After a fiery feud with the president over the summer, in which Epstein-related allegations flew far and fast, Donald Trump extended an olive branch to his prodigal son, Elon Musk.
The Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder attended an exclusive dinner on Monday honoring Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who is in D.C. on an official state visit this week.
The candlelit dinner featured top executives, including Apple’s Tim Cook and NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, in addition to soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and a slate of top Cabinet officials.
Following Musk’s exit as leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the world’s richest man began lobbing accusations that Trump was implicated in the government’s files on late sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein – igniting a fuse that would later lead to their relationship, at least temporarily, imploding.
The fallout brought months of the pair antagonizing each other on social media before Musk finally relented, admitting he had ‘gone too far’ with his posts about the president.
After spending his first five months of the year around Washington, D.C., Musk left the capital following his fight with the president. He had not been seen in the capital until Monday’s dinner, where he and Trump shared an unmistakably paternal moment.
When Trump entered the black-tie dinner alongside First Lady Melania Trump, he greeted Musk with a friendly tap on the belly, an unmistakably paternal moment indicating the strength of feeling between the pair.
‘The bros are back together,’ social media pundit Nick Sortor reacted to the video.
Upon entering the exclusive dinner at the White House on Monday evening, Trump immediately approached Musk and gave him a paternal tap on the belly
Musk returned to Washington on Monday to attend an exclusive dinner celebrating Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk interact during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 19, 2025
But the Trump and Musk reunion tour did not stop there.
The world’s richest man and the world’s most powerful man were pictured chatting and smiling during the US-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday.
Their warm make-up comes as Musk has also quietly abandoned his push to establish a third major political party in the US, according to a new report.
Following his high-profile fallout with the president over the summer, the world’s richest man announced he ‘formed’ the ‘America Party’ in July.
Musk described the political movement as an option other than the dominant ‘uniparty’ that Democrats and Republicans maintain.
However, that plan has been canned.
The Tesla CEO was not fully aware of how costly and difficult it would be to create a third party, four sources familiar with the matter recently revealed to the New York Times.
Understanding the nuance of such a Herculean task, Musk’s top political advisors were reportedly worried about the undertaking.
The former DOGE leader, who once shared a close relationship with Trump, left Washington this summer as persona non grata after he alleged the president was implicated in the Epstein files. Soon after, Musk announced that he had ‘formed’ the ‘America Party’
Elon Musk has reportedly canceled his plans to make a third US political party
Trump was not happy with Musk after the tech leader turned on him, and he often attacked Musk on social media over the summer. Since then, their relationship has seemed to stabilize
They were concerned about how standing up another political party would impact their own careers in a Trump-dominated Washington.
Jamie LaBranche, a candidate for US Senate in Louisiana, was reportedly rebuffed when he approached Musk’s team asking to run on the America Party ticket. ‘Elon Musk, we have work to do,’ the candidate wrote to the billionaire. ‘Please help me help the America Party.’
But LaBranche was soon turned down.
According to the Times, weeks after the candidate emailed the mercurial business leader, someone identifying themself as one of Musk’s lawyers later responded to LaBranche, saying there would be no America Party.
Still, Musk has not come out explicitly saying that the effort is finished.
Both MBS and Trump appeared to chat with Musk on Wednesday
The former DOGE leader is also expected to attend a reunion for the cost-cutting department this coming weekend in Austin, Texas, the New York Times reports.
Sources told the outlet that though Musk’s plans may change, the event is scheduled to occur at a luxury hotel that the SpaceX owner typically stays at.
The two-day event will include dinners and potentially tours of Musk’s SpaceX and Boring Company facilities, plans for the event reviewed by the Times indicate.
Musk’s return to politics is just beginning, sources familiar with his thinking told the Times.
The entrepreneur, who spent around $300 million to support Trump’s election, is considering donating to Republicans’ midterm campaigns next year, sources have shared.
