Trump takes unexpected jab at Elon Musk after billionaire's White House exit: 'Hated me in my first term'

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA: Donald Trump made a bizarre comment about Elon Musk as he exited the White House after serving as a special government employee under the president’s second term.
While speaking to the graduating students at the University of Alabama on Thursday, April 29, the Republican leader bragged about how the businessman and his Silicon Valley pals are now “kissing my a**” after opposing him initially, as per The Daily Beast.

Donald Trump uses derogatory language while talking about Elon Musk
Donald Trump, addressing graduating students at the University of Alabama, boasted about Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his fellow Silicon Valley leaders.
He said, “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; they want to resist.”
Trump further asserted that “you have to break the system a little bit and follow your own instincts. But if your vision is right, nothing will hold you down, nothing. You have to have the right vision.”

But his speech went awkward when he said, “If you look at some of these internet people, I know so many of them. Elon is so terrific, but I know now all of them, you know, they all hated me in my first term, and now they’re kissing my a**.”
“You know, It’s true. All of them. It’s true,” the 78-year-old added.

Elon Musk initially opposed Donald Trump
Donald Trump and Elon Musk had not always been on good terms. In 2022, the Tesla CEO reportedly said that the Republican leader was not fit to run for the office because of his old age.
Trump fired back and wrote on Truth Social, “When Elon Musk came to the White House asking me for help on all of his many subsidized projects, whether it’s electric cars that don’t drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere, without which subsidies he’d be worthless and tell me how he was a big Trump fan and Republican, I could have said, ‘drop to your knees and beg,’ and he would have done it.”
But eventually, the duo came closer as Musk tremendously helped Trump win the 2024 presidential race against Kamala Harris and also joined the administration as the chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Elon Musk compares himself to Buddha
However, since his tenure has ended, Elon Musk reportedly compared himself to Buddha after being asked who would now lead the department.
The 53-year-old said, “Is Buddha needed for Buddhism? Was it not stronger after he passed away? DOGE is kind of a way of life we make converts all the time.”

Musk, however, added that he’s “willing to contribute on average one to two days a week, which, you know, probably means coming to DC every other week for three days type of thing. As indefinitely as long as the president wants me to do it.”