 "A newspaper front page featuring US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk is displayed at a shop at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, US, June 6, 2025. File Image/Reuters")
Just days after Elon Musk called for United States President Donald Trump’s impeachment and linked him to the Epstein files, the tech billionaire is now striking a markedly different tone.
Amid escalating protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids, Musk appears to be walking back his attacks and aligning once again with the Trump administration’s hardline stance on law and order.
Musk, who only days ago posted scathing critiques of the Trump administration — has now begun deleting those statements.
A look at Musk’s sudden shift
Only a week ago, Musk was forcefully criticising Trump, suggesting that the president be removed from office and replaced by US Vice President JD Vance.
In a now-deleted X post, Musk wrote: “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”
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The post, which lacked supporting evidence, was taken down within 48 hours, as were several other posts accusing Trump of fiscal mismanagement and ethical misconduct.
Musk also deleted a message promising to apologise only “as soon as there is a full dump of the Epstein files.” That statement was erased alongside a post expressing support for Trump’s impeachment and a user suggestion to replace him with Vance, to which Musk had replied “Yes.”
Trump responded to the Epstein-related allegations in an interview with NBC News, saying: “That’s called ‘old news.’ That’s been old news. That has been talked about for years. Even Epstein’s lawyer said I had nothing to do with it — it’s old news.”
The president added: “This has been talked about for years and years. And as you know, I was not friendly with Epstein for probably 18 years before he died. I was not at all friendly with him.”
Despite Trump’s attempts to downplay the issue, the friction seemed to escalate further when Musk condemned the administration’s economic strategy.
Specifically, Musk warned that the president’s proposed “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” — a sweeping piece of legislation focused on domestic spending — would undermine the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to reduce federal debt.
The Trump administration, however, denied that the bill would worsen the fiscal deficit, even as independent budget watchdogs projected a multi-trillion-dollar increase in national debt.
Musk’s renewed public interaction with the Trump circle went beyond reposts. He re-followed Stephen Miller — the president’s deputy chief of staff and an architect of the administration’s immigration policies — after unfollowing him during their feud last Thursday.
The move drew notice not only because of Miller’s political significance but also due to the role of his wife, Katie Miller, who recently left her government position to work with Musk full-time.
The Millers and Musk had reportedly maintained close social ties, adding a personal dimension to the broader political fallout.
In a separate X post, Musk clarified that a screenshot circulating online — in which he allegedly responded to Miller with the taunt “Just like I took your wife” — was fabricated.
He wrote: “No, it’s fake ffs 🤦♂️ I never posted this.” The clarification addressed mounting rumours stemming from the public spat and a growing number of viral misinformation posts that emerged in its wake.
Meanwhile, Vance also weighed in during a podcast appearance, addressing Musk’s Epstein allegations directly: “Absolutely not,” he said. “I hope Musk comes back into the fold.”
His comments suggested an effort to facilitate reconciliation behind the scenes, possibly to prevent long-term damage to the Republican coalition.
How LA protests are inching Trump & Musk back together
Over the weekend, however, Musk’s posture took a noticeable turn. As demonstrations in Los Angeles erupted in protest of ICE raids and immigration policies, the billionaire began amplifying the administration’s stance.
He reshared posts from Vance, who declared that the “president will not tolerate rioting and violence,” and included American flag emojis in his repost.
Musk also circulated a Truth Social message from Trump that claimed: “L.A. has been invaded and occupied by illegal aliens and criminals,” as well as a follow-up post in which the president criticised California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for their alleged failure to control the violence, referring to demonstrators as “troublemakers and insurrectionists.”
This shift is consistent with Musk’s previously stated views on immigration enforcement, particularly his advocacy for securing national borders and expelling undocumented immigrants.
His apparent support for the administration’s response to the LA protests reintroduces an element of alignment between the two that had seemed irreparably broken just days earlier.
A Trump-Musk realignment or just a pause?
Despite signs of rapprochement, unresolved policy differences remain. Musk has not walked back his criticism of Trump’s domestic spending bill and continues to post satirical critiques of the Republican Party.
On Sunday, he reposted an article from The Babylon Bee titled: “Republicans Announce Plan To Keep Doing Opposite Of What Everyone Voted For Them To Do.”
He also endorsed a user’s claim that his dispute with the president was “neither a stunt nor distraction,” replying “Correct.”
Still, Wall Street analysts see signs of cooling tensions. WedBush analyst Dan Ives noted in a Monday briefing: “While we do not expect Trump and Musk to be back to their Mar-a-Lago connected at the hip days, it would not be a surprise to see Trump and Musk slowly mend the fences (with the help of intermediaries behind closed doors) over the coming months.”
Ives stated that both figures have incentives to maintain ties — Trump for the tech billionaire’s sway over Silicon Valley and policy frameworks, and Musk for regulatory support, particularly around autonomous vehicle infrastructure, reported CNN.
Market watchers took note of the shift. Tesla shares jumped 4.6 per cent on Monday. However, the stock remained below its Thursday level, prior to the fallout, suggesting investors are cautiously optimistic.
Even Trump adopted a gentler tone when asked about Musk at a White House event: “We had a good relationship, I wish him well, very well.”
Yet when asked if he would take a call from Musk, Trump demurred: “I haven’t really thought about it actually. I would imagine he wants to speak to me, I would think so.”
With inputs from agencies