Donald Trump and Elon Musk Reconnect at Charlie Kirk’s Memorial, but Trump Says It Had ‘Nothing to Do’ with Grief

President Donald Trump reflected on his short interaction with Elon Musk during Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on Sunday, Sept. 21.

The president honored Kirk — who was assassinated at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 — with a 40-minute eulogy at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. His remarks touched on Kirk’s legacy as well as his administration’s goals moving forward.

Trump, 79, was one of several well-known conservatives at the tightly secured event. Musk, 54, was also present. Earlier in Trump’s second term, the two had worked together to create the Department of Government Efficiency.

Although Trump and Musk once enjoyed a friendly relationship, their connection broke down over the summer as they clashed on social media. Trump even called Musk a “train wreck” and said he had gone “off the rails” after the Tesla CEO announced plans to form a new political party and made a series of explosive claims.

At the memorial, the two briefly exchanged words, which led to speculation about whether they were reconciling. Trump downplayed that idea when speaking with reporters afterward.

Asked if Kirk’s death had brought them back together, Trump replied, “No, it’s nothing to do with that.”

He explained, “Well, Elon came over and said hello. I thought it was nice. He came over, we had a little conversation. We had a very good relationship, but it was nice that he came over.”

Musk has not publicly spoken about the exchange. However, he reshared a post on his platform X from Trump’s White House account on the same day, which read, “May God Bless America.”

Trump had once praised Musk as a “star” for his backing during the 2024 presidential election. He even showcased Tesla vehicles at the White House in March 2025 when Musk faced financial strain linked to his political involvement.

Their relationship took a turn in May, just before Musk’s short-term White House role was set to end. Musk criticized Trump’s major spending plan, commonly called the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” he told CBS Sunday Morning in late May.

Soon after, Musk posted on X: “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

As tensions grew, Musk even tied Trump to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, claiming his name appeared in related files — a claim later deleted.

In July, Musk announced the creation of his own political group, the America Party, escalating the public feud between him and Trump.

Despite Musk later offering an apology, sources told PEOPLE in June that the two were deliberately avoiding each other. One source said Trump was unlikely to forgive him, noting, “He may say something acceptable for public consumption, but after what Elon wrote on social media, and despite his apology, Trump’s relationship with Musk will never again be the same.”

Another source described their relationship as “so far from good terms,” adding, “Nobody trusts you again after you go that nuclear.”