President Donald Trump and technology billionaire Elon Musk appear to have eased months of tension, following a social media post suggesting the two have renewed contact.
On Sunday, Musk shared a message on X describing a dinner with the president and first lady at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “Had a lovely dinner last night with @POTUS and @FLOTUS,” he wrote, adding: “2026 is going to be amazing!”
The post, accompanied by a photograph from a Saturday evening event, fuelled speculation that relations between the two men have improved after a public falling out.
Musk emerged as one of the Republican Party’s largest political donors during the 2024 election campaign, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars, according to Reuters. Following Trump’s victory, the president appointed him to advise on efforts to reduce federal spending, including the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE.
However, Musk stepped back from the role in mid-2025 amid criticism, and tensions resurfaced when he publicly opposed Trump-backed spending proposals. In a post on June 3, Musk criticised what Trump referred to as his “big beautiful bill”.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
Trump responded at the time by expressing disappointment. “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” he said.
Musk then escalated the dispute, claiming on X: “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.” At one stage, he also suggested the possibility of forming a new political party.
Despite the dispute, signs of a rapprochement began to emerge later in 2025. In September, the two men were seen shaking hands and speaking at the memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Musk later posted an image of the encounter with the caption “For Charlie”.
Musk also attended a White House dinner in November, hosted by Trump for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Trump has since softened his tone, telling reporters in August that Musk had “a bad moment” but was “a good person”. The latest dinner appearance suggests that relations between the president and the Tesla founder may now be on firmer ground.
