Elon Musk says Trump ‘is not evil,’ tells Joe Rogan the media exaggerates his flaws

Elon Musk discussed his repaired ties with Donald Trump on Joe Rogan’s podcast, saying media portrayals of the president had gone too far
Elon Musk defended Donald Trump’s immigration stance during his chat with Joe Rogan (Screengrab/Fox News/YouTube)
Elon Musk defended Donald Trump’s immigration stance during his chat with Joe Rogan (Screengrab/Fox News/YouTube)


NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk joined Joe Rogan for a three-hour episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience', where he shared candid views on President Donald Trump. Musk called Trump “not perfect” but “not as evil” as portrayed by mainstream media, signaling a renewed understanding between the two after months of public tension.

Musk and Trump had clashed earlier this year over the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” but the Tesla and SpaceX CEO now says the narrative around Trump has been blown out of proportion.

Elon Musk says Donald Trump 'is not evil'

Tesla head Elon Musk
Elon Musk shared his views on Donald Trump in an episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience' (Getty Images)

In the episode released on October 31, Elon Musk addressed his strained relationship with Trump for the first time since their June dispute. “The Biden administration was not exactly my best friend—especially after I helped Trump get elected, which some people still think,” Musk told Rogan. “Donald Trump is like the devil, basically.”

He went on to clarify, “I think Trump, he’s not perfect, but he’s not evil. Trump is not evil. I’ve spent a lot of time with him. He’s a product of his time, but he’s not evil.” Musk added that media coverage of Trump has been “exuberant.”

Rogan agreed, saying he also didn’t believe Trump was evil. Musk quickly followed with his own critique of the press: “The media treats him like he’s super evil.” Rogan replied, “It’s pretty shocking.”

Elon Musk defends Donald Trump’s immigration policies

While discussing biological males competing in female sports, U.S. President Donald Trump talks about lifting weights while delivering remarks during a White House Faith Office luncheon in the State Dining Room at the White House on July 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Pastor Paula White-Cain, the head of the White House Faith Office, hosted the luncheon with members of the government, faith-based, and community organizations. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Donald Trump spoke about gender in sports during a White House luncheon in July 2025 (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Musk also came to Trump’s defense over his immigration approach, calling border enforcement a difficult but necessary task. He acknowledged mistakes by immigration authorities but said expecting flawless enforcement was unrealistic.

“You can’t expect perfection,” Musk said. “There will be cases where they’ve been overzealous in expelling illegals. But if you demand perfection, there will be no enforcement at all, because perfection is impossible.”

He argued that Trump’s border control helped maintain electoral integrity, saying, “If Trump had lost, there would never have been another real election, because Trump was actually enforcing the border."

Elon Musk and Donald Trump mend ties after feud

Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre on June 16, 2023 in Paris, France. Elon Musk is visiting Paris for the VivaTech show where he gives a conference in front of 4,000 technology enthusiasts.
Elon Musk attended the Viva Technology conference in Paris to discuss innovation and startups (Getty Images)

Elon Musk’s relationship with Donald Trump has swung from alliance to animosity and back again. Early in the year, Musk used his social media platforms to boost Trump’s influence, while Trump backed Musk’s proposal for a 'Department of Government Efficiency,' which later collapsed.

When the plan fell apart, tensions rose. Musk criticized Trump’s massive spending proposal, the “Big Beautiful Bill,” and by June their feud escalated when Musk accused Trump of blocking the release of the Epstein files. Trump fired back with personal insults and threats to cancel federal contracts with Musk’s companies, including SpaceX.

The two later reunited at a vigil for commentator Charlie Kirk and have since spoken favorably about each other. Though not as close as during the early MAGA 2.0 days, a new $2 billion White House contract suggests their alliance has been restored — at least for now.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Maria Bartiromo's future became a subject of speculation almost immediately after Fox News announced her departure on September 3
2 days ago
Kimmel said the FCC had threatened him, his show, and ABC over 'simple, traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings it would seem they don’t like'
2 days ago
Whoopi Goldberg invoked Barbara Walters’ original vision for the talk show, urging viewers to engage with guests despite political differences
2 days ago
Reflecting on the concerns he had a decade or more ago, Jimmy Kimmel said many of them now seem insignificant in hindsight
7 days ago
The timing of Maria Bartiromo's exit quickly prompted questions about a potential role in the Trump administration
Sep 3, 2026
Carlson questioned why no effort was already underway to remove Trump, saying anyone who tolerated such discussions would be 'by definition unfit'
Aug 30, 2026
Dolly Parton’s death drew tributes from Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, Trump, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton
Aug 29, 2026
Bill Maher avoided commenting on speculation about Trump and Natalie Harp’s relationship, reminding his audience of Laura Loomer's lawsuit
Aug 23, 2026
Bill Maher said America should return to 'stealing hard-working, talented immigrants from around the world and making them Americans'
Aug 15, 2026
Joe Rogan blasted the plan, calling the $100,000 monthly price tag 'crazy' and suggesting it was essentially a cash grab
Aug 14, 2026