President Donald Trump on Monday said he has a "good" relationship with billionaire Elon Musk and that he has spoken with the Tesla CEO "on and off, a little bit" following Charlie Kirk's memorial service.
"I like Elon; I've always liked him," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled between Malaysia and Japan.
The president also called their public feud a "stupid moment" in Musk's life.
"Look, he's a nice guy, and he's a very capable guy. I've always liked him. He had a bad spell; he had a bad period. He had a bad moment," Trump said. "It was a stupid moment in his life, very stupid. I'm sure he'd tell you that. But I like Elon, and I suspect I'll always like him."
Musk and Trump's relationship began to fray when disagreements emerged, especially around policy and legislation.
In late May, Musk publicly criticized Trump’s signature spending and tax legislation — the One Big Beautiful Bill — for increasing the national debt and including too much pork.
Later that week, he left the Trump administration entirely. Musk had served as a special government employee and helped shape the vision for the Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk made a range of explosive claims following his exit, including that Trump would have lost the 2024 election without his help. He also alleged that the president purposefully kept the Jeffrey Epstein files sealed because he was named in them — a claim Musk later retracted.
Trump responded with public disappointment and threats, accusing Musk of losing his mind. The president also threatened to pull government contracts with Musk's companies.
Musk has since expressed regret about some of his posts toward Trump, acknowledging they "went too far."
The two later attended a memorial event for Kirk in September, exchanging handshakes and seeming to reconcile.
Musk then posted a picture of himself and Trump with the caption, "For Charlie."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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