White House aides schedule call between Donald Trump, Elon Musk following public spat: Report

Amid a rather public spat that has become the talk of the town, White House aides have scheduled a call between US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. 

According to a report in Politico, the call has been scheduled with the hopes that the feud between Trump and Musk that led to the latter suggesting impeachment of the US President, would ease down. 

This comes after Musk threatened to decommission the Dragon spacecraft in response to Trump's threats. The Dragon is currently the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. However, Musk later retracted this threat late on Thursday.

In a sign of potential reconciliation, Musk expressed agreement with comments by billionaire investor Bill Ackman, suggesting that Musk and Trump should seek peace. Musk responded, "You're not wrong," indicating a possible softening of his stance. Both Musk and Trump are known for their assertive social media use, often engaging in public disputes.

The initial conflict arose as Musk criticised Trump's "big, beautiful bill," describing it as a "disgusting abomination" that would exacerbate the federal deficit. This critique intensified existing divisions within the Republican Party, potentially jeopardising the bill's future. Analysts have predicted that the bill could add between $2.4 trillion to $5 trillion to the national debt.

The dispute had a significant impact on Tesla's market performance, with shares plunging over 14 per cent in a single day, wiping out approximately $150 billion in market value. However, the announcement of the call led to a partial recovery, with shares rising 5 per cent in pre-market trading.

Musk, who was a substantial financial backer during Trump's presidential campaign and served as an adviser, has become increasingly vocal on political matters. He claimed that without his support, Trump would have lost the election, while also suggesting that Trump's import tariffs could lead the US into a recession.

(With Reuters inputs)