Elon Musk and Donald Trump may now share a political alliance, but their relationship had a rocky start, according to a Politico report that detailed their tense first meeting at the White House in 2020.
Trump had arranged the meeting after learning of Musk’s plans to establish a Tesla factory in Mexico instead of Texas. According to Politico, a person who overheard Musk at the White House said the billionaire privately called Trump “a f—ing moron” before their discussion.
During the meeting, Musk reportedly compared the White House to palaces he had visited in China. “We walk into the Oval, and he kind of looks around, and he’s looking around,” the source told Politico. “He’s like, ‘Gosh, I tell you. I mean, I was just in China and man, their palaces just make the White House kind of look more like an outhouse.’”
Trump was said to have quietly fumed at the remark while then-National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow and four other staffers stood by in silence. The meeting also revealed Trump’s unfamiliarity with Tesla’s supercharging network, prompting Musk and a colleague to explain its function.
Despite their differences, Musk and Trump reportedly agreed that Covid-19, which had not yet escalated into a global health crisis, was “basically the flu and people are freaking out for no reason,” Politico reported.
Musk had previously served on three advisory councils under the Trump administration in 2017, including the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative and the Strategic and Policy Forum. However, he resigned when Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Accords. “Am departing presidential councils,” Musk had announced on X. “Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.”
Tensions resurfaced in 2022 when Trump criticized Musk during a campaign event, prompting the Tesla CEO to respond, “It’s time for Trump to hang up his hat and sail into the sunset.” A day later, Trump fired back on Truth Social, claiming Musk had once sought his help with government subsidies. “When Elon Musk came to the White House asking me for help on all of his many subsidized projects… I could have said, ‘drop to your knees and beg,’ and he would have done it,” Trump had written, sharing a photo of them together in the Oval Office.
Despite past clashes, Musk’s substantial donations to the GOP in the 2024 election helped repair their relationship. However, their dynamic remains unpredictable. According to journalist Michael Wolff’s book on Trump’s 2024 campaign, Trump was baffled by Musk’s behavior at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Musk energetically bounced around onstage, at times baring his stomach. “What the f**k is wrong with this guy? And why doesn’t his shirt fit?” Trump reportedly said.
Upon his return to the White House, Trump tasked Musk with leading efforts to cut government spending through the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, marking another chapter in their complicated relationship.
