Backchannel calls, high-level gestures, and Charlie Kirk's shadow: the inside story of how Trump and Musk made up

A little over a year ago, business magnate Elon Musk and President Donald Trump brutally attacked each other on social media, marking the breakdown of an unprecedented, powerful friendship and political alliance that was truly unique in electoral and economic terms. Given the harshness of their exchanges, the relationship seemed frankly beyond repair; however, against all odds, the Tesla CEO now plans to invest at least $100 million to help Republicans retain control of Congress in November's midterm elections. The announcement, made privately to Trump himself during a flight to Beijing in May, confirms that the relationship between the two has been, at least unofficially, mended.

As revealed Thursday by The Wall Street Journal in an investigation citing accounts from people close to both men, that trip to China served as a sort of culmination of a reconciliation process that had begun months earlier, away from the cameras.

On board Air Force One, while Trump's cabinet secretaries and family members took their seats, Musk boarded the plane and spoke with the president about new factories he plans to build in the U.S.. He also reflected, alongside advisors from the White House, how enjoyable it had been to participate in the 2024 election campaign, where the tycoon served as a key figure with his million-dollar contributions and social media influence. It was in that relaxed atmosphere that he pledged his financial support for Republican candidates ahead of November.

Musk, owner of Tesla and SpaceX and the world's first trillionaire, plans to channel that money through America PAC—the same group he used to support Trump in 2024—in coordination with MAGA Inc., the pro-Trump super PAC that already has more than $400 million. The entrepreneur himself revealed that this time he will maintain a lower profile than he did while heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where his active presence led to a drop in Tesla sales and a shareholder crisis at his companies due to the CEO's media exposure: "I think I got a little too involved in politics," Musk acknowledged last month in an interview with The Economist. "Got carried away, frankly."

The rift that led to this current rapprochement occurred in June of last year, when the tension that had been building behind the scenes exploded publicly on 'X' and Truth Social. Musk even hinted, in front of his 240 million followers, that Trump was mentioned in the investigation files regarding the child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The president responded by threatening to cancel the businessman's government contracts and accusing him of opposing his tax and spending bill for eliminating incentives for electric vehicles. Musk, who had contributed nearly $300 million to help get Trump re-elected, then wrote: "Without me, Trump would have lost the election... Such ingratitude." The tycoon also attacked the legislation, which he considered disastrous for the country due to the high level of government spending it entailed.

The WSJ reconstructs the subsequent process as a series of gradual steps, not a sudden turnaround. Just one day after the public spat, Vice President JD Vance and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles called Musk on their own initiative to defuse the tension, figuring they had little left to lose. The conversation worked, and days later Trump and Musk spoke directly by phone; the businessman later posted a message acknowledging that he had gone too far with some of his comments. Even so, it took months for the reconciliation to take hold. In September, Trump was still telling a close aide that he wasn't ready to bring Musk back into his inner circle.

Vance remained the central figure in that process, keeping the lines of communication open with the entrepreneur over the following months. In that context, Musk ruled out the idea of founding a new political party, a threat that had been very poorly received within the president's inner circle. That decision was interpreted by some of Trump's advisers as a sign of goodwill toward the White House —and, in particular, toward Vance, whom Musk wanted to keep as an ally in anticipation of a potential presidential run in 2028.

A tragedy that brought them together

Two personnel changes also cleared the way, according to the newspaper. Sergio Gor, a Trump adviser who had repeatedly clashed with Musk over the slow pace of certain DOGE initiatives, was ultimately appointed U.S. ambassador to India last August, which physically distanced him from Washington—by thousands of kilometers, to be precise. In November, Trump made an unexpected about-face and reinstated Jared Isaacman—a close ally of Musk—as head of NASA, after having sidelined him months earlier at the height of the conflict.

However, what really accelerated the reconciliation process was the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September. The founder of Turning Point USA had spent his final months trying to build bridges between the two men. Trump and Musk met at a memorial service in his honor at a stadium in Arizona, where the president patted him on the elbow as they said goodbye. That same night, Musk posted a photo of the encounter with just two words: "For Charlie."

Today, according to the WSJ, the two speak once a month about artificial intelligence, China, and international politics, although in private, Trump admits to those close to him that their former closeness will not fully return. When asked by the newspaper, the White House responded that the president "has built the greatest coalition in the history of American politics," with "patriots" like Musk among its ranks. Although they are no longer close friends, the two remain on good terms and their alliances remain virtually intact.