Musk Shares Post Supporting Trump Over LA Protests
Trump Says "Starlink Will Not Be Removed"
The public feud between U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which had reached its peak with open criticism exchanged on social networking services (SNS), now appears to be easing. CEO Musk has praised the Trump administration, while President Trump has offered Musk words of goodwill.
On June 9 (local time), CNN reported that CEO Musk had shown support for the Trump administration's policies regarding protests against illegal immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles (LA).
The previous day, President Trump posted a message on his SNS platform, Truth Social, criticizing California Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, saying they should apologize to LA citizens. CEO Musk captured this post and shared it on X (formerly Twitter). He also posted an American flag emoji on X, quoting a post by Vice President JD Vance stating that "(President Trump) will not tolerate riots and violence."
Musk also deleted a large number of X posts that had previously attacked President Trump. These included posts calling for Trump's impeachment and raising suspicions about alleged ties between President Trump and billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide while under investigation for underage sex trafficking. In addition, CEO Musk re-followed White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on X, after having unfollowed him on June 5. Miller was a key figure leading the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies.
President Trump has also adopted a noticeably softer tone. According to Bloomberg, President Trump said of CEO Musk, "You know we have had a good relationship," and added, "I wish him well."
When asked at the White House whether Tesla vehicles and Starlink services would be eliminated, he said, "Tesla could move somewhere else, but I don't think Starlink will. It's a good service." Regarding allegations that CEO Musk used ketamine, Trump responded, "I don't know. I don't think so," showing a conciliatory attitude.
CEO Musk had recently sharply criticized the Trump administration, arguing that the "one big, beautiful bill" containing President Trump's core agenda would undermine the achievements of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in reducing federal spending and the budget deficit. As a result, the once-close relationship between President Trump and CEO Musk deteriorated rapidly, and Tesla's stock price plunged by 14.2% in a single day. On this day, however, Tesla shares rose by 4.55% on the New York Stock Exchange.
CNN reported that Wall Street is feeling a sense of relief as tensions between the two appear to be easing. Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, said, "I don't expect President Trump and CEO Musk to return to the days when they stayed together at Mar-a-Lago, but it would not be surprising to see their relationship gradually recover over the coming months." He added, "Ultimately, President Trump needs to be close to CEO Musk and the Republican Party, and CEO Musk needs President Trump for reasons such as federal regulatory approval for autonomous vehicles."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
