bill as a "disgusting abomination" remains unchanged, as does his criticism of the massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill. Musk's comments about Trump's involvement with Epstein have become more incendiary, fanning the flames of the controversy.
The overall relationship between Musk and Trump remains complex and somewhat strained, with potential for future rapprochement, but the path forward is uncertain.
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