US-based tech billionaire Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have rekindled their friendship after falling out last year, with Musk preparing a major donation to Republicans for the midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people who accompanied the two to China.
Relations between the two men soured in mid-2025 when Musk attacked Trump’s well-known tax and spending package, calling the bill “absolutely insane and destructive.” The rift came despite Musk’s outsized role in the 2024 election cycle. After Trump’s victory, the billionaire was named head of the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk’s return to Trump’s inner circle became apparent during their flight to Beijing in May, when he joined the president, cabinet officials, business leaders and family members aboard Air Force One. The two appeared friendly, with Musk discussing plans for new factories in the U.S. while Trump talked about a video of the space launch and asked about one of Musk’s sons, people on board the plane told the WSJ.
During the flight, Musk also told Trump he planned to spend at least $100 million on an operation to boost voter turnout to support Republicans in the November midterm elections and help them retain control of Congress, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the strategy.
The rapprochement reportedly came after nearly a year of behind-the-scenes efforts, including private phone calls, pressure from mutual friends, invitations to Mar-a-Lago and a dinner at the White House. Trump and Musk spoke briefly at a memorial service for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who reportedly tried to reconcile the two.
The WSJ noted that Vice President J.D. Vance, along with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, reached out to Musk after the public spat with Trump to defuse tensions and later maintained contact with him and his allies. Vance reportedly saw Musk as too important to ignore, given SpaceX and NASA’s vast defense contracts. Musk, meanwhile, reportedly abandoned plans for a new political party in part to maintain ties with Vance, who is seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.
According to Trump aides, the two men are unlikely to return to the close relationship they once had. However, they have resumed speaking about once a month, discussing artificial intelligence, China and world events, people familiar with the conversations said.
Musk played a major role in Trump's 2024 election victory, publicly endorsing the president and reportedly spending at least $288 million to support Trump and other Republican candidates.
The renewed alliance comes as Democrats hold a lead over Republicans in the latest national polls ahead of November's midterm elections, while Trump's net approval rating has fallen near a record low due to growing public dissatisfaction with his presidency, including his handling of the conflict with Iran.
