When Tesla and Space X Chief Elon Musk boarded Air Force One for a long flight to China in May, it was a sign that his falling-out with US President Donald Trump was maybe becoming a thing of the past.
Cabinet secretaries, business executives and members of Trump’s family were already aboard when Musk joined them. Then Musk said he planned to help Republicans in the November midterm elections and that he intended to spend at least $100 million on a voter-turnout operation designed to help Republicans hold on to Congress.
But on the flight to Beijing, the two men appeared to be getting along again, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal .
Nearly a year earlier, Musk had publicly declared war on the president.
After Trump took office, Musk moved into the White House complex at times and took charge of DOGE, helping the president pursue sweeping cuts to the federal government. But Musk’s aggressive approach angered members of Trump’s Cabinet, who believed Musk was interfering too heavily in their agencies. Trump responded through Truth Social, threatening to cancel Musk’s government contracts. Just one day after the public fight, Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles reached out to Musk.
Because it removed incentives for electric vehicles, he also accused Musk of opposing a major tax-and-spending bill.
