Criticizing Posts on X Deleted
Trump Says, "I Assume the Relationship Is Over"
As tensions between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump have intensified, Musk has deleted posts on social networking services (SNS) that were aimed at Trump.
On June 7 (local time), US business media outlets such as CNBC reported that Musk's posts criticizing President Trump had disappeared from his X (formerly Twitter) account as of that day. Previously, Musk had quoted a post by conservative political commentator Ian Miles Cheong stating "Trump should be impeached," and added, "Yes. A recession is expected in the second half of this year due to tariffs." However, this post has now been deleted.
US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are having a conversation in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington DC before leaving for Trump’s private residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 14 (local time). Photo by AFP Yonhap News
Additionally, on June 5, during a heated exchange with President Trump, Musk posted on X, "It's time to drop a big bombshell. Trump is in the 'Epstein files,' and that's the real reason they're not being released."
The "Epstein files" refer to documents related to the sexual crimes of Jeffrey Epstein, a former US financier. Epstein committed sex crimes, including forcing sexual acts on at least 36 identified minors between 2001 and 2006. The case implicated several prominent political and business figures, and Musk claimed that "Trump is also involved." This post also appears to have been deleted. The White House has refuted Musk's claim, calling it false.
It appeared that the conflict between the two sides was subsiding. Musk also took steps to de-escalate the situation, including expressing his intention to continue collaborative projects with NASA, in which companies he owns are participating.
However, on the same day, in a phone interview with NBC News, President Trump was asked whether he wanted to restore his damaged relationship with Musk. He replied, "No." When asked if he considered his relationship with Musk to be over, President Trump said, "I would assume so." Asked if he had any plans to speak with Musk, President Trump emphasized, "I'm too busy doing other things," and added, "I have no intention of talking to him." President Trump also said, "He (Musk) was disrespectful regarding the presidency," and added, "I think that's a very bad thing."
President Trump warned that if Musk, who opposes legislation reflecting Trump's tax cut pledges, were to support Democratic candidates in an effort to unseat Republican lawmakers who voted for the bill, "he will have to face very serious consequences."
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