- Donald Trump and Elon Musk reunited publicly at Charlie Kirk's memorial in Arizona
- Musk posted a photo with Trump at the event, signalling a thaw in their strained ties
- It was the pair's first public meeting after the public fallout earlier this year
Months after their very public fallout, US President Donald Trump and his former 'first buddy', Elon Musk, reunited at a memorial event for right-wing leader Charlie Kirk on Sunday. Trump was seen sitting side-by-side with his once-trusted billionaire advisor in the stands of a stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where tens of thousands had gathered to pay tribute to Kirk, who was shot dead on September 10 at a Utah university campus.
Videos from the event show the pair chatting in a manner that appeared friendly. The event marked the first public encounter between Trump and Musk since the Tesla CEO -- who once led Team Trump's so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) -- resigned from his position as a special government employee under tense circumstances.
The memorial appearance represents a notable thaw in their previously strained relationship. The White House shared a photo of the two engaged in a conversation on the social media platform X, which Musk owns.
Musk, on his X account, also posted an image of himself and Trump sitting together at the memorial, captioning it: "For Charlie." The White House reposted the picture.
Musk-Trump Fallout
Musk donated more than $270 million to Trump's presidential campaign, barnstorming key battleground states for the Republican.
After the election, he oversaw the launch of the DOGE, a controversial initiative that eliminated thousands of government jobs deemed by the agency to be part of a pattern of waste, fraud and abuse.
Following his departure from DOGE, Musk had put out a series of social media posts criticising Trump, prompting the President to threaten the cancellation of federal contracts with the billionaire's companies.
Musk broke with Trump over the White House's flagship tax and spending bill, which Musk called "utterly insane and destructive." After the falling out, Musk went as far as to announce he was launching his own "America First" party, but little has materialised so far.
