President Donald J. Trump made clear this week that he’s willing to move past his recent feud with tech billionaire Elon Musk, despite Musk’s public attacks on Trump’s landmark tax and spending legislation—and a now-deleted smear linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.

Speaking on Pod Force One with Miranda Devine, Trump was gracious but firm, brushing off Musk’s betrayal over what he proudly called a “big, beautiful bill” that reshaped the American economy.

“Look, I have no hard feelings. I was really surprised that that happened. He went after a bill that’s phenomenal. He just — I think he feels very badly that he said that, actually,” President Trump said.

The president’s comments came on the heels of Musk’s public walk-back. In a rare moment of contrition, the X (formerly Twitter) CEO acknowledged he went too far in his criticism of Trump.

“I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far,” Musk admitted in a post—though he left unclear exactly which attacks he was referencing.

The fallout began after Musk labeled Trump’s legislative package a “disgusting abomination,” prompting the president to sever ties and signal that Musk’s government contracts—especially lucrative federal funding for SpaceX—could be in jeopardy.

Then Musk launched a highly inflammatory attack, posting a now-deleted message suggesting President Trump was listed in the infamous Jeffrey Epstein documents.

“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!” Musk wrote—before quietly removing the post.

Trump categorically denied the accusation in an interview with ABC News, stating Musk had “lost his mind.” At the time, he flatly rejected the idea of reconciliation. But now, Trump appears willing to let bygones be bygones—an act of leadership that starkly contrasts with Musk’s reckless online behavior.

The accusations themselves have collapsed under scrutiny.

Prominent attorney David Schoen, who was hired to represent Epstein shortly before his death, took to X to shut down the conspiracy theory:

“I was hired to lead Jeffrey Epstein’s defense as his criminal lawyer 9 days before he died. He sought my advice for months before that. I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that he had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him!”

Even Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime former personal attorney and now a frequent critic, poured cold water on Musk’s smear:

“I have extensive knowledge of Trump being by his side for almost a decade and a half,” Cohen told MSNBC. “I’m telling you it’s nonsense. To the best of my knowledge and everything that I know, it’s not true.”

The broader Epstein investigation continues. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the FBI is sorting through an overwhelming amount of disturbing evidence, including “tens of thousands of videos” related to Epstein’s child exploitation.

“The FBI is diligently going through that,” Bondi said Wednesday. “There are hundreds of victims.”

Despite Epstein’s decades of influence in elite political and financial circles, many of the most powerful names associated with him remain hidden from the public. That could soon change.

President Trump has vowed to declassify and release all Epstein-related files—a promise that has sparked anxiety in elite circles and prompted fears of document destruction.

Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, warned earlier this year:

“There’s a concern that Epstein files and videos may have been destroyed before the Trump administration came in. We’re trying to prevent that from happening again.”

In the meantime, Trump has once again demonstrated his ability to lead with strength—and mercy—extending an olive branch even to those who tried to drag his name through the mud.