US President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed that he has no intention of discontinuing the use of Starlink internet services at the White House, despite a public fallout with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the CEO of both SpaceX and Tesla.
“I may move the Tesla around a little bit, but I don’t think we’ll be doing that with Starlink. It’s a good service,” Mr Trump told reporters outside the White House, alluding to the satellite broadband system provided by Musk’s aerospace firm, SpaceX.
The president’s remarks come days after he declared the end of his once-close relationship with Mr Musk, following the tech mogul’s vocal criticism of a major Republican tax and spending bill, which he had described as a “disgusting abomination”.
Mr Trump, who in March announced he had purchased a red Tesla Model S from Musk, said over the weekend that the vehicle might be removed from the premises. The Tesla was seen parked at the White House as recently as Saturday, fuelling speculation over whether the president would cut ties with all Musk-owned entities.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity last week, had suggested the president was considering removing the Tesla in response to the fallout.
However, Mr Trump signalled a more conciliatory tone on Monday, stating, “We had a good relationship, and I just wish him well,” while adding that he would not object if Mr Musk were to reach out.
Mr Musk responded subtly on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), replying with a heart emoji to a video clip showing Mr Trump’s latest comments.
The feud between the two men erupted last Thursday when Mr Musk openly criticised Mr Trump’s flagship legislative initiative—dubbed the “big, beautiful bill”—which is currently struggling to gain traction in Congress. With narrow Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate, the party cannot afford further divisions as it seeks to advance the president’s economic agenda.
Following the backlash, Mr Musk deleted several social media posts, including one in which he appeared to express support for the president’s impeachment. Sources close to Mr Musk, quoted by US media outlets, suggested that the billionaire’s anger had begun to wane, and that he might eventually seek to reconcile with Mr Trump.
Despite their differences, Starlink remains a key service provider to several US government agencies, offering secure and high-speed internet through its low-Earth orbit satellite network. Its continued presence at the White House indicates that, at least for now, practical considerations may be outweighing political tensions.
