Donald Trump accused of blatantly snubbing pal Elon Musk upon arriving at inauguration

Donald Trump left Elon Musk waiting as he entered the Capitol Rotunda, allegedly refusing to shake hands or even offer a nod to the Tesla CEO
UPDATED JAN 22, 2025
Donald Trump appeared to snub Elon Musk while greeting people upon arriving at his inauguration (Getty Images and @cspan/X)
Donald Trump appeared to snub Elon Musk while greeting people upon arriving at his inauguration (Getty Images and @cspan/X)

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump and Elon Musk's on-again, off-again bromance left everyone wondering whether there would be fireworks at the inauguration in Washington, DC. However, the 47th president coldly snubbed the Tesla CEO during the event.

Trump left Musk waiting when he made his big day entrance into the Capitol, refusing to shake hands or even nod, as per Nicki Swift.

In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Trump shook hands with his predecessor Joe Biden, followed by Vice President JD Vance but appeared to skip Musk who apparently moved out of sight behind the tall Barron Trump.



 

Donald Trump appears to brush off Elon Musk during inauguration

The 78-year-old took the stage for the second time in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center on Monday, January 20, surrounded by his favorites including his wife, Melania Trump, Elon Musk, and JD Vance.

In the viral clip, Trump entered the rotunda to the hype as his eager supporters applauded as he received the first pat from soon-to-be Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

Despite their contentious campaign, he turned to shake hands with Biden after heading up the aisle to come within a half-inch of kissing his wife, Melania.

Trump then shook hands with Vance before turning to face Musk—once referred to be the "First Lady" due to their closeness—who was now nearly out of sight, standing behind the tall Barron. 

LANDOVER, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 14: (L-R) U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), President-elect Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Vice President-elect JD Vance attend the 125th Army-Navy football game at Northwest Stadium on December 14, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. Trump is attending the game with lawmakers and Cabinet nominees including, Vice President-elect JD Vance, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and others. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Vice President JD Vance attend the 125th Army-Navy football game at Northwest Stadium on December 14, 2024 in Landover, Maryland (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Musk initially played it coy and avoided eye contact to see if Trump would acknowledge the Tesla CEO first, but then he realized that the MAGA spearhead was about to walk on without even a quick glance, which was a power move by the president that did not seem to be an accident.

According to the outlet, Trump immediately turned away from Musk, who looked at him while taking in the applause. The tech billionaire then grinned, pumped his fists, and shrugged, trying to salvage the very visible non-acknowledgment from the president he worked so hard for.

BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 05: Tesla CEO Elon Musk (R) endorses Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds on October 05, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. This is the first time that Trump has returned to Butler since he was injured during an attempted assassination on July 13th. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk endorses Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds on October 5, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Elon Musk excitedly jumped around at Donald Trump's inauguration parade

Thrilled by the moment, the Tesla CEO ran across and pumped his hands in the air as he spoke to a raucous crowd at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, on Monday during Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony.

Supporters of Trump flocked to the Capital One Arena, despite the bitter cold, to attend the parade.

The SpaceX CEO later uploaded a video on X of himself pumping his fist and bouncing around the stage with the caption, "The future is so exciting!!"



 

Musk became a surprising ally of Trump after reversing his political stance. He allegedly felt ignored by the Biden administration in 2020 and changed his political affiliation to support a candidate who would pay a little more attention to him.

Musk has been a frequent passenger on the Trump train ever since. He physically leaped with excitement beside the incoming president during his appearances at rallies.

Tesla, SpaceX and X CEO Elon Musk arrives to speak during an inauguration event at Capital One Arena on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Elon Musk arrives to speak during an inauguration event at Capital One Arena on January 20, 2025, in Washington, DC (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

However, there have been speculations that Trump is growing annoyed with the billionaire tech giant. The 78-year-old has even said, "Elon won't go home. I can't get rid of him—at least until I don't like him," according to Newsweek

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