Elon Musk’s dad reveals son called him ‘evil’ for backing Trump | World | News
Elon Musk‘s father has revealed that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO once branded him “evil” for supporting Donald Trump during a heated family confrontation at a birthday party in Cape Town. Errol Musk recounted the incident, which took place just before the 2016 US presidential election in which Mr Trump beat Hilary Clinton, in an interview with Kevin O’Sullivan, which airs on TALK on Friday.
He described how Elon and his brother Kimbal confronted him after he expressed support for Mr Trump during a gathering attended by about 50 Americans. Mr Musk Snr said: “Elon was saying that Trump is evil, and you know you’re also evil to support him. They came down on me… How could I be so stupid?”
He told them that his support for Trump stemmed from a belief that a businessman would be better suited to lead the country than a career politician.
However, he said his comments were met with mockery from the attendees, including his sons, explaining: “They all laughed their heads off. They said, ‘No, he’s a con man, he’s a thief, he’s a crook’.”
Asked about the point at which they changed their minds, Mr Musk Snr ventured: “When they experienced the Biden presidency, they realised that this group of people were out to destroy everything of value in the United States, including their own businesses.
Despite the initial disagreement, Elon Musk‘s political stance has evolved significantly, and he campaigned for the billionaire prior to his win over Kamala Harris in November, and Errol Musk insisted: “They’re still very close.”
Nevertheless, in recent days, Elon Musk has publicly criticised Mr Trump’s signature legislative proposal, known as the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
He has expressed disappointment over the bill’s fiscal impact, arguing that it increases the federal deficit and undermines efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he leads.
He told CBS: “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly.
“It increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”
President Trump, in response to criticism, stated: “We will be negotiating that bill, and I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it.”
He also commented: “It’s the big, beautiful bill. And it’s beautiful because of all the things we have.”
The bill, which passed the House and is under Senate debate, includes tax cuts and increased immigration enforcement.
Despite early optimism, Musk is stepping back from political engagement and focusing on his companies, admitting the federal bureaucracy was harder to reform than expected.
The full interview airs on What Just Happened with Kevin O’Sullivan on TALK on Friday.
