The White House has confirmed that the president, Donald Trump, has accepted an apology from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which may signal a de-escalation of the recent tension between the two high-profile individuals.
Appearing with reporters on Wednesday (U.S. time), Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "The President noted the statement that Elon released this morning and he is thankful for it. We are still focused on the business of the American people."
When asked whether the administration was moving forward with a review of Musk’s federal contracts—an action Trump had previously suggested might be considered—Leavitt responded, “Currently no efforts have been made on that front as far as I’m aware.”
According to a CNN report, Musk himself called Trump personally on Monday night. Musk also issued a public apology on Wednesday in which he regretted his previous social media posts that had helped precipitate a very public falling-out last week.
The reported apology came after a closed-door meeting last Friday among Musk, Vice President JD Vance, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, where current disagreement was the main agenda.
Sources close to the situation informed CNN that some powerful Republican lawmakers and staunch Trump allies have been behind the scenes urging Musk to repair relations with the President and consider supporting a key policy initiative from the administration — a domestic reform bill titled the "Big Beautiful Bill."
That bill, though, is facing major opposition in the Senate.
Although his relationship with Trump has chilled in recent years, Musk previously enjoyed a particularly tight relationship with Trump and was frequently spoken of within tech circles as the President's "first buddy." His connections to members of Trump's inner circle are still intact.
Most recently, these friends have gone out of their way to reach out to Musk in private calls and messages to defuse hostilities and urge talks.
Though Musk has been willing to negotiate, sources said that he still voiced concerns about the bill, most notably the absence of deeper spending reductions — an issue he apparently stressed in his meetings with Republican leaders.
While events continue to unfold, Trump's open embracement of Musk's apology and indications of reciprocal overtures imply that a new working relationship between the White House and one of Silicon Valley's most high-profile figures will be a possibility in the not-too-distant future.
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