Trump says Elon Musk is "friend again" despite previous rift

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he once again considers billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk a friend, despite a period of public disagreements between the two.

Trump made the remarks at an agricultural-focused event broadcast by Fox News, where he reflected on policy changes made early in his presidency.

Trump recalled that on his first day in office, he rescinded measures promoting electric vehicles. He said this move contributed to tensions with Musk, whose company Tesla later faced difficulties during the dispute.

During his remarks, Trump noted that the entrepreneur had gone through a difficult period, but that they are now on good terms again.

“Elon, he had a bad moment, but now he's a friend of mine again. He had a very bad moment. He's 80% brilliant and 20% he's got little bad moments. But I love electric cars, but you know what? Not everybody wants them,” Trump said.

The relationship between the two had deteriorated in 2025 following the White House’s decision to withdraw the nomination of Jared Isaacman—reportedly backed by Musk—for NASA administrator. Musk also publicly criticised a budget reconciliation bill promoted by Trump, prompting a series of exchanges in which the president threatened to cut government subsidies and contracts for Musk’s companies. Musk later deleted some of his critical posts targeting Trump.

By Sabina Mammadli