The Sign Elon Musk And Donald Trump Have Squashed Their Beef
Elon Musk and Donald Trump had butted heads publicly, but there have been signs that the tech mogul and presidential hopeful started seeing eye to eye. The issues between Musk and Trump dates back to 2017, when the Tesla CEO left the White House advisory councils after then-president Trump announced the United States would be leaving the Paris climate accord.
Years later in May 2022, Musk set the record straight on rumors that Trump had influenced his decision to buy Twitter. The bad blood between Trump and Musk heated up that summer as "The Art of the Deal" author called him a "bulls*** artist" during a rally in July 2022, per The Hill. The following day, Musk fired back on X, formerly Twitter. "I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset," he tweeted. Always happy to get the last word, Trump went scorched earth on Musk the very next day in a post on Truth Social. He claimed that during his presidency, Musk went to the White House hat in hand asking for money. "I could have said, 'drop to your knees and beg,' and he would have done it," Trump wrote in July 2022.
Given their history, it was somewhat surprising to hear that Musk and Trump had possibly buried the hatchet. On March 6, it was reported by The New York Times that the pair met up in Palm Springs. There was even talk about the pair working out a big financial deal.
Did Elon Musk almost buy Truth Social?
When it was reported that Elon Musk and Donald Trump had met up in Palm Springs, the media also mentioned that the former president was hemorrhaging money due to legal fees. There was speculation that Trump was looking for the billionaire to donate to his presidential campaign, but according to Musk that was not the case. "Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President," he tweeted on March 6.
Perhaps Musk would not contribute directly to Trump's campaign, but on March 12 a report from the Washington Post said there were talks about the one-time president selling his controversial social media platform, Truth Social, to the owner of Twitter. Talks of Musk potentially buying Truth Social apparently did not gain much traction. "We heard Trump and Musk were actually discussing buying the Washington Post but they decided it had no value," Trump Media spokeswoman Shannon Devine wrote in an email to the Post when asked for comment.
Perhaps Musk did not offer financial support, but the SpaceX owner showed support for Trump online. Previously, Musk was fuming over a Biden tweet about electric vehicles from Tesla competitors, so it was not shocking to see him support Trump. On March 13, Musk retweeted a video of Joe Rogan speaking about the upcoming election. "I'd vote for Trump before I'd vote for Biden because the thing with Biden ... he's gone," the podcast host said in the clip. Musk later clarified his relationship with Trump.
Elon Musk's meeting with Donald Trump was accidental
Don Lemon interviewed Elon Musk for "The Don Lemon Show" — a news show that was being prepared to launch on X. During the interview, Lemon asked Musk about his recent meetings with Donald Trump, and if there were any financial incentives related to the pair burying the hatchet. "I'm not paying his legal bills in any way, shape or form," Musk told the news anchor in clips that Lemon shared while appearing on CNN on March 13 (via Deadline). The much-discussed meeting between the tech billionaire and former president was not pre-planned. "I was at a breakfast at a friend's place and Donald Trump came by," Musk added. The former CNN anchor pressed for more information about the meeting. "Let's just say he did most of the talking," Musk said. Lemon then inquired if Trump had asked Musk for campaign contributions. "He didn't," the Tesla CEO responded. Musk appeared irritated by Lemon's Trump-related questioning.
Shortly after clips of the seemingly terse interview aired, it was announced that X was not going forward with "The Don Lemon Show" partnership. Musk took to X on March 13 to explain why the social media platform had cut commercial ties with Lemon. "His approach was basically just 'CNN, but on social media', which doesn't work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying," Musk wrote. " [I]t was really just Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity," he wrote, while adding that Lemon was still free to publish content on X.