President Trump remained unfazed Friday morning when asked about his recent rift with Elon Musk, steering the conversation during a brief exchange with The New York Post toward economic achievements and his strong polling, rather than diving into the fallout with his once-close supporter.
“Nothing catches me by surprise. Nothing,” the president remarked when questioned about Musk’s pointed attacks from the previous day, made in the wake of his resignation from the Department of Government Efficiency.
“The numbers are through the roof, the stock market is up, billions are pouring in from tariffs, and my poll numbers are the highest they’ve ever been. Other than that, what can I tell you, right?” he added, sounding upbeat and relaxed.
The clash between the president and Musk emerged publicly after the billionaire entrepreneur blasted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, legislation championed by Trump, which is estimated to grow the national deficit by roughly $3 trillion over the coming decade.
When asked if he and Musk had ever clashed privately over the bill, Trump dismissed the idea and instead pointed to the tech mogul’s familiarity with the legislation.
“He knew the bill as well as anybody,” the president said.
Praising the proposal, Trump asserted its long-term benefits, citing Friday’s economic data as evidence of its merit.
“The bill is great. It’s going to pass, but the bill is great, and it’s going be great for everybody, including him. And you see it now. And take a look at what happened today with the job numbers. They’re through the roof, and the stock market’s up already 600 points. This is what I do for a living, OK?”
Inside Republican circles, reaction to the dispute has been carefully managed. A senior House GOP official told the Post that the White House has not issued any directive to lawmakers to publicly defend Trump or criticize Musk.
“The White House hasn’t asked us to take any shots at Musk or to defend Trump — ‘Go after Elon, he’s a traitor,’” the aide said, adding that Trump’s team “prefers to take control of the rhythm.”
“We revolve around Trump.”
The same staffer noted that Musk’s resignation on May 30 followed a poor Tesla earnings report and a string of arson attacks targeting the company’s electric vehicles, events that reportedly left Musk visibly “shaken.” The official also referenced Musk’s failed bid to slash over $1 trillion in federal spending via the Department of Government Efficiency.
“There’s a faction of Congress that’s totally opposed to DOGE, and I don’t think he fully realized that,” the source said.
Tensions appear to have escalated after Trump abruptly pulled Jared Isaacman—an ally of Musk—from consideration to head NASA. That decision is said to have provoked Musk to go public with his grievances, criticizing Trump for “ingratitude” and suggesting he should be impeached. Musk also accused the president of delaying the release of Justice Department records related to Jeffrey Epstein, alleging they could incriminate him.
“Musk has no knowledge of the Epstein files,” the Republican aide said, calling the billionaire “very mercurial and scattered but also brilliant.”
Despite the heated rhetoric, the aide noted that there’s been no real erosion of Republican resolve to advance the bill, nor any significant increase in public pressure on lawmakers to intervene in the feud.
“We all assume it could come to a speedy truce faster than any politician could get involved in it,” the aide said.
However, one lingering concern for the GOP may be whether Musk will continue supporting Republican fundraising efforts, especially with the 2026 midterms on the horizon.
Musk gave $289,100 to the National Republican Congressional Committee in August 2024, a sizable contribution that helped bolster House campaigns.
“If that goes to zero, Republicans in the House are going to feel the brunt before Trump does,” the source said. “It’s like losing ten [George] Soroses. How would that feel?”
{Matzav.com}