Elon Musk and President Donald Trump were seen warmly greeting each other at the Charlie Kirk memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, marking their first public meeting since their highly publicized fallout earlier this summer.
Why It Matters
The potential reconciliation between Trump and Musk represents a significant political development, given their relationship deteriorated dramatically over disagreements about the president’s “Big Beautiful Bill” spending legislation this summer.
The White House brushed off Musk’s attacks on Trump as an “unfortunate episode.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Newsweek in June that the Tesla CEO was speaking out because he was “unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted.”
Their public reunion at such a high-profile memorial service signals a potential thaw in relations between two of the most influential figures in conservative politics, which could have implications for both the Republican Party, MAGA movement and the broader tech industry’s relationship with the Trump administration.
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
What To Know
Musk posted on his X platform that he was “honored to be here” among the tens of thousands of mourners gathered to remember the ultra-conservative activist who was assassinated earlier this month.
Kirk, 31, co-founder of Turning Point USA and a close ally of the Trump administration, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, earlier this month. The memorial service drew thousands of supporters to State Farm Stadium, with attendees holding signs and chanting “USA.” Vice President JD Vance accompanied Kirk’s body on Air Force Two when it was transported to Arizona, where Kirk lived with his wife Erika and two children.
The service featured speeches from elected officials, faith leaders, as well as Kirk’s colleagues. Former Kirk Chief of Staff Mikey McCoy quoted philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, telling the crowd: “The tyrant dies and his rule is over. The martyr dies, and his rule has just begun.”
Musk has been vocal on social media about Kirk’s death, calling for jail time for those appearing to celebrate the killing and characterizing it in stark terms: “Charlie was murdered by the Dark for showing people the Light.”
associated press
What People Are Saying
Elon Musk on Charlie Kirk: “Charlie was someone who believed in dialogue and open debate. He was a man of ideas. He was a man of peace and now he has been murdered in cold blood. He was killed because his words made a difference. He was showing people the light, and he was killed by the dark.”
President Donald Trump on Chalie Kirk via White House press release: “Don said to me, ‘He’s sort of like a son to you…’ He started this really during what would normally be college… and it’s become a movement… I’ve never seen young people, or any group, go to one person like they did to Charlie.”
Trump described the moment he learned of Kirk’s murder: “They said, ‘Charlie Kirk is dead.’ I didn’t know what they meant. I said, ‘What do you mean, dead?’ ‘Charlie Kirk was shot…’ I just told these people, ‘Get out. Just go.”
Update 9/21/25, 5:56 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
