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Those who endure repeated betrayals—whether from foes or former allies—often struggle to extend forgiveness. That’s what makes President Donald Trump’s latest statement so striking.
On Thursday, Trump took to Truth Social to extend what looked like an olive branch to Elon Musk, his former ally and once the head of the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency. In a direct rebuke of recent rumors, Trump declared, “This is not so!”—referring to speculation that he planned to pull federal support from Musk’s companies.
“Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon’s companies by taking away some, if not all, of the large scale subsidies he receives from the U.S. Government. This is not so!” Trump wrote.
“I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE, in fact, THRIVE like never before! The better they do, the better the USA does, and that’s good for all of us. We are setting records every day, and I want to keep it that way!”
Musk’s companies—most notably SpaceX and Tesla—have reportedly received over $38 billion in government contracts, subsidies, and tax breaks over the last two decades, according to The Washington Post.
These federal arrangements weren’t controversial to the media—until Musk split from Trump last month over the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Musk objected to the bill’s spending provisions and subsequently floated the idea that Trump should be impeached. He even suggested that Trump’s name could be linked to the infamous Epstein files.
After Trump signed the bill into law, Musk hinted at forming a third political group dubbed the “America Party.” In the weeks since, however, Musk has been relatively quiet, offering little political commentary on X.
That changed again this week, when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked if Trump supported awarding government contracts to Musk’s AI firm, xAI. Her response: “I don’t think so, no,” according to Axios.
Coincidentally or not, Tesla’s stock dropped 9 percent in mid-morning trading Thursday. Trump’s post may have been aimed at calming investor nerves.
Why extend such goodwill to Musk? After all, amid their public falling out, Trump even joked about deporting him.
The answer may lie in Trump’s strategic willingness to reconcile with former adversaries—something he’s also done with figures like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
But perhaps there’s more to it. Trump and Musk had once forged a strong partnership. Like Adams and Jefferson before them, their alliance was disrupted by politics. Yet as Adams and Jefferson ultimately rekindled their friendship, Trump may now be recalling what once made Musk a trusted and valuable ally.
Despite recent tensions—and even Musk’s Epstein-related comments that many would find beyond the pale—Trump appears to believe Musk’s strengths still outweigh his missteps.
