Elon Musk’s father told Reuters on Monday (June 9) that the feud between his son and Donald Trump stemmed from prolonged, intense pressure on both sides, and that the ongoing public conflict between the billionaire and the U.S. president needs to come to an end. The spat began last week on social media, with Musk—CEO of Tesla and SpaceX—slamming Trump’s expansive tax and spending legislation, calling it a “disgusting abomination.”

When asked if Elon had erred in going head-to-head with Trump publicly, Errol Musk said that stress can cloud judgment, especially during heated moments. “They’ve endured five months of relentless tension,” he said at a Moscow conference hosted by conservative Russian oligarchs. “With just the two of them left standing, and everything else stripped away, it seems they’re now focused on destroying each other—this has to stop.”

Asked how he thought the dispute would conclude, Errol replied, “It’ll end positively—very soon.” Neither Musk nor the White House responded to requests for comment outside regular U.S. business hours. On Saturday, Trump declared that his ties with Musk were severed and warned of “serious consequences” if Musk supported Democratic candidates opposing Republicans who backed the bill.

Elon Musk had been a major financial supporter of Trump’s 2024 campaign and was appointed to lead a federal workforce reduction initiative. Errol Musk said he supports his son, but acknowledged that rigid ideals don’t always work in reality. “Elon stands by his values, but sometimes compromise is necessary in the real world,” he said. Standing alongside Russian businessman Konstantin Malofeyev—who is under Western sanctions—Errol Musk praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as “very stable and pleasant,” and criticized Western media for spreading what he called “complete nonsense” about Russia and portraying it as an enemy.