A day after a public spat with billionaire Elon Musk, US President Donald Trump on Friday said that he was "not particularly" interested in talking to the Tesla CEO, who recently wrapped up his time leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
When asked about reports that he had a call scheduled with Elon Musk for later in the day, Trump told ABC News: “You mean the man who has lost his mind?”
Trump further added that he was "not particularly" interested in talking to him right now and that Musk wants to talk to him, but he's not ready to talk to the Tesla CEO.
Also Read | Trump-Musk fallout: How it will impact the president and the tycoon
Earlier, POLITICO had reported that White House aides have scheduled a call on Friday with the billionaire Tesla CEO to broker a peace between the two of the world's most powerful men.
They were also reportedly attempting to convince the president to soften his public criticism of Musk to prevent any further escalation.
{{/usCountry}}They were also reportedly attempting to convince the president to soften his public criticism of Musk to prevent any further escalation.
{{/usCountry}}When asked about the public exchange with Musk, one of his strongest backers, Trump had told POLITICO, "Oh, it’s okay.”
Donald Trump vs Elon Musk
The exchange between Trump and Musk began on Thursday after the US President, in a televised Oval Office, said that he was "very disappointed" after his former aide and top donor criticised his "big, beautiful" spending bill before Congress.
“I’m very disappointed in Elon," Donald Trump said. “I’ve helped Elon a lot.”
Trump also suggested the world’s richest man misses being in the White House and has “Trump derangement syndrome", according to the Associated Press.
Also Read | How Donald Trump-Elon Musk tensions went from bad to worse in days: A blow-by-blow recap
Musk shot back, and the two then traded insults over social media. The Tesla CEO, who was Trump's biggest campaign donor to the tune of $300 million, claimed the Republican would not have won the 2024 election without his support.
Musk also, without proof, claimed that Trump was mentioned in government documents on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
On the other hand, Trump suggested Musk's multibillion-dollar government contracts, including for launching rockets and for the use of the Starlink satellite service, should be terminated to save money for the federal government.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told AFP that Musk's Epstein tweet "is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' because it does not include the policies he wanted."