Trump and Musk rekindle 'bromance' — with $100M and shared political stakes

"If it weren't for me, he would have lost. What ingratitude." "I will cancel government contracts with Musk's companies."

Those were the words Donald Trump and Elon Musk hurled at each other just a year ago. Now the two men — whose falling-out had seemed to mark the end of the most-watched political bromance of the century — are back on the same side. With the November midterm elections approaching, Musk has committed at least $100 million to support Republican efforts to hold Congress.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Musk plans to spend at least $100 million on voter-turnout drives aimed at helping Republicans maintain their grip on the legislature.

The clearest sign of the reconciliation came in May, aboard Air Force One en route to China. Musk briefed Trump on plans to build new factories in the United States, while Trump brought up a rocket-launch video he had recently watched and asked after Musk's young son. Musk, for his part, reminisced with White House staff about his role in the 2024 presidential election.

The two men now speak roughly once a month, discussing AI, China and international affairs, according to people familiar with the matter.

That would have been hard to imagine just a year ago. Shortly after Trump's second term began, Musk joined the White House to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with slashing the size of the federal government. His unorthodox methods and sweeping budget cuts bred resentment within the cabinet, and the tensions erupted publicly last June.

Musk posted on X, formerly Twitter, that it was "time to drop the real bomb," claiming Trump appeared in files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Trump fired back on Truth Social, warning he could cancel government contracts with Musk's companies.

Musk then called Trump's signature tax-and-spending bill "a disgusting abomination" and declared that Trump "would have lost the election" without him — adding that the ingratitude was "truly something." Musk had poured roughly $300 million into Trump's 2024 reelection campaign.

Even as the public feud raged, a quiet reconciliation effort was already underway. Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reached out to Musk, and the following week Musk called Trump directly, reopening a line of communication. Musk later said publicly that some of his remarks had gone too far and that he regretted them.

Vance continued to stay in contact with Musk's circle, keeping the relationship from fully breaking down. There were also practical reasons the administration could not afford a clean break: SpaceX plays an outsized role in US defense and national security. That reality became starkly apparent when, at the height of the feud, Musk threatened to withdraw support for International Space Station missions — a move that caused considerable alarm inside NASA.

An unexpected tragedy also accelerated the thaw. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk — who had worked to repair the relationship between the two men — was assassinated in Arizona last September. Trump and Musk attended the memorial service together and exchanged a brief conversation. As Musk was leaving, Trump gave him a light pat on the elbow. Musk later posted a photo of the two talking on X with the caption "For Charlie."

Ultimately, shared political interests have drawn them back together. The Wall Street Journal noted that if Democrats win control of Congress in the midterms, they are prepared to launch investigations targeting Trump and his family — and that Musk, who relies heavily on government contracts, could also find himself in the crosshairs.

Musk plans to channel his midterm support through America PAC, the political action committee he created to back Trump in 2024.

He is not expected, however, to return to the political frontlines as he once did. In an interview with The Economist last month, Musk reflected that he may have become "a little too involved in politics," adding: "Honestly, it was a bit much."