‘The bros are back together’: Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends Donald Trump’s dinner in his first public White House visit after fallout
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was among the industry leaders and other guests who attended a high-profile dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House, marking a public reunion for the two powerful figures following a bitter public feud earlier this year. The gathering appears to signal a potential reunion between the billionaire business leader and the President.Musk had a dramatic falling out with the President earlier in the year. The CEO publicly attacked Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill as “fiscally reckless” and threatened to form a new political party. Trump responded by threatening to cut billions of dollars in federal subsidies received by Musk’s companies.
Public appearances of both together have been rare since the conflict. Previously, Musk was spotted shaking hands with Trump at a memorial event in September. This dinner is the second public appearance of both of them together after the feud, which was cited by analysts as a factor that negatively impacted Tesla’s brand, sales, and stock price. Musk was an early supporter and close advisor to the Trump administration, even leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and overseeing federal cuts.
Why Musk’s presence at Trump’s dinner is gaining attention
Musk’s attendance at Tuesday night’s dinner – his first public White House visit since the fallout – drew immediate attention. A video shared widely on X captured the moment President Trump, accompanied by Melania Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince, spotted Musk. Trump was seen gently tapping the Tesla boss, to which Musk responded with a nod.
The moment was quickly framed by social media commentators as a definitive end to the public spat. Nick Sortor, who shared the video on X, wrote, “President Trump tapped Elon Musk on his way in to the White House dinner tonight. Elon’s reaction says it all. The bros are back together.”The dinner hosted by President Trump was part of efforts to deepen ties with the Saudi leader. Other distinguished guests at the event included Portugal’s football star Cristiano Ronaldo and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. OpenAI president and co-founder Greg Brockman also shared a photo with Elon and Huang, captioning it, “the future is bright.”
