U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to take a shot at tech entrepreneur Elon Musk while delivering a commencement speech at the University of Alabama on May 1. In offering advice to graduating students and musing about political topics, Trump made a pointed comment that seemed aimed at his former ally.
"All of them disliked me during my first term, and now they're kissing my a--," Trump replied, alluding to influential personalities in the tech industry. He then added, "Elon is just great, but I know so many of them. It's true." This was made as part of a larger conversation about shaking up established systems and believing in one's own instincts even when they are opposed.
Trump stressed the challenge of implementing change, observing, "Change is never easy, and the closer you get to success, the more ferociously those with a vested interest in the past will resist you. But if your vision is right, nothing will hold you down."
Trump and Musk's relationship has been characterized by both tension and reconciliation. Musk publicly declared in 2022 that Trump was "too old" to run again for president and called for him to "sail off into the sunset." Trump retaliated by calling out Musk for his dependency on government subsidies for his businesses, including space travel and electric cars. He even went so far as to say that Musk once expressed strong enthusiasm for him and would have "humbled [him]self to [his] knees and begged" for funding.
In spite of this public war, the two apparently made peace, with Musk visiting the White House frequently throughout Trump's term. Trump joked as late as 2024, "Elon won't go home. I can't get rid of him. Until I don't like him."
But Musk's time in Washington has also lately dwindled. People say he has gotten back to his companies, especially Tesla, which has been riddled by increasing challenges. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles explained that Musk is still in the know, even if less prominently.
“I’m talking to him on the phone, but it’s the same net effect,” Wiles told the New York Post. “He’s not out of it altogether. He’s just not physically present as much as he was.”
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