WASHINGTON (AP) — A pressing political inquiry has lingered for weeks: How long can President Donald Trump — who prefers not to share the limelight — maintain his spotlight alongside Elon Musk, a billionaire equally enamored with attention?
In a collaborative Fox News Channel interview that aired on Tuesday, both individuals expressed their mutual fondness and commitment to their arrangement, despite Trump alleging that the media was making attempts to “drive us apart.”
At certain points, Trump appeared relaxed as Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity lavished Musk with accolades, countering a Democratic narrative that paints him as a ruthless and unaccountable force bent on dismantling the government and disrupting civil society through significant cuts enforced by the Department of Government Efficiency.
There were instances where Trump and Musk were almost completing each other’s sentences, resembling a comedic duo rather than a president and his prominent aide.
Here’s a look at the evolution of their friendship, its implications for both, and why Trump’s past suggests it may not endure:
They weren’t always friends
Trump told Hannity that he wasn’t familiar with Musk until recently, remarking, “I knew him a little bit through the White House originally” but lacked prior acquaintance.
Musk hails from Pretoria, South Africa, and became a U.S. citizen in 2002. Currently, he is the world’s wealthiest individual, boasting a net worth exceeding $400 billion, as per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His extensive business interests include X, Tesla, SpaceX, and the satellite internet service provider Starlink.
Musk revealed that he voted for Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 and Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. More recently, Musk has claimed that Tesla has faced unwarranted regulatory scrutiny in California, prompting his decision to relocate to Austin, Texas, in 2021. His discontent with Biden grew, particularly as the then-president embraced union principles that often conflicted with Tesla.
Historically, Musk clashed with Trump over climate change issues. Their feud reached a peak in July 2022, with Trump referring to Musk as a “bulls—- artist.” Trump also insinuated that Musk sought federal subsidies for “electric cars that don’t drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere.”
“I could have said, ‘drop to your knees and beg,’ and he would have done it,” Trump had previously stated on his social media platform.
Musk initially supported Ron DeSantis during last year’s Republican primary, even assisting the Florida governor in launching his presidential campaign in a glitch-marred presentation on X. However, Musk met with Trump at his residence in Florida last March and offered his endorsement in July, following the first assassination attempt.
“I was going to do it anyway, but that was a precipitating event,” Musk remarked to Hannity.
Musk attended his first Trump rally in early October, with his super PAC spending around $200 million to support the Republican’s campaign. X also amplified messages — and frequently disinformation — promoted by Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement.
They spent election night together at the president’s Mar-a-Lago club. Just days after Trump secured his victory, he announced that Musk would lead DOGE, a new initiative aimed at reducing government size, alongside former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who exited the commission by Inauguration Day.
Their relationship is mutually beneficial
The camaraderie persisted on Wednesday when Trump attended a Saudi-backed investment meeting in Miami, where Musk was present. Trump asked the billionaire to stand, encouraging the audience to applaud him.
“He’s doing a great job,” Trump stated. He further noted that the ratings for Tuesday night’s interview were impressive, mentioning, “You coulda seen him last night. He’s a very committed person, a very serious person.”
“He’s a seriously high IQ individual,” Trump continued. “He’s got his faults also, I’ll tell you that. But not too many of them.”
Trump has empowered Musk to assist him in fulfilling a campaign promise to “shatter the deep state” by dismissing numerous federal employees, reducing or closing agencies, and downsizing the government.
“There’s a vast federal bureaucracy that is implacably opposed to the president,” Musk told Hannity. He added, “What we’re seeing here is the sort of the thrashing of the bureaucracy as we try to restore democracy and the will of the people.”
Tesla and SpaceX have profited from lucrative government contracts from the Defense Department, NASA, and various federal agencies, along with numerous tax incentives and subsidies throughout the years. The Trump administration could also alleviate considerable regulatory pressure on Musk, including dismissing crash investigations into Tesla’s semi-autonomous vehicles and a Justice Department inquiry scrutinizing whether Musk and Tesla have exaggerated their cars’ self-driving abilities.
Despite this, Musk asserted to Hannity, “I haven’t asked the president for anything, ever.” Trump stated that the billionaire “won’t be involved” in areas where governmental efforts intersect with business interests — though this claim appears questionable given that Musk’s team has already begun examining federal contracts in potentially conflict-of-interest territories.
Trump’s friendships often don’t last
While Trump and Musk profess that they won’t betray one another, it’s a known fact that those closest to Trump frequently become his most ardent critics.
His former vice president, Mike Pence, asserted that Trump endangered his family during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and attempted to coerce him into violating the Constitution. His former attorney general, Bill Barr, countered Trump’s false claims regarding widespread fraud in the 2020 election and has since stated that he “shouldn’t be anywhere near the Oval Office.”
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney who testified against him in a hush money case, declared to a House committee in 2019, “People that follow Mr. Trump, as I did blindly, are going to suffer the same consequences that I’m suffering.”
More recently, Trump casually dismissed possible security risks when he revoked Secret Service protection for former senior officials from his first administration, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former White House chief of staff John Kelly.
Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his discomfort with being overshadowed, even alluding to it regarding Musk. When asked about Musk gracing the cover of Time while positioned behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Trump humorously questioned, “Is Time Magazine still in business?”
Nonetheless, Trump has also shown steadfast loyalty to those whom he perceives as having supported him.
Former White House advisor Peter Navarro, who was imprisoned in connection to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, has resumed influencing Trump’s trade policy. Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, is back at the White House after previously being a co-defendant with Trump in the classified documents case. Trump has reportedly offered “about 10 jobs” to his former national security advisor, Mike Flynn, whom he pardoned after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
Four weeks in, they seem genuinely fond of each other
Throughout the interview, Hannity maintained a friendly demeanor, with questions that were largely admiring. However, the most apparent aspect was the mutual admiration expressed between Trump and Musk — even amid doubts about the longevity of their friendship.
“He’s an amazing person,” Trump commented about Musk.
“I love the president, I just want to be clear about that,” Musk expressed concerning Trump.
“I feel like I’m interviewing two brothers here,” Hannity finally remarked.
