Jimmy Kimmel mocks Elon Musk–Trump meeting: ‘Cold one minute, on fire the next’
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Jimmy Kimmel took a pointed swipe at Tesla CEO Elon Musk for attending a White House event on Tuesday, November 18, signaling what looked like a renewed rapport with President Donald Trump.
Musk had a very public falling-out with Trump in June 2025, posting on X that Trump was “in the Epstein files.” Months later, the billionaire appeared at Trump’s dinner for Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, prompting Kimmel to weigh in on his late-night show.
Jimmy Kimmel likens Elon Musk–Donald Trump bond to ‘Cybertruck'
During the Wednesday, November 19, episode of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live', Kimmel joked about the unpredictable Trump–Musk dynamic. “These guys, I don’t… Their relationship is like a Cybertruck. It’s cold one minute, on fire the next,” he said.
“I guess they made up. Musk publicly threatened to drop a big Epstein bomb on Trump, but now I guess they’re cool,” Kimmel added.
He also showed a clip of Musk waiting for Trump’s greeting, where the president gave him a brief pat on the stomach. “Trump gave him a little love when he came out. He was checking to see if Elon made himself pregnant, too,” Kimmel quipped.
Kimmel extended his critique to the overall event, calling it “a parade of the unpleasant,” held in honor of the Saudi crown prince. “The prince got a shoutout in that new batch of emails last week,” Kimmel said, referencing reporting from journalist Michael Wolff.
Wolff noted that when Epstein traveled to Saudi Arabia, he reportedly circumvented rules limiting unaccompanied women by dressing companions as flight attendants, “with a knowing wink from the prince,” Kimmel said. “So naturally, Trump had a big fancy dinner for him,” he added, pointing out that Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were among the attendees.
Jimmy Kimmel critiques White House dinner with Mohammed bin Salman
The dinner marked Musk's most public appearance in Washington since May, when he stepped down from Trump’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Nearly 140 guests attended the White House state dinner, which highlighted Saudi investments and a new nuclear energy partnership.
Musk was seen mingling with prominent figures including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Dell CEO Michael Dell, golfer Bryson DeChambeau, and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Elon Musk thanks Donald Trump after returning to Washington
After the event, Musk publicly thanked Trump on X, writing, “I would like to thank President Trump for all he has done for America and the world.”
He also joined Trump at a US–Saudi investment forum alongside Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, discussing artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
