Elon Musk has made a dramatic reversal in his position on Donald Trump, sharing the former president’s comments on the Los Angeles riots despite their recent public feud over federal spending.
At a Glance
- Musk endorsed Trump and JD Vance’s comments on the Los Angeles riots with American flag emojis despite their ongoing public feud
- The feud began when Musk criticized Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” as “outrageous” and “pork-filled”
- Trump responded by calling Musk “crazy” and threatening to cut government contracts to SpaceX and Tesla
- The Los Angeles riots erupted over allegations of illegal immigrant detainees being held in a federal building’s basement
- Trump deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles following violence against law enforcement
Musk’s Sudden Support for Trump’s Riot Response
Despite a heated public exchange that has dominated headlines in recent days, Elon Musk appears to be aligning with former President Donald Trump on at least one issue – the response to riots in Los Angeles. Musk shared comments from both Trump and his running mate JD Vance regarding the unrest, accompanying them with American flag emojis in what many see as a tacit endorsement of their positions. This comes as a surprise following the Tesla CEO’s previous harsh criticism of Trump’s spending proposals and policies.
The Los Angeles riots erupted after allegations spread that illegal immigrants were being detained in the basement of a federal building. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has firmly denied these claims, but the unrest has continued, prompting strong responses from Trump. The former president has characterized the situation in stark terms, criticizing California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for what he describes as their mishandling of the crisis.
Elon Musk is back on Trump's team regarding California riots. pic.twitter.com/Y06Nae40Bo
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 9, 2025
The Public Feud Between Musk and Trump
The apparent agreement on riot response comes amid an escalating war of words between the two high-profile figures. Tensions boiled over when Musk sharply criticized Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” economic proposal, describing it as “outrageous” and laden with unnecessary spending. This criticism clearly struck a nerve with the former president, who responded by calling Musk “crazy” and suggesting he suffered from “Trump derangement syndrome” – a term often used to describe critics who oppose Trump regardless of the issue at hand.
“Governor Gavin Newscum and ‘Mayor’ Bass should apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots. These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists.”, said President Donald Trump.
The conflict intensified when Musk made a controversial claim that Trump’s name appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files, an assertion the White House later described as “unfortunate.” Trump, never one to back down from a fight, escalated matters by threatening to cut government contracts and subsidies to Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla – a move that could potentially impact billions in federal funding. This threat represents a significant escalation, given SpaceX’s crucial role in NASA missions and military satellite launches.
These riots in LA might just be the thing that reunites Elon Musk and President Trump. pic.twitter.com/O39z9dik3p
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 9, 2025
Trump’s Strong Stance on the Los Angeles Situation
Trump has taken an aggressive position on the riots, deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles following reports of violence against law enforcement. He has characterized the city as being “invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals” and has vowed to restore order if elected. This hard-line approach appears to resonate with Musk despite their ongoing disagreements on other matters, suggesting the tech entrepreneur may compartmentalize his views on Trump rather than adopting a wholesale opposition.
“A once great American city, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals. Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations—But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve.”, said Trump.
Meanwhile, California officials have called for the withdrawal of the National Guard as the riots continue, setting up a potential standoff between state and federal authorities. Trump’s promise that “Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free” represents the kind of decisive rhetoric that appears to have garnered Musk’s approval, at least on this specific issue. Musk’s own reaction to the riots was more subdued but clear, stating simply, “This is not O.K….” before sharing Trump’s comments.
