This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Elon offers 'olive branch' as conversation being set up

The day-long word war between Tesla and X billionaire Elon Musk and President Donald Trump may be reaching a détente.

The two had worked together on the president's Department of Government Efficiency for months, and reportedly had found about$170 billion in spending to cut in their war on criminal activity, waste, fraud and corruption.

Then, when the House adopted a piece of legislation turning many of Trump's executive orders into law, Musk erupted in frustration that it didn't cut enough.

Trump, meanwhile, is working with a fractious Congress and even multiple factions within his own GOP.

The two exchanged hot words for hours. Musk said Trump was in the Epstein files and Musk called for Trump's impeachment.

White House aides tried to organize a call and Musk, late Thursday "tried to de-escalate," according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Trump even had called for Musk to be deported, and Musk's stock dropped billions in value as traders fled his companies.

"Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman stepped into the fray, posting a plea on X for the two men to reconcile 'for the benefit of our great country,' warning that 'we are much stronger together than apart,'" the report explained.

Musk responded, "You're not wrong."

The comment appeared to some as an olive branch, and reports said the two megawealthy men would speak Friday.

Trump, in a late-night interview, shrugged off the feud, explaining, "It's okay."

The rhetoric had escalated to the point Trump called for Musk's federal contracts to be canceled and his companies stripped of security clearances and Musk responded to a social media call for the issue to "Cool off" and the two to "step back for a couple of days," with "Good advice."

Social media comments suggested Musk was upset that federal subsidies for the purchases of electric cars – his Teslas – were being cut. Trump said Musk was familiar with the details of the plans.

The lawyer who represented Jeffrey Epstein, who was a convicted sex offender and was awaiting the processing of more charges when he died, apparently by suicide, in a jail, confirmed in a statement that he had asked Epstein before he died, and Epstein confirmed he had no damaging information on Trump, although the two knew each other.

Trump said he had asked Musk to leave, prompting Musk's response.

"Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files," he said.

Musk offered no evidence for his claim.

The two previously have been compatriots, and enemies, consecutively. Musk was on two of Trump's advisory councils during his first term, but later stepped down. They also were at odds off and on in 2022 in social media.

Leftists unleashed a flood of insults at both men, with one claiming, "so the girls are fighting."