Republicans urge Donald Trump and Elon Musk to end their feud
As the Republican Party braces for aftershocks from President Donald Trump's spectacular clash with Elon Musk, lawmakers and conservative figures are urging d茅tente, fearful of the potential consequences from a prolonged feud.
At a minimum, the explosion of animosity between the two powerful men could complicate the path forward for Republicans' massive tax and border spending legislation that has been promoted by Trump but assailed by Musk.
鈥淚 hope it doesn鈥檛 distract us from getting the job done that we need to,鈥� said Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington state. "I think that it will boil over and they鈥檒l mend fences鈥�
Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, was similarly optimistic.
鈥淚 hope that both of them come back together because when the two of them are working together, we鈥檒l get a lot more done for America than when they鈥檙e at cross purposes,鈥� he told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night.
Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, sounded almost pained on social media as Trump and Musk volleyed insults at each other, sharing a photo composite of the two men and writing, "But 鈥� I really like both of them.鈥�
鈥淲ho else really wants @elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump to reconcile?鈥� Lee posted, later adding: 鈥淩epost if you agree that the world is a better place with the Trump-Musk bromance fully intact.鈥�
So far, the feud between Trump and Musk is probably best described as a moving target, with plenty of opportunities for escalation or detente.
One person familiar with the president鈥檚 thinking said Musk wants to speak with Trump, but that the president doesn鈥檛 want to do it 鈥� or at least do it on Friday. The person requested anonymity to disclose private matters.
In a series of conversations with television anchors Friday morning, Trump showed no interest in burying the hatchet. Asked on ABC News about reports of a potential call between him and Musk, the president responded: 鈥淵ou mean the man who has lost his mind?鈥�
Trump added in the ABC interview that he was 鈥渘ot particularly鈥� interested in talking to Musk at the moment.
Still, others remained hopeful that it all would blow over.
鈥淚 grew up playing hockey and there wasn鈥檛 a single day that we played hockey or basketball or football or baseball, whatever we were playing, where we didn鈥檛 fight. And then we鈥檇 fight, then we鈥檇 become friends again,鈥� Hannity said on his show Thursday night.
Acknowledging that it 鈥済ot personal very quick,鈥� Hannity nonetheless added that the rift was 鈥渏ust a major policy difference.鈥�
House Speaker Mike Johnson projected confidence that the dispute would not affect prospects for the tax and border bill.
鈥淢embers are not shaken at all,鈥� the Louisiana Republican said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to pass this legislation on our deadline.鈥�
He added that he hopes Musk and Trump reconcile, saying 鈥淚 believe in redemption鈥� and 鈥渋t's good for the party and the country if all that's worked out.鈥�
But he also had something of a warning for the billionaire entrepreneur.
鈥淚鈥檒l tell you what, do not doubt and do not second-guess and don鈥檛 ever challenge the president of the United States, Donald Trump,鈥� Johnson said. "He is the leader of the party. He鈥檚 the most consequential political figure of this generation and probably the modern era.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.