Elon Musk back in the fold at Saudi crown prince dinner
Elon Musk joined Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for an official White House dinner; This was their second joint public appearance since a bitter public row earlier this year.
Musk’s involvement could be a sign of reconciliation in the tumultuous relationship between the Tesla CEO and the US president.
Musk supported and financed Trump’s election last year and became a close adviser to his administration earlier this year, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and overseeing federal funding and job cuts.
However, the couple had a spectacular separation in a short time.
The billionaire businessman criticized Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill on social media as fiscally reckless and said he plans to launch a new political party.
Trump responded by threatening to cut off the billions of dollars in subsidies Musk’s companies receive from the federal government.
Analysts said the fight, along with Musk’s far-right political rhetoric, hurt Tesla’s brand image, sales and stock price.
Musk and Trump have rarely met publicly since then. Musk was last seen shaking hands with Trump at a memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September.
Trump is hosting the Saudi de facto ruler, who is trying to improve his global image and deepen ties with Washington.
Among those attending the dinner were Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
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