Republicans urge Donald Trump and Elon Musk to end their feud
[June 07, 2025]
By SEUNG MIN KIM and CHRIS MEGERIAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Republican Party braces for aftershocks from
President Donald Trump's spectacular clash with Elon Musk, lawmakers and
conservative figures are urging détente, fearful of the potential
consequences from a prolonged feud.
At a minimum, the explosion of animosity between the two powerful men
could complicate the path forward for Republicans' massive tax and
border spending legislation that has been promoted by Trump but assailed
by Musk.
“I hope it doesn’t distract us from getting the job done that we need
to,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington state. "I
think that it will boil over and they’ll mend fences.”
As of Friday afternoon, Musk was holding his fire, posting about his
various companies on social media rather than torching the president.
Trump departed the White House for his golf club in Bedminster, New
Jersey, without stopping to talk to reporters who shouted questions
about his battle with Musk.
“I hope that both of them come back together because when the two of
them are working together, we’ll get a lot more done for America than
when they’re at cross purposes,” Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, told
Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night.
Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, sounded almost pained on social
media as Trump and Musk volleyed insults at each other, sharing a photo
composite of the two men and writing, "But … I really like both of
them.”
“Who else really wants @elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump to reconcile?” Lee
posted, later adding: “Repost if you agree that the world is a better
place with the Trump-Musk bromance fully intact.”
So far, the feud between Trump and Musk is probably best described as a
moving target, with plenty of opportunities for escalation or detente.
One person familiar with the president’s thinking said Musk wants to
speak with Trump, but that the president doesn’t want to do it – or at
least do it on Friday. The person requested anonymity to disclose
private matters.
In a series of conversations with television anchors Friday morning,
Trump showed no interest in burying the hatchet. Asked on ABC News about
reports of a potential call between him and Musk, the president
responded: “You mean the man who has lost his mind?”
[to top of second column]
|
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., flanked by Majority Whip
Tom Emmer, R-Minn., left, and Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., talks with
reporters to discuss work on President Donald Trump's bill of tax
breaks and spending cuts, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday,
June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Trump added in the ABC interview that he was “not particularly”
interested in talking to Musk at the moment.
Still, others remained hopeful that it all would blow over.
“I grew up playing hockey and there wasn’t a single day that we played
hockey or basketball or football or baseball, whatever we were playing,
where we didn’t fight. And then we’d fight, then we’d become friends
again,” Hannity said on his show Thursday night.
Acknowledging that it “got personal very quick,” Hannity nonetheless
added that the rift was “just a major policy difference.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson projected confidence that the dispute would
not affect prospects for the tax and border bill.
“Members are not shaken at all,” the Louisiana Republican said. “We’re
going to pass this legislation on our deadline.”
He added that he hopes Musk and Trump reconcile, saying “I believe in
redemption” and “it's good for the party and the country if all that's
worked out.”
But he also had something of a warning for the billionaire entrepreneur.
“I’ll tell you what, do not doubt and do not second-guess and don’t ever
challenge the president of the United States, Donald Trump,” Johnson
said. "He is the leader of the party. He’s the most consequential
political figure of this generation and probably the modern era.”
—
Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam and Kevin Freking contributed to
this report.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
