Trump says he likes Elon ‘a lot’ amid uncertain friendship status

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he still loves “Elon” despite their high-profile split over the One Big Beautiful Bill earlier this year.

At the end of the administration’s monthly Cabinet meeting, Fox Business’ Edward Lawrence asked Trump if Musk was “back.” [his] after the “circle of friends” left.

Trump’s response was as follows: “Actually I don’t know. “I mean, I love Elon,” he said, praising Musk’s support during the 2024 campaign before voicing his disagreements on electric vehicle policy.

Musk was a fixture at the White House in the early days of the second Trump administration, as he assumed the role of de facto leader of the Department of Government Efficiency. He served as a special government employee in the Trump administration to lead DOGE, frequently attending Cabinet meetings and joining Trump during public events. Musk’s tenure at DOGE ended at the end of May.

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Musk also supported Trump in the 2024 election cycle; The overlapping battleground states ultimately voted for the Republican candidate over former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump has repeatedly congratulated Musk on his efforts to eliminate potential federal spending, fraud, and mismanagement at DOGE; The effort came under attack from government workers and Democrats who repeatedly protested both the Trump administration and Musk earlier this year.

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But that cozy friendship was shattered in June when Musk began publicly mocking Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a massive bill he signed into law in July that advanced his agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt.

Musk opposed the legislation that Trump has been rallying Republican lawmakers to pass since the beginning of his second term, writing in

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 20, 2025 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. ((Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images))

Trump had previously told the media that his relationship with Musk changed when he began discussing plans to eliminate Musk’s electric vehicle mandate, which would affect his signature electric company, Tesla. Trump signed three congressional resolutions in June that ended California’s restrictive rules on diesel engines and mandates on electric vehicle sales, and Trump celebrated that his signature would “eliminate California’s rules forever.”

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The two abruptly parted ways in June, and Musk weeks later offered some support for Trump’s presidential actions on social media, such as praising the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Gaza in July.

President Donald Trump speaks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, seated left, during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Musk physically returned to Trump’s orbit in September during a memorial service for Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on September 10. The duo was seen sitting next to each other and chatting during the ceremony.

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Musk last attended a Trump event at the White House on Nov. 18 for a dinner with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well as dozens of high-profile business leaders.

Trump’s latest remarks about Musk emerged at a Cabinet meeting, which was the ninth such meeting since the start of his second administration and matched the total number of full Cabinet meetings held by former President Joe Biden during his four-year term.