Trump and Musk were at war. What brought them back into USD 100 million alliance?

Donald Trump and Elon Musk went from political allies to bitter enemies. Now, after months of quiet efforts to repair their relationship, Musk is back in Trump's inner circle and plans to spend at least $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections.The rift between Musk and Trump intensified this week, on June 5, as they traded accusations in a huge public spat on social media.US President Donald Trump and the world's richest person, Elon Musk, went from political allies to bitter enemies in a matter of days, trading explosive accusations in public and appearing to burn their relationship beyond repair. Months later, the two men have quietly rebuilt ties -- and Musk is now preparing to put at least 100 million dollars behind Republican efforts to retain control of Congress.According to The Wall Street Journal, the thaw was the result of months of private outreach, mutual friends, family connections and a series of carefully timed encounters. An unexpected tragedy also played a role in bringing the two men back into the same orbit.The reconciliation was already visible in May, when Musk joined Trump and senior administration officials aboard Air Force One during a long-haul trip to China. Sources familiar with the flight told the Journal that the atmosphere between the two men was notably cordial.Musk spoke to Trump about plans for new US factories, while Trump discussed a space launch he had recently watched and asked about one of Musk's young sons. Musk also reminisced with White House advisers about his involvement in Trump's Presidential campaign. Then came the news Trump's political team had been waiting for: Musk intended to help Republicans in the November midterm elections.People familiar with the strategy told The WSJ that Musk plans to spend at least $100 million on a voter-turnout operation to help the GOP maintain control of Congress.FROM POLITICAL ALLIES TO PUBLIC ENEMIES The partnership is striking because of how badly the relationship collapsed.Musk and Trump became close during the 2024 presidential campaign. After Trump returned to the White House, Musk moved into the White House complex and took charge of efforts to shrink the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency, popularly know as Doge.But Musk's aggressive approach quickly became a subject of controversy inside the administration. Cabinet officials resented his involvement in their agencies, while his push to cut government programmes triggered criticism from Americans who relied on them.For a time, Trump continued to insist that his relationship with Musk remained strong.Then, in June, the tensions exploded into a public war."Time to drop the really big bomb," Musk wrote on X at the height of the feud, alleging that Trump appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files. Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, threatening to cancel his government contracts and accusing him of opposing his "One Big Beautiful Bill" because it removed incentives for electric vehicles.Musk called the legislation a "disgusting abomination" and warned that it would increase US debt."Without me, Trump would have lost the election," Musk wrote after spending nearly $300 million supporting Trump's 2024 campaign. "Such ingratitude."THE QUIET PUSH TO MAKE PEACEWhile the dispute played out publicly, Trump's advisers were already trying to prevent the relationship from deteriorating further. According to the Journal, Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles contacted Musk just one day after the public confrontation. The effort was aimed at lowering tensions and reopening communication.The conversation reportedly went well.Musk then called Trump early the following week. Their discussion was also described as positive, after which Musk posted that he regretted some of the comments he had made during the dispute and admitted that he had gone too far.But the relationship was not immediately restored. By September, Trump was still telling a senior White House official that he was not ready to bring Musk back into his inner circle.Vance nevertheless continued working to keep communication open between Musk and the administration. Musk's decision to abandon plans for a new political party later that summer was viewed by some Trump advisers as another sign that he wanted to preserve ties with the administration. For Trump's team, there were also practical reasons not to permanently sever relations with Musk.SPACEX MADE A BREAK TOO COSTLYMusk's companies have deep links to the US government, particularly through SpaceX's role in national security and NASA missions. During the height of his feud with Trump, Musk threatened to withdraw support for missions to the International Space Station, alarming officials at NASA.A review of SpaceX's federal contracts launched after the dispute found that many were considered critical to the Defence Department and NASA. That dependence has only grown since then, making a complete rupture between Musk and the administration more complicated than their social-media battle suggested.Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, also remained on friendly terms with Musk. Around the time of the breakup, his venture-capital firm, 1789 Capital, invested in Musk's companies, including xAI, SpaceX and Neuralink.CHARLIE KIRK'S DEATH CHANGED THE DYNAMICAn unexpected factor in the reconciliation was conservative activist Charlie Kirk. According to the report, he had been trying to repair the relationship between Trump and Musk even as their feud became increasingly public.Kirk was later shot and killed in September.Trump and Musk attended a memorial service for Kirk at an Arizona football stadium, where they briefly spoke. Musk walked over to Trump's stadium box, and the president patted him on the elbow as he left.The encounter was brief, but it carried symbolic weight. Later aboard Air Force One, Trump discussed the interaction with others and asked what they thought of the exchange.That night, Musk posted a photograph of himself speaking with Trump at the memorial."For Charlie," he wrote.The encounter helped reopen a relationship that had been badly damaged only months earlier.A NEW ALLIANCE, BUT NOT THE OLD FRIENDSHIPTwo personnel changes also helped ease tensions.Musk had clashed with Trump aide Sergio Gor, who was involved in the administration's personnel vetting process. The dispute reportedly became so intense that Trump berated Gor after Musk blamed him for delays involving Doge initiatives.Trump later appointed Gor as US ambassador to India, moving him thousands of miles away from Washington.Another significant development came when Trump reversed course and reappointed Musk ally Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Musk reportedly welcomed the decision after Isaacman had initially lost the position amid the Trump-Musk dispute.By November, Musk was back at the White House for a dinner Trump hosted for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump has also resumed praising Musk publicly. After Musk became a trillionaire, Trump sent him a congratulatory message.Privately, however, the relationship is not what it once was.Trump has told aides that he and Musk will never again be as close as they were before the feud, according to people familiar with the matter. Still, the two now speak roughly once a month, discussing artificial intelligence, China and global affairs.USD 100 MILLION FOR THE MIDTERMSThe clearest sign that the reconciliation has moved beyond personal diplomacy is Musk's planned political spending. According to the Journal, Musk plans to contribute at least 100 million dollars to America PAC, the political organisation he created to support Trump-aligned candidates during the 2024 election.The group is expected to work with MAGA Inc., Trump's main super PAC, which already holds more than 400 million dollars.He is unlikely to play the same highly visible role he did during the 2024 campaign or his controversial stint at Doge.- EndsPublished By: Satyam SinghPublished On: Aug 15, 2026 01:50 IST