Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re aware of the ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. What you might not know is that the potshots taken by the world’s wealthiest man and the world’s most powerful man stem back to a question asked by iHeartMedia and Gray Television White House correspondent Jon Decker.
In a press conference at the Oval Office on Thursday, Jon Decker asked President Donald Trump about the comments made by Elon Musk about the “big beautiful bill,” and the billionaire’s staunch opposition to it.
But, having covered President Trump in his first term, in addition to having interviewed him since 1999, Decker knew he had to go about asking the question in the correct fashion.
“As I’m in the Oval Office, I’m actually in my head formulating how I’m going to ask that question,” Decker said. “The way I phrase it is different than if I actually quoted what Elon Musk had said about the Big Beautiful Bill. That’s not what he called it. He actually had a very derogatory name for the bill. And if I quoted him directly in asking that question, I honestly believe that I would not have gotten the type of lengthy, susbtantive answer that I got from the President.
“Instead, I paraphrased, essentially, what came out of those social media posts and describing it as criticism without explaining what the exact the actual criticism was. The President knew, no need for me to get a rise out of him by quoting Elon Musk’s post directly. But because I did that, and because I think I developed this extensive relationship with the President and trust with the President, he gave me such a substantive answer that, to me, was useful for a news audience, and certainly, was played quite a bit on every cable channel, and news outlet across the country.”
After Decker asked the president about the criticism from Elon Musk, Trump took 10 minutes to answer it, sharing his disappointment that his former ally had so publicly rebuked a mission from the new administration.
That lengthy response floored the iHeartMedia and Gray Television reporter.
“I’ve asked dozens of questions to the President over the course of his time as president, both in his first term and now in his second term, but I have never received such a lengthy answer to just one question coming from the President of the United States,” Decker admitted.
In the aftermath, Musk escalated the feud to what many called a “nuclear” level, asserting that the reason files relating to convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein haven’t been released is because President Donald Trump is included in the files.
The feud ultimately led every cable news and news/talk radio program on Thursday afternoon, with it carrying over into the weekend as well. Jon Decker admitted he’s never seen a question asked by him have such a worldwide impact.
“It impacted every news organization, not just in the United States, but worldwide. I received so many messages throughout Europe from friends who are seeing this all play out in real time. It impacted the news cycle. It impacted financial markets,” Decker noted. “After all, Tesla lost 14% of its value on Thursday alone. Elon Musk, on paper, lost $20 billion on Thursday alone. So I’ve never seen a question that I’ve asked to the President of the United States have such an impact on so many different levels.”
Trump’s comments were widely reported almost instantaneously after Decker’s question. And as Donald Trump continued to speak, Jon Decker said he knew the comments about Elon Musk would make worldwide headlines.
“As it’s playing out in real time, I’m listening to the president. He’s looking directly at me. He’s looking directly, directly at me as he’s answering my question and only me. It’s as if we’re just having a conversation, and as he’s looking directly at me,” he said. “I want to have him continue to answer that question as fully as he’s answering it, and I knew in the moment, this is huge news in the way that he answered the question, in the lengthy response that he gave, and in the content in terms of what he was saying to me, I knew this was going to be a huge story throughout the day.”
Decker has been covering the White House since 1995, when President Bill Clinton was in office, so he’s been around the block a time or two. He stated his belief that his longevity at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, in addition to working in a fair and unbiased manner, allows him to have a unique relationship with President Donald Trump and White House officials.
“For me, the relationship goes back literally decades, and that’s helpful. He trusts me, he respects me, and similarly, I respect him and the office of the presidency, and that’s why I think that he does answer my questions on a regular basis.
“Asking questions of the President does require, I think, some experience in the way to phrase a question to the President,” Decker continued. “You can get the same information that you desire by asking a question in a respectful way, rather than trying to, essentially, trip up the President or trying to get a rise out of the President.
“That’s not necessary. It’s unnecessary, I think, not only in the short term, but also in the long term, in terms of establishing a relationship with the President. What I’ve always thought in asking my questions … is what is a way for me to get a substantive answer from the president, but in a way that is respectful and in a way that continues that relationship that I’ve developed with him over the years.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
