Elon “might agree to step back a little from his principles” in a bid to end tensions with the US president, Errol Musk has said
Errol Musk has weighed in on the public feud between his son, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and US President Donald Trump, telling reporters in Moscow that the two may yet find common ground.
The dispute between Musk and Trump – once close allies – escalated last week over the president’s so-called “Big Beautiful” tax and spending bill. Musk, who recently stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), had repeatedly criticized the bill, arguing it undermines his efforts to trim the fat off the federal budget. On Thursday, he accused Trump of “ingratitude,” backed calls for his impeachment, and threatened to halt the US space program by grounding the Dragon spacecraft.
Trump fired back, saying Musk had “gone crazy” and blaming the spat on the end of what he called the “EV mandate” – a reference to federal incentives that had benefited Tesla. Musk responded with a now-deleted post linking Trump to deceased financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking to journalists in Moscow on Monday, where he was attending a tech forum, Errol Musk suggested that his son’s strong response was rooted in principle, but added there may be room for compromise.
“I think Elon might agree to step down a little … because he’s basically standing up for his principles,” the elder Musk said.
Errol Musk said his son had backed the Trump administration, believing it would cut government spending, not increase it, and that the shift in direction left him frustrated, as it went against the values he had agreed to support.
The 79-year-old pointed out that government policy often requires compromise and long-term thinking.
“In politics, sometimes you have to spend money on products you have yet to make, because that money later helps increase production. It’s the laws of economics,” Errol Musk explained.
He added that both men may now be taking a more mature view of the situation – and hinted that a thaw in relations could be possible.
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