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| Trump and Musk reunite at Kirk memorial service. |
GLENDALE, Ariz. – President Donald Trump and Elon Musk reunited publicly Sunday at a memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, shaking hands and talking briefly in their first seen-together meeting since a bitter political split three months ago .
The encounter offered a moment of possible reconciliation between the once-close allies. It happened just before Trump delivered a speech honoring Kirk, who was shot and killed on September 10 . Video of the interaction, showing Musk approaching Trump in a stadium box and the two shaking hands, was shared by the official White House account on X, the social media platform Musk owns .
Musk later posted a photo of the two men sitting together with the simple caption, “For Charlie” . The phrase echoed Kirk’s own recently expressed hope that the two powerful figures would mend their relationship .
The meeting at State Farm Stadium happened amid a massive gathering to remember Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA. Tens of thousands of people filled the stadium to capacity, with thousands more in overflow areas . The event drew top officials from the Trump administration, conservative media figures, and religious leaders .
Trump and Musk had been strong political partners during Trump's 2024 campaign and the early months of his second term. Musk donated more than $270 million to the campaign and took a leading role in the Department of Government Efficiency, a federal cost-cutting initiative . Their alliance broke down dramatically in June 2025 over Trump's major tax and spending bill, which Musk criticized on X as “utterly insane and destructive” .
The feud quickly became personal. Musk suggested Trump was named in documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein . Trump responded by suggesting he might consider deporting Musk and investigating his companies . In a summer interview, Trump said he had “no intention of speaking” to Musk and believed their relationship was over .
Sunday's memorial service, focused on themes of faith and forgiveness, created an unexpected setting for a political truce. According to a lip-reader's analysis cited by media, Trump greeted Musk by saying, “How are you doing?” and added, “So Elon, I've heard you wanted to chat. Let's try and work out how to get back on track” . The president reportedly concluded the brief chat by saying, “I've missed you” .
Kirk had acted as an informal mediator between the two men after their split . He said in a June interview, “I know both of these guys… I think that at some point they’re going to reconcile. They’re much stronger together” . A source told CNN that Kirk remained in touch with Musk, texting him to argue that his criticism of Trump's bill was harming the broader conservative agenda .
The emotional center of the memorial service was a speech by Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk. She described her deep heartbreak but publicly forgave her husband's killer, saying, “I forgive him because that is what Christ did” . Her message of forgiveness resonated with Musk, who later posted a line from the Lord's Prayer on X: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” .
Trump's speech that followed struck a different tone. While praising Kirk as a “martyr for American freedom,” he openly disagreed with his friend's forgiving approach to opponents . “He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them,” Trump said. “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent. And I don’t want the best for them” .
The memorial service highlighted Kirk's significant influence in conservative politics. Vice President JD Vance and other speakers credited Kirk with helping to build the movement that led to Trump's electoral victory . Trump announced his plan to award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom .
The brief meeting between Trump and Musk does not confirm a full political reconciliation. However, it marks a major shift from the public attacks they exchanged just months ago. The event, dedicated to Kirk's legacy, may have opened a door that both men had recently claimed was closed for good .