Overview
- In a NewsNation interview, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the president will be cordial toward Musk yet will remember the negative tone of his departure from government ties.
- Federal Election Commission records show Musk contributed more than $290 million to support Trump and other Republicans during the 2024 campaign.
- Their alliance led Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency, a role that drew cabinet friction before he resigned in May.
- Days after stepping down, Musk condemned Trump’s tax-and-spending bill as a “massive abomination” on X and later alleged the president’s name appeared in the Epstein files.
- Trump and Musk were recently seen interacting at Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Arizona, as Lutnick also addressed questions about Musk’s relatively pro–H‑1B stance while the administration advances tighter rules with a $100,000 fee.