Trump says he likes Elon ‘a lot’ amid uncertain friendship status

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he still loves “Elon a lot,” despite their highly publicized breakup earlier this year over the One Big Beautiful Bill.

At the end of the administration’s monthly Cabinet meeting, Fox Business’ Edward Lawrence asked Trump if Musk was “back home.” [his] circle of friends” after their argument.

Trump responded: “Well, I really don’t know. I mean, I like Elon a lot”… he said, praising Elon Musk’s support during the 2024 campaign before highlighting their disagreement on electric vehicle policy.

Musk was a White House fixture at the start of the second Trump administration, when he assumed the role of de facto head of the Department of Government Effectiveness. He served as a special government employee to the Trump administration to help run DOGE, frequently attending Cabinet meetings and joining Trump at public events. Musk’s tenure at DOGE ended at the end of May.

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President Donald Trump said he likes Elon Musk “a lot” after the two clashed over the One Big Beautiful Bill earlier this year. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Musk had also defended Trump during the 2024 election cycle, traveling through battleground states that ultimately all voted for the Republican nominee over former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump has repeatedly praised Musk for his efforts at DOGE to root out excessive federal spending, potential fraud and mismanagement — an effort criticized by government employees and Democrats who repeatedly protested the Trump administration and Musk earlier this year.

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However, that warm friendship collapsed in June, when Musk began publicly ridiculing the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a massive bill that Trump signed in July that advances his agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt.

Musk denounced the legislation, which Trump had rallied around Republican lawmakers since the start of his second term, posting on

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 20, 2025 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. ((Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images))

Trump previously told media that his relationship with Musk changed when he began discussing plans to eliminate the electric vehicle mandate, which would affect Musk’s iconic electric company, Tesla. Trump signed three congressional resolutions in June ending California’s restrictive rules for diesel engines and mandates on electric vehicle sales, with Trump celebrating that his signature will “kill California mandates forever.”

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The two abruptly split in June, and Musk weeks later offered support for Trump’s presidential actions on social media, such as praising a ceasefire deal between Israel and Gaza in July.

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Washington, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, seated left, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, seated left. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Musk was seen physically back in Trump’s orbit in September at the memorial service for Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA who was assassinated on September 10. The two were seen sitting next to each other and chatting during the ceremony.

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Musk recently attended a Trump event on Nov. 18 at the White House for dinner with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, as well as dozens of high-profile business leaders.

Trump’s latest remarks about Musk came during his Cabinet meeting, which marked his ninth such meeting since the start of his second administration and matched the total number of full Cabinet meetings former President Joe Biden held during his four-year term.