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 Representative 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.
Elon Musk holds the key to the White House, a gift received from President Donald Trump. – Reuters
"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," said Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican.
Senator 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?"
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," Sean Hannity said on his show.
House Speaker Mike Johnson. – Reuters
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."
Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk.
Musk, who spent nearly $300 million in last year's elections, said Trump would have lost without his support and suggested he should be impeached.
Trump suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink.
The billionaire then threatened to decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. Musk later backed off that threat.
Musk had been angered when Trump over the weekend revoked his nomination of Musk ally Jared Isaacman to head the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Two sources with direct knowledge of the dispute said White House personnel director Sergio Gor had helped turn Trump against Isaacman by highlighting his past donations to Democrats.
Musk and Gor had been at odds since the billionaire criticised Gor's pace of hiring at a March cabinet meeting, the two sources said.
A White House spokesperson, Steven Cheung, praised Gor's efforts to staff the administration but did not address his relationship with Musk.
A prolonged feud could make it harder for Republicans to keep control of Congress in next year's midterm elections if Musk withholds financial support or other major Silicon Valley business leaders distance themselves from Trump.
Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year.
His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided.
Trump and Musk in social media brawl
The once-close relationship between the world's most powerful man and its richest unraveled publicly on their rival social media platforms.
Here's how it happened:
June 3
Musk attacks Trump's top legislative priority: a sweeping tax-cut and spending bill.
"I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it," he wrote on his X platform.
June 5, noon
Trump says he anticipates Musk criticising him personally.
"Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," Trump said in the Oval Office. "He said the most beautiful things about me, and he hasn't said bad about me personally, but I'm sure that'll be next. But I'm, I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot."
June 5, 12.10pm
Musk posts on X: "Slim Beautiful Bill for the win."
June 5, 12.25pm
Musk responds to a clip of Trump from the Oval Office saying Musk knew the inner workings of the bill.
"False. This bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!" Musk wrote on X.
June 5, 1.57pm
Musk launches a poll on X with the question: "Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80 per cent in the middle?"
June 5, 2.37pm
Trump hits back on his social media platform, Truth Social:
"Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!"
"The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!"
June 5, 4.06pm
Trump defends the spending bill and takes a swipe at Musk:
"I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
June 5, 4.09pm
Musk posts on X in response to Trump's comments about government contracts:
"In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately."
June 5, 4.11pm
Musk writes "yes" on X in response to another user posting: "President vs Elon. Who wins? My money's on Elon. Trump should be impeached and JD Vance should replace him."
June 5, 4.26pm
Musk writes: "The Trump tariffs will cause a recession in the second half of this year."