Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Trump expresses admiration of Musk in spite of their previous online clash


(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he still has a favorable view of Elon Musk despite their public clash earlier this year, though he argued that the billionaire’s efforts to establish a new political party will not succeed.

“[Musk] is a good person,” Trump said in an interview on Wednesday, also describing the Tesla founder as a “good man” and a “man of common sense.”

Musk had supported Trump in the 2024 election and briefly headed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) before their dispute erupted over the president’s “Big Beautiful Bill” spending initiative.

Trump remarked that the tech entrepreneur is “80% super genius and then 20% he's got some problems.” He stressed that he has “always” liked Musk and continues to regard him positively.

However, the president insisted that Musk’s ambition to launch an alternative political party would be pointless. “What's he going to do? He's going to go with the radical left lunatics? … I don't think he has a choice.” Trump added that he hopes Musk will once again lend his support to the Republican Party.

After stepping down from DOGE, Musk declared his intention to form a new political movement to challenge the two-party dominance in Washington, with plans to field candidates during the 2026 midterm elections. He later reaffirmed this commitment, dismissing speculation that he had abandoned the initiative. At one point, he said the so-called America Party would prioritize congressional races in 2026, while noting that “backing a candidate for president is not out of the question.”

Previously, Trump had labeled Musk a “train wreck” and cautioned that third parties “have never succeeded in the US,” arguing that such efforts would only lead to “chaos.” Reflecting on their fallout this week, Trump commented that Musk “went off the reservation, and he wished he didn't do it.” Musk has yet to respond to the president’s conciliatory remarks.

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