Donald Trump and Elon Musk urged by Republicans to end feud

Seung Min Kim and Chris Megerian, Associated Press

Republicans fearful about potential consequences of a prolonged feud between US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are urging the pair to call a truce.

At a minimum, the explosion of animosity between the two powerful men could complicate the path forward for Republicans’ massive tax and border spending legislation that has been promoted by Mr Trump but criticised by Mr Musk.

US vice president JD Vance said Mr Musk was making a “huge mistake” going after Mr Trump.

Blow up

In an interview released on Friday after the very public blow up between the world’s richest man and arguably the world’s most powerful, also tried to downplay Mr Musk’s blistering attacks as those of an “emotional guy” who became frustrated.

“I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that’s not possible now because he’s gone so nuclear,” Mr Vance said.

Mr Vance’s comments come as other Republicans in recent days have urged the two men, who months ago were close allies spending significant time together, to patch up their differences.

“I hope it doesn’t distract us from getting the job done that we need to,” said representative Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington state. “I think that it will boil over and they’ll mend fences.”

As of Friday afternoon, Mr Musk was holding his fire, posting about his various companies on social media rather than attacking the president. Mr Trump departed the White House for his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, without stopping to talk to reporters who shouted questions about his battle with Mr Musk.

“I hope that both of them come back together because when the two of them are working together, we’ll get a lot more done for America than when they’re at cross purposes,” senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Pained

Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, sounded almost pained on social media as Mr Trump and Mr Musk volleyed insults at each other, sharing a photo composite of the two men and writing, “But … I really like both of them.”

“Who else really wants @elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump to reconcile?” Mr Lee posted, later adding: “Repost if you agree that the world is a better place with the Trump-Musk bromance fully intact.”

So far, the feud between Mr Trump and Mr Musk is probably best described as a moving target, with plenty of opportunities for escalation or detente.

One person familiar with the president’s thinking said Mr Musk wants to speak with Mr Trump, but that the president does not want to do it – or at least do it on Friday.

In a series of conversations with television news presenters on Friday morning, Mr Trump showed no interest in burying the hatchet. Asked on ABC News about reports of a potential call between him and Mr Musk, the president responded: “You mean the man who has lost his mind?”

Mr Trump added in the ABC interview that he was “not particularly” interested in talking to Mr Musk at the moment.

Hopeful

Still, others remained hopeful that it all would blow over.

“I grew up playing hockey and there wasn’t a single day that we played hockey or basketball or football or baseball, whatever we were playing, where we didn’t fight. And then we’d fight, then we’d become friends again,” Mr Hannity said on his show on Thursday night.

Acknowledging that it “got personal very quick,” Mr Hannity nonetheless added that the rift was “just a major policy difference”.

House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson projected confidence that the dispute would not affect prospects for the tax and border bill.

“Members are not shaken at all,” the Republican said. “We’re going to pass this legislation on our deadline.”

He added that he hopes Mr Musk and Mr Trump reconcile, saying “I believe in redemption” and “it’s good for the party and the country if all that’s worked out.”

But he also had something of a warning for the billionaire entrepreneur.

“I’ll tell you what, do not doubt and do not second-guess and don’t ever challenge the president of the United States, Donald Trump,” Mr Johnson said. “He is the leader of the party. He’s the most consequential political figure of this generation and probably the modern era.”