Florida Republican foresees Trump-Musk reconciliation
Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.) said President Trump and Elon Musk’s feud wouldn’t last for long, noting that the Republican Party and the president's allies are all a part of “one big family.”
Musk in recent days has criticized the president’s budget bill over its effects on the national debt, which the tech billionaire says “undermines” the work he completed at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The fight reached a fever pitch this week, with the two exchanging harsh words on social media.
But as the spat continues, Patronis said he believes the two will soon reconcile.
“I don't know how many times I've seen Donald Trump throw [Sen.] Lindsey Graham [(R-S.C.)] out by the side of the street and say the guy's crazy. But then you know what? The next week they're playing golf together. This is no different,” Patronis said during a Friday appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill," referencing the president's sometimes fraught relationship with the South Carolina lawmaker.
“Trump knows that sometimes you're going to have falling out with those that you trust, you like, that you're friends with. It happens with us in D.C. all the time. So again. Mark my words. About a month from now, these guys will be hanging around again,” he added.
The Florida lawmaker also poured cold water on Musk’s recent proposal to launch a third party to challenge.
“Elon Musk is not gonna create a new new political party,” he told NewsNation.
On Friday, Musk floated “The America Party” as a potential new political faction after posting a poll for his followers to weigh in on the social media platform X the day prior.
“I appreciate what Elon Musk has done with DOGE. He's brought things to light that we're going to act upon in Congress. But the end of the day, the only friends I look at making in Washington DC [are] probably my wife and my kids,” Patronis said.
“The friends I care about are the ones in Congressional District 1 ... and they elected Donald Trump," he added. "They did not elect Elon Musk.”