President Donald Trump suggested Monday that his rift with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is mending after Musk publicly accused him of being in the Epstein files last June, upon leaving the Department of Governance Efficiency (DOGE).
Speaking with a gaggle of reporters on Air Force One during his trip to Asia, Trump noted that Musk approached him during the memorial for the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Glendale, Arizona, last month.
"During Charlie's beautiful tribute, Elon came over," Trump said when asked about the state of their relationship. "It's good with Elon. I like Elon; I've always liked Elon. Elon's good."
Trump went on to say that the two have not been communicating frequently, but spoke highly of Musk's abilities.
"On and off, a little bit, very little; nothing much," he said of how often they speak. "Look, he's a nice guy and he's a very capable guy. I've always liked him."
"[Musk] had a bad spell, he had a bad period, he had a bad moment," he continued. "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," he added.
Musk became one of the president's key supporters during the 2024 presidential election, donating nearly $300 million to Republicans after endorsing Trump minutes after Trump was shot at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. He delivered a key address during Trump's packed rally at Madison Square Garden weeks before the election.
Musk became a fixture at the White House during the first months of Trump's second term as he helped head the Department of Governance Efficiency (DOGE) as an unofficial government employee with the intention of slashing government spending.
After Musk came out against Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" in May, the two began publicly feuding on social media, hurling insults at each other as Trump accused the SpaceX CEO of "wearing thin" and going insane.
In an X post on June 5 that he later deleted, Musk accused Trump of withholding some of the Epstein files because he is named in them.
"[Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!" Musk wrote at the time.
Shortly before his assassination, Kirk expressed hope that Trump and Musk would renew their fractured relationship.
"Both of these men deserve great credit for their contributions to help save civilization [...] I actually think they are going to reconcile at some point because, deep down, I would like to believe they both want the same thing," Kirk said on his podcast in July.
Trump, who has repeatedly mentioned Heaven in recent months, expressed admiration during his eulogy for Kirk over the late conservative activist's willingness to forgive his enemies. He acknowledged that he hates his opponents and does not yet exhibit the grace toward them that Kirk did.
Sharing a photo that went viral showing Trump and Musk shaking hands at Kirk's memorial, Musk commented, "For Charlie."
