Trump referenced Musk several times during his wide-ranging speech. — Reuters
President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk appeared to have made amends.
Musk made a rare visit to the White House on Tuesday, months after his relationship with Trump ended in a public bitter feud sparked after the world’s richest man sharply criticised the president’s signature “big, beautiful bill.”
In their public blow-up, which took place in the Oval Office and on social media, Trump warned at one point that he would cancel Musk’s contracts and subsidies with the federal government. Musk then dropped what he described as a “big bomb,” claiming in a now-deleted post on his X platform that Trump is included in the documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Tesla CEO also argued that Trump would have lost the 2024 election without his support.
Musk, however, has now quietly returned to the political arena, joining Trump on Tuesday for a black-tie dinner with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, alongside other tech titans, business leaders and soccer sensation Cristiano Ronaldo. On Wednesday, the Tesla CEO attended the US-Saudi Investment Forum, where Trump touted US$270bil (RM1.1 trillion) in agreements and sales between dozens of companies.
Trump referenced Musk several times during his wide-ranging speech.
“We build the best military equipment in the world by far,” Trump said. “That’s why we do the most business, including nearly 300 American-made tanks is what you’re buying, another many other things. The airplanes. And we’re working on getting that approved very quickly. It’s already approved, but don’t worry.”
“We have to go through a process. The process will take – Elon knows the process will take about, would you say 24 hours? I think so," he added.
Trump later ripped what he called “incompetent” policies of Democrats, saying “I don’t talk about it too much because if I talk about it, they might change. So no, I don’t talk about it. I tell people ‘Don’t talk about it.’ Wait till two weeks before the election and hit the hell out of them, right? We talked about that, right Elon? Said we wait two weeks before. It’s almost like you’re in a war.”
While discussing tax deductions, Trump pointed to Musk: “You’re so lucky I’m with you Elon. I’ll tell you. You are – has he ever thanked me properly?"
He continued: “We had a mandate, which even Elon thought was ridiculous, that everybody has to have an electric car by 2030. And once, fortunately, he said that’s a ridiculous thing.”
Musk also posted about the president on X, writing, “I would like to thank President Trump for all he has done for America and the world.”
The breakup between the two men first ignited after Musk, a former special government employee who spearheaded the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), argued that the GOP’s budget megabill, which passed over the summer, would add trillions to the national debt and undermine his work at the nongovernmental agency.
Musk went on to suggest the formation of a new “America Party” if the bill were to be signed into law, threatening to fund primary challengers against some Republicans who campaigned against federal spending, but voted in support.
“They will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” Musk wrote in June.
During the same month, Trump said he was not “particularly interested” in talking to a “man who has lost his mind” in an interview with the New York Post. He did not rule out reconciling with the billionaire, but noted that it was not his top priority. – nj.com/Tribune News Service
