Saturday, 13 September, 2025
London, UK
Saturday, September 13, 2025 7:22 AM
broken clouds 12.2°C
Condition: Broken clouds
Humidity: 90%
Wind Speed: 11.1 km/h

Trump, White House aides signal a possible détente with Musk

Signs of a truce are emerging in the increasingly bitter clash between two of the world’s most powerful men.

President Donald Trump projected an air of nonchalance in an interview Thursday with POLITICO during a day of sparring over social media with Elon Musk.

Separately, White House aides, after working to persuade the president to temper his public criticism of Musk to avoid escalation, scheduled a call Friday with the billionaire CEO of Tesla to broker a peace.

“Oh it’s okay,” Trump told POLITICO in a brief telephone call when asked about the very public breakup with his onetime megabacker. “It’s going very well, never done better.” Trump went on to tout his favorability ratings saying, “The numbers are through the roof, the highest polls I’ve ever had and I have to go.”

It was a marked contrast to what appeared for all the world to be an ugly online feud between Trump and Musk over his “big beautiful bill,” the legislation now in the Senate that incorporates his presidential agenda, from tax cuts to immigration enforcement.

The stakes were high enough, and the exchanges so alarmingly bitter, that aides and allies, including hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, rushed to ease the tension — and Musk seemed agreeable.

“I support @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk and they should make peace for the benefit of our great country,” Ackman wrote on X.

Musk responded, “You’re not wrong.”

Earlier Thursday — as Musk raged about the cost of legislation that is projected to add $2.4 trillion to the deficit — Trump tempered some of his commentary on his own social media platform at the urging of White House aides.

The aides advised him to focus on the bill and getting it through the Senate instead of the conflict with Musk, according to one person close to the White House who was granted anonymity to discuss private exchanges.

One of Trump’s Truth Social posts reflected that restraint. “I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago,” the president wrote. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress,” he added, before focusing on its benefits and signing off, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

Categories

Follow

    Newsletter

    Subscribe to receive your complimentary login credentials and unlock full access to all features and stories from Lord’s Press.

    As a journal of record, Lord’s Press remains freely accessible—thanks to the enduring support of our distinguished partners and patrons. Subscribing ensures uninterrupted access to our archives, special reports, and exclusive notices.

    LP is free thanks to our Sponsors

    Privacy Overview

    Privacy & Cookie Notice

    This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and to help us understand how our content is accessed and used. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser that allow us to recognise your device upon return, retain your preferences, and gather anonymised usage statistics to improve site performance.

    Under EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process this data based on your consent. You will be prompted to accept or customise your cookie preferences when you first visit our site.

    You may adjust or withdraw your consent at any time via the cookie settings link in the website footer. For more information on how we handle your data, please refer to our full Privacy Policy