The leading role the former “first buddy” took in stoking the Epstein controversy shows how he remains a potent political risk for Trump months after he publicly left the White House.

"Musk is CEO -- the buck stops with him. As a CEO in a competitive environment, he's the one who has to have the vision and lead the troops," David Meier, a senior investment analyst at The Motley Fool, told ABC News. "But there's a lot going on in the world that impacts Tesla's business."

President Donald Trump took a break from his bitter public feud with Elon Musk by offering support to Tesla in an early morning post on Truth Social.

The president’s plan for an artificial intelligence-driven future has garnered backlash from allies who are disturbed by its tech bro-friendly proposals.

The olive branch comes amid reports that Trump’s name appears in the Epstein files—something Musk previously alluded to.