“Elon came over and said hello. We had a brief conversation. I think it was a good thing. We’ve had a very good relationship in the past, and it was nice to see him take the initiative,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on September 22.
The two were seen together the previous day at a memorial for activist Charlie Kirk, where they sat side by side in a private room and spoke at length. Trump even appeared to introduce Musk to UFC president Dana White.
This marks their first joint public appearance since a heated dispute months earlier over Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). Asked whether Kirk had helped mend ties, Trump dismissed the idea, saying it was unrelated. Musk has not commented publicly.
U.S. media interpreted the meeting as a thaw in personal tensions that could ripple into Republican politics, the MAGA movement, and the tech sector’s relationship with Trump’s administration.
Musk, once a close ally and major donor to Trump’s campaign, had been entrusted with government cost-cutting initiatives. Their relationship soured over OBBBA, culminating in a sharp social media clash on June 5. Musk later phoned Trump and expressed regret for going “too far” in some posts. Trump, in turn, denied ever seeking to harm Musk’s businesses, insisting he wanted them to thrive “more than ever.”