Will Trump and Musk patch up? US president ‘will forgive but not forget’ Elon, says close aide
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Donald Trump, Elon Musk Photograph: (Reuters)
Trump may forgive but not forget, says ally Howard Lutnick, as he hints at a partial thaw with Elon Musk after years of fallout. H-1B visa restrictions remain a sticking point.
One of Donald Trump’s closest allies has suggested that the US President may be willing to patch things up with Elon Musk, but the friendship may never return to how it once was. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told News Nation on Sunday, “He’s a very kind person, so he’s going to forgive Elon. Will he forget? No, he doesn’t forget.”
Trump and Musk seen together again
The comments come after Trump and Musk were pictured together for the first time in years at the memorial service of far-right activist Charlie Kirk in Arizona. The two men, once described as “First Buddy” and President, had a high-profile fallout over Trump’s economic plans, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill”. The official broadcast of the funeral showed the pair sitting side by side and talking, hinting at a possible thaw in relations.
Musk and the H-1B visa debate
Lutnick was also asked about Musk’s support for the H-1B visa programme, widely used by Indian technology professionals to work in the US. The Trump administration has moved to restrict the scheme, imposing a $100,000 fee and tougher rules. Defending the curbs, Lutnick said, “I think we should only give jobs, highly skilled jobs, to the most highly skilled people… The idea of having tech consultants and trainees who are inexpensive should be eliminated. I have a strong opinion. I think the President is right with me on those same topics.”
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Musk has previously spoken in favour of the visas, saying they bring valuable talent into the US, though he has not yet commented on Trump’s latest restrictions.
Trump’s way of handling friendships
Reflecting on Trump’s bond with Musk, Lutnick said: “I think Donald Trump is a really kind person. The media just don’t see him, but I’ve been friends with President Trump for over 30 years… So he’s going to be kind and he’s going to be warm, as he is as a person, but do I think it’s going to go back to being lovey-dovey? No.”
He added, “I think Elon Musk had really earned the president’s friendship and admiration. Then in his departure, he expressed a part of himself that was very negative, and I don’t think the President’s going to forget that negativity.”
