President Donald Trump appears ready to move on following a spat that played out on social media with billionaire Elon Musk
A source familiar with the president's thinking told Scripps News that President Trump has no intention of speaking with Musk. The source added that President Trump is focused on getting his "big, beautiful" spending bill passed and uniting the Republican Party.
One of those united behind President Trump is Vice President JD Vance.
Hours after Musk responded to a post on X suggesting President Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vance, the vice president offered praise for his boss.
"President Trump has done more than any person in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads," he said. "I'm proud to stand beside him."
A spokesperson for Vance also told Scripps News in a statement that the suggestion of impeaching the president is "insane."
The clash between Musk and President Trump escalated on Thursday. Musk had initially focused his criticism on the “big, beautiful bill,” but the dispute turned personal after President Trump suggested Musk opposed the legislation because he was upset about the removal of an electric vehicle mandate.
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"All of a sudden, he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate," President Trump said.
Musk pushed back on X, denying that it was the reason for his frustration and citing concerns about the federal deficit the bill would create.
After accusing President Trump of lying, Musk made a stunning allegation.
"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!" Musk posted.
Musk offered no evidence to support the claim. Conspiracy theories surrounding the so-called Epstein files have long alleged they would reveal connections between Epstein and high-profile public figures. Scripps News reached out to the FBI about the Epstein files, but the agency declined to comment.
By Friday morning, Musk had returned to criticizing the bill, writing, “If America goes broke, nothing else matters.”
The future of the "big, beautiful bill" remains uncertain. While it passed the House, its future is up in the air in the Senate.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s stock rebounded slightly Friday, rising about 5% in midday trading — a day after it fell 14%.
However, the automaker also appears to have fallen out of favor with President Trump. The New York Times reports the president has decided to sell the red Tesla he received from Musk during a March event outside the White House.
