Errol Musk, father of tech mogul Elon Musk, is weighing in on his son’s highly public feud with U.S. President Donald Trump, attributing the clash to stress and what he described as PTSD after months of intense political and personal pressure. Speaking to Russian media during a visit to Moscow, where he’s expected to attend a forum hosted by allies of Vladimir Putin, Musk Sr. offered a dramatic interpretation of the spat between two of the world’s most powerful men.
According to Errol Musk, the conflict was sparked by Trump’s recently passed “Big, Beautiful Bill”—a massive spending package that Elon Musk criticized as reckless and debt-inducing. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO didn’t hold back, calling the legislation “a disgusting abomination” in a scathing post on X (formerly Twitter), directly blaming members of Congress for contributing to what he fears is a looming debt crisis.
“They’ve been under a lot of stress for five months,” Errol explained. “They got rid of the opposition, they’ve tried to steer the country back on track, and now they’re exhausted. Elon is suffering from a bit of PTSD. He lashed out, but I think it was a mistake. Trump will prevail—he’s the president.”
The elder Musk likened the situation to two gladiators left alone in the arena after defeating all other challengers—Trump and Elon, locked in a moment of mutual exhaustion and tension. Despite his son’s frustration, Errol insists the president’s actions, including the controversial bill, are politically necessary to maintain support in Congress.
Tensions escalated further after Trump dismissed Elon’s criticism and claimed he saw it coming. Musk then made a bold and controversial claim, suggesting Trump was named in FBI documents related to Jeffrey Epstein—only to delete the post shortly after.
The Musk-Trump saga is rapidly becoming one of the most talked-about power struggles in both tech and political circles, as Errol’s comments add a new layer to the growing drama.