Elon Musk has stirred fresh controversy after apologising for his recent posts about Donald Trump. The billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX posted a brief note on his own platform, X, saying he regrets his earlier statements about the former US President. This apology came just days after Musk suggested Trump’s name was listed in the confidential Jeffrey Epstein files.
Musk wrote on June 11, “I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far.”
The sudden backtrack has triggered online debate, especially since Musk has repeatedly claimed to defend absolute free speech.
The drama began when Musk, in a now-deleted June 7 post, claimed Trump’s name appeared in the sealed Epstein documents. He wrote, “Time to drop the really big bomb… @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files.”. The post didn’t last long on X, but it sparked an uproar.
Musk's Apology Raises Free Speech Questions
Users on social media were quick to respond to his apology post. One asked, “Did someone threaten you?” Another wrote, “If Elon Musk doesn’t have freedom of speech on his own app, what hope is there for the rest of us?”
Others said he sounded scared. One user noted, “He didn’t deny it, just regretted saying it.” Many believe Musk’s retreat suggests pressure from higher powers or potential legal threats.
Check out some reactions below!
Elon Musk And Donald Trump’s On-Off Feud
Tensions between Elon Musk and Donald Trump had been escalating for weeks. It started with Musk slamming the Republican party’s new tax plan. Trump clapped back in a TV interview, leading to further online back-and-forth between the two.
Things briefly cooled on June 10, when Trump addressed the tension and said, “We had a good relationship and I just wish him well, very well actually.” Musk responded with a heart emoji under a clip of the comment, which some took as a peace gesture.
Still, the truce didn’t last long. Trump later said Musk had “lost his mind” and even hinted at pulling federal contracts from SpaceX. That includes its critical partnership with NASA (a major blow, if it were to happen).