Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, has expressed regret over some of his recent posts about Donald Trump.
Background
The tension between Musk and Trump escalated last week after Musk publicly criticized the president’s administration over the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” In retaliation, Trump threatened to cancel billions of dollars in federal contracts awarded to Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla.
The Feud Intensifies
The situation intensified when Musk made a provocative social media post suggesting Trump was linked to the Jeffrey Epstein files. Trump was reportedly angered by the implication, as well as Musk’s statement that his 2024 victory was partly due to Musk’s support and political donations. Musk later deleted some of the posts, including the one linking Trump to Epstein, and stated he would “apologize profusely as soon as there is a full dump of the Epstein files.”
A Sensitive Situation
Earlier, it was also reported that Trump has been calling Musk a “big-time drug addict” in private discussions. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Market Impact
Last week, Tesla shares plunged 14.3% to $284.70 on Thursday—its second-largest percentage drop in over a year—wiping out $152 billion in market value, the biggest single-day loss in company history. The sharp decline was a result of the intensifying feud between Musk and Trump.
Analyst Insights
Despite these tensions, Dan Ives, managing director at Wedbush Securities, maintained his bullish stance on Tesla. “I still believe they’re allies and it doesn’t change my view that the regulatory road map is going to be more greenlighted for Tesla,” he stated. “I don’t think that this is the beginning of a dark storm between Musk and Trump.”
Current Price Action
Tesla shares dipped 0.30% in after-hours trading.
Looking Ahead
Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings show an upward trajectory for Tesla across short, medium, and long-term periods. Additional performance metrics are available for further analysis.