Musk started Trump apology effort after call with Vance, Wiles

Elon Musk's early morning tweet Wednesday saying he regretted going "too far" in criticizing President Trump came after a phone call with Trump late Monday, sources tell Axios. Musk's effort to make amends began Friday, when he spoke by phone with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Vice President Vance, three people familiar with the discussions said.Why it matters: The calls signaled an effort by Musk to cool tensions with Trump after a week in which they'd feuded on social media, particularly over Musk's objections to Trump's signature tax and budget bill in Congress.Musk fears Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill," will add trillions to the federal deficit.Zoom in: Friday's call began as a one-on-one discussion between Musk and Wiles, who then added Vance to the conversation, the sources said. Vance is a close Musk ally — Musk was one of those who encouraged Trump to pick Vance as the GOP vice presidential nominee during the 2024 campaign. Vance essentially was caught in the middle of the Trump-Musk fight.Tuesday night's conversation between Trump and Musk was first reported by the New York Times.Between the lines: The push for a reconciliation between the world's richest person and the president reflects how they both have something to gain from getting back on good terms.Musk's rocket company, SpaceX, has billions of dollars in federal contracts. And Musk, the Republicans' largest donor in the 2024 election cycle, has the ability to elevate GOP lawmakers and candidates who agree with him in opposing parts of Trump's bill, as well as the president's tariffs.Musk did not specify which posts he regretted, but several were especially sharp jabs at Trump — taking credit for Trump's election last year, calling for his impeachment, and even accusing the president of being "in the Epstein files."Trump, who initially responded by threatening to terminate Musk's billions of dollars in government contracts, has sought to tamp down tensions with his former "First Buddy" in recent days. Responding to Musk's quasi-apology Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump "acknowledged the statement that Elon put out this morning and he is appreciative of it."A spokesperson for Musk declined to comment on the calls.Privately, Trump confidants and advisers said the president was more hurt than angry about Musk's "betrayal" — a word used by three people who spoke to Trump."A public 'I'm sorry' from Elon would go a long way," one confidant said. "Still, I don't think the relationship will be the same."In discussing the blowup, Trump told others that he thought "Elon was on drugs," pointing to a New York Times article on the topic published just before their falling out."It's a big deal for Trump. He doesn't drink. He doesn't drug. Being sober or not getting so wasted you f**k things up is a character issue for him," a longtime associate told Axios.When asked Monday about the reports of Musk's alleged drug use, Trump said he hoped the stories weren't true and wished Musk well. Musk responded on X by posting: "You can tell immediately that someone is a massive liar if they're claiming I'm on drugs, as I am one of the most photographed people on Earth and am in meetings with a wide array of people 7 days a week!"This story has been updated to mention the Tuesday night call between Musk and Trump.

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