Trump aide says POTUS might forgive Musk, but don’t expect them to be ‘lovey-dovey’

WASHINGTON, DC: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, one of Donald Trump’s closest aides, weighed in on the president’s strained relationship with billionaire Elon Musk in a recent interview with NewsNation on Sunday, September 28.

The remarks come after the two were spotted sitting side by side at far-right activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial, exchanging smiles, a handshake, and even a light knee pat from Trump — subtle gestures that hinted at a possible thaw.

While Lutnick believes Trump may forgive Musk, he emphasized that the president is unlikely to forget the past fallout. Read on to find out what else Lutnick revealed about their complex dynamic. 

Will Trump and Elon Musk go back to being 'lovey-dovey'?

When asked whether President Trump might reconcile with Elon Musk, Howard Lutnick responded, “He's a very kind person, so he's going to forgive Elon. Will he forget? No, he doesn't forget.”

Lutnick went on to speak more broadly about Trump’s approach to friendship.

“I think Donald Trump is a really kind person. The media just don't see him, but I've been friends with President Trump for over 30 years… So he's going to be kind and he's going to be warm, as he is as a person, but do I think it's going to go back to being lovey-dovey? No,” he said.

“Elon had really earned Trump’s friendship and admiration,” he added. “I think Elon Musk had really earned the president's friendship and admiration. Then in his departure, he expressed a part of himself that was very negative, and I don't think the President's going to forget that negativity.”

Lutnick was also asked about Musk’s support for the H-1B visa program, which is commonly used by Indian tech professionals to work in the US. This comes as the Trump administration has moved to tighten the program by introducing a $100,000 fee and imposing stricter rules.

Defending the decision, Lutnick explained, “I think we should only give jobs, highly skilled jobs, to the most highly skilled people… The idea of having tech consultants and trainees who are inexpensive should be eliminated. I have a strong opinion. I think the president is right with me on those same topics.”

Trump speaks out about meeting Musk at Charlie Kirk's memorial

Donald Trump recently addressed his meeting with Elon Musk, marking the first time the two had been seen together since their feud began earlier this year.

Following their appearance at Charlie Kirk's memorial event, Trump briefly spoke to reporters and was asked whether Kirk had played a role in bringing them back together. Trump confirmed that he met Musk at the event, greeted him, and had a short conversation.

“We had a good relationship,” Trump said. “It was nice that he came over.” 

What happened between Trump and Musk?

The public fallout between Donald Trump and Elon Musk began in June after Trump signed a new budget law. Musk harshly criticized the legislation, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” claiming it would bankrupt the country.

In a strongly worded tweet, Musk wrote, “This massive outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it. It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion and burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt. Congress is making America bankrupt.”

Tensions escalated further when Musk made controversial comments about Trump’s alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting that officials held additional information linking Trump to Epstein’s files. Musk quickly deleted the post, but not before it sparked a media firestorm.

He even went so far as to call for Trump’s impeachment and hinted at launching his own political party to rival Trump.

Ironically, just months before their falling out, Trump and Musk had grown close, especially after Musk’s contributions were seen as instrumental in Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.