After days of sharp exchanges and rising tensions between US President Donald Trump and world’s richest man, Elon Musk, signs of de-escalation are beginning to emerge. On Monday, Trump appeared to strike a conciliatory tone when asked whether he would speak with Musk soon.At a White House press conference, a reporter asked: “Do you plan to speak to Elon Musk on the phone any time soon?”Trump replied: “Umm… I haven’t really thought about it actually. I would imagine he wants to speak to me. If I were him, I would want to speak to me. Maybe he’s already called. You’d have to ask him. Ask him if he’s already called. But I’d have no problems with it.”He also added “We had a good relationship and I just wish him well, very well actually.”The remarks follow a high-profile fallout between the two powerful figures. Musk, once a key informal adviser to the Trump administration, publicly broke ranks last week over the president’s sweeping domestic legislation, branded the Big, Beautiful Bill, which Musk harshly criticised.Musk not only accused Trump of lying but also claimed, without evidence, that the president’s name appeared in documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He suggested the administration was withholding those records.The clash intensified when Musk floated the idea of launching a new political movement called “the American Party”, prompting Trump to warn that he would act if Musk funded Democratic candidates.However, within a day, tensions began to cool. Musk deleted several inflammatory posts, including the one tying Trump to Epstein. He also reposted a statement from Trump about the Los Angeles immigration protests, adding American flag emojis, a gesture seen by many as an olive branch.Despite their public dispute, Trump made it clear he is not closing the door on future dialogue. His remark that he wouldn’t be surprised if Musk had already reached out signals a possible reopening of communication between the two former allies.
