Trump–Musk Feud Explodes Over Epstein Accusation, Derailing Behind-The-Scenes Peace Talks

 

Efforts to broker a truce between President Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk were upended Thursday when Musk made a bombshell accusation on social media. In a post on X, 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!”

The accusation, made without evidence, sent shockwaves through both Trump’s inner circle and Musk’s camp. According to multiple sources close to both men, intermediaries had been scrambling behind the scenes to de-escalate the growing feud — until Musk’s post abruptly shattered any hopes of a quiet resolution.

“This was the tipping point,” said one individual familiar with the situation. “It went from policy disagreements to deeply personal attacks. After this, there may be no going back.”

Previously, tensions between the two billionaires had been centered on policy differences, particularly over the president’s signature legislative effort — the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” — which Musk has openly criticized. But the conflict escalated dramatically this week, culminating in Thursday’s online confrontation.

While some mutual allies are still pushing for a direct phone call between Trump and Musk to cool tempers, others are skeptical such a conversation will materialize. White House insiders said there’s been movement toward arranging a call, but no confirmation of it happening.

West Wing aides spent most of Thursday glued to their screens, watching the feud unfold across X and Truth Social in real time. Some staffers, exchanging messages in group chats, compared the situation to a divorce. “I thought maybe August,” one aide quipped, referring to when they expected tensions to explode — not in early June.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the situation, calling Musk’s comments “an unfortunate episode” and reiterating that the president remains focused on passing his legislative agenda. “This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted,” Leavitt said Thursday evening.

Musk, who briefly held a special advisory role in the administration before stepping down, has not provided any details on how he allegedly obtained access to sealed records involving Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein, the disgraced financier, died by suicide in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges.

The rift widened earlier in the day when Trump threatened to review and possibly terminate Musk’s lucrative government contracts, including those involving SpaceX. In response, Musk called for the president’s impeachment and threatened to retire the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft used by NASA to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

Hours later, Musk backtracked slightly after a user on X urged him to take a step back. “Good advice,” Musk replied. “Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon.”

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman also weighed in, posting: “I support @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk and they should make peace for the benefit of our great country. We are much stronger together than apart.”

Musk responded with a simple, “You’re not wrong.”

Despite those calls for de-escalation, it remains unclear whether the two larger-than-life figures will reconcile — or if Thursday’s events mark the start of a deeper, more public power struggle between the White House and one of America’s most influential businessmen.