Musk back in US president's 'circle of friends'? Trump says 'I don't know but I like him'

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he “gets along well” with Elon Musk when asked if the billionaire is back in his inner circle. Trump acknowledged Musk's support and appreciated the contributions the Tesla CEO made during the US presidential election. He added that their only issue was his stance on not requiring everyone to use electric cars.

The statement followed when a reporter asked Trump while addressing in the White House, “Is [Elon Musk] now back in your circle of friends?”

In response, President Trump said, “Well, I really don’t know. I like Elon a lot. He really helped a lot during the election with his endorsement. Look, we had one problem. I didn’t want to have everybody have to have an electric car, and he makes electric cars. I think we get along well.”

Elon Musk attends Trump's dinner

Days ago, Elon Musk had a dinner with Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on Tuesday (Nov 18, 2025). The meeting was the second joint public appearance since a bitter public feud earlier this year.

Elon Musk reportedly backed and financed the election campaign of Donald Trump last year and later became a key adviser in the new administration, heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and overseeing reductions in federal spending and staffing, according to a report by news agency Reuters.

However, their relationship quickly soured. Musk criticised Trump’s broad tax and spending package online, calling it financially irresponsible, and announced plans to form a new political party. Trump retaliated by threatening to withdraw the federal subsidies worth billions that Musk’s companies relied on.

According to analysts, the clash, combined with Musk’s increasingly far-right rhetoric, damaged Tesla’s reputation, sales and share value. Since then, the two have seldom appeared together publicly. Their last known interaction was a handshake at a memorial event for conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September.