The aftershocks from Thursday’s Republican-rattling public feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk were relatively minor. Trump spoke with a series of reporters at ABC News, Fox News and CNN and showed little sign that he wanted a truce, saying that Musk “has lost his mind.”
“I’m not even thinking about Elon,” Trump told CNN. “He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem.” Asked if he had spoken with Musk, Trump said he hadn’t — and wouldn’t. “I won’t be speaking to him for a while I guess, but I wish him well,” Trump said.
Musk also signaled that he was willing to cool what had been a very heated social media spat. In response to an X user’s Thursday night post that the two men should “Cool off and take a step back for a couple days,” Musk said it was good advice and walked back a threat to decommission a SpaceX spacecraft used to transport crew to and from the International Space Station.
Republicans may welcome any sign of an emerging public détente but they largely stood by Trump and the massive bill that Musk sought to kill because it would add to the national debt. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the package as passed by the House would add $3 trillion to deficits over 10 years.
Republicans have disputed cost estimates of the package from the CBO and independent budget watchdogs, arguing that their policies will boost economic growth enough to more than offset the cost of the bill. Officials also insist that upcoming spending bills will provide additional opportunities for savings.
GOP leaders still face challenges in ensuring that they’ll have the support they need to pass the tax and spending plan. Fiscal hawks in the Senate are demanding additional spending cuts and pushing back on a House deal to raise the limit on state and local tax deductions (SALT). Other senators are raising concerns about cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.
And some House members who approved the bill are warning the Senate against making changes on the issues they prioritize, from those SALT deductions to clean energy tax credits.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he remains confident that the bill will get to Trump’s desk by Independence Day. “We’re going to pass this legislation on our deadline,” he said Friday.
He also had a warning for sorts for Musk: “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,” Johnson said. “He is the leader of the party. He’s the most consequential political figure of this generation and probably the modern era.”