‘No idea what he was thinking’: Errol Musk on son Elon’s Epstein-Trump association claims; urges to let feud 'fizzle out'

Elon Musk's father, Errol Musk, weighed on his son's feud with Donald Trump which included reference to Jeffrey Epstein in an attack on US President, calling it “just a silly mistake” and "not knowing what he (Elon) was thinking".

He also urged his son to let the feud “fizzle out.” In an interview with Al Arabiya English from a lounge in Delhi Airport, Errol Musk downplayed the widely publicised social media clash between the two high-profile figures, characterising it as a momentary flare-up between strong personalities under pressure. “I have no idea what he was thinking… I can only imagine that's just a silly mistake,” Errol said of Elon’s now-viral post alleging Trump’s name was in the Epstein files.Musk had, in a post on X, said, “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”.

Errol, attributed his son’s actions to stress rather than intent. Referencing scripture, he added, “Let the innocent person cast the first stone,” suggesting no one is without fault. The elder Musk said he had personally messaged his son to help ease tensions.

“I did send him a message… telling him, make sure this fizzles out,” he said, confidently predicting that the spat would be short-lived. “Yes, of course,” he added when asked whether Trump and Elon would reconcile. “When people have been through a great deal of stress… eventually people reach a point where they lash out,” Errol said. “Even at the highest levels, people struggle to find common ground.” He suggested Elon’s criticisms stemmed from concerns over Democrats’ use of financial incentives to push legislation—a dispute that eventually escalated into a social media confrontation. Describing the online standoff as “elephant bulls or alphas having a go at each other,” Errol Musk brushed off the seriousness of the episode. Reflecting on his recent visit to the US, Errol also claimed overwhelming public support for the former president. “I would like to say 80 percent, but actually 100 percent [are] behind Trump,” he said.

What is the Musk-Trump feud?

The public spat between US President Donald Trump and former adviser Elon Musk has intensified, following Musk's opposition to a significant domestic policy initiative by Trump.Following his 129-day tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), Musk utilised his platform X to denounce the bill as a "disgusting abomination", adding: "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong." He expressed concerns about the legislation's impact on national debt levels and urged his followers to contact their representatives in opposition to the spending proposal.The conflict between the two wealthy individuals heightened on Thursday as they traded harsh words on their respective social media platforms, indicating the end of their previous collaboration.Trump initiated the exchange by expressing disappointment over Musk's criticism of his administration's primary tax and spending legislation, suggesting this could terminate their formerly positive association.In response, Musk claimed credit for Trump's electoral success, stating: "Without me, Trump would have lost the election".The deterioration in their relationship occurred after Musk's sustained opposition to Trump's spending legislation, which received approval from the US House and awaits Senate consideration.