Trump and Musk Sit Side-by-Side Months After Public Split

Donald Trump sat side-by-side with billionaire Elon Musk, a former trusted advisor with whom the former US president had a highly publicised falling out, at a memorial event for right-wing activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday.

The two appeared to interact cordially, as Trump chatted with Musk in a manner suggesting a thaw in relations. Musk had previously led Trump’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), an initiative that significantly reduced the US federal workforce and restructured various government agencies during Trump’s second term.

The event took place at a stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where tens of thousands had gathered to pay tribute to Kirk, who was shot dead on 10 September at a university campus in Utah.

A video showing the pair sharing a handshake was circulated by the official White House account on X, the social media platform owned by Musk.

Musk donated over $270 million to Trump’s presidential campaign, actively campaigning in key battleground states for the Republican.

After the election, he launched and oversaw DOGE, a controversial federal office aimed at eliminating thousands of government positions that were judged to be part of a pattern of waste, fraud, and abuse.

However, the relationship between Musk and Trump soured over the White House’s flagship tax and spending bill, which Musk publicly described as “utterly insane and destructive.”

Following the split, Musk announced plans to create an “America First” party, though few tangible developments have emerged from that initiative.

On Sunday, Musk shared an image on X showing him and Trump seated together at the memorial, captioned simply: “For Charlie.”

The photograph highlights the reunion of two influential figures, months after their highly publicised disagreements over policy and governance, and underscores Musk’s continued presence in the political sphere associated with Trump’s inner circle.

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