X-RIVALS
Donald Trump & Elon Musk’s unlikely bromance forged after years of insults & Tesla CEO’s endorsement of Ron DeSantis
A look at Trump and Musk's surprising relationship reveals a petty feud put to rest ahead of their upcoming interview
ELON Musk made it official with Donald Trump last month when he endorsed the Republican nominee for president - but their unlikely bromance comes after years of antagonism.
Trump and Musk's newfound alliance initially surprised the world after the duo's public feud led the tech mogul to call for Trump to step down from politics just two years ago.
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Now, the two have seemingly worked it out as Musk is set to interview the former president on X on Monday.
The SpaceX founder endorsed Trump for the upcoming election after an attempted assassination at his Pennsylvania rally on July 13.
Gunman Thomas Crooks shot at the nominee as he was speaking on stage.
Crooks' bullet grazed Trump's ear, killed a rally attendee, and left two others seriously wounded before the would-be assassin was killed by Secret Service snipers.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk on X after the shooting.
Trump spoke highly about Musk at a press conference last Thursday.
"I respect Elon a lot. He respects me," he said.
"Elon, more than almost anybody I know… he loves this country.
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"He loves the concept of this country, but like me, he says this country is in big trouble, it’s in tremendous danger."
'BULLS**T ARTIST'
The two's praise of each other comes in stark contrast to Musk's previous comment after the former president accused Musk of lying about who he voted for in the 2020 presidential election.
Elon Musk shoots down claim he's giving $45m a month to Donald Trump after Republican vowed to 'make life good' for him
"I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset," Musk in July 2022.
The tweet was a response to a video of Trump ripping Musk as a liar and "bulls**t artist" during a rally in Anchorage, Alaska.
"Elon is not going to buy Twitter," Trump said at the time.
"You know, he said the other day, 'I've never voted for a Republican.'
What to know about the interview
Elon Musk is set to interview Donald Trump in a live stream on X on Monday, August 12.
Trump first teased the interview in a post on Truth Social.
"ON MONDAY NIGHT I’LL BE DOING A MAJOR INTERVIEW WITH ELON MUSK — Details to follow!" Trump wrote last Tuesday.
Musk confirmed Sunday that the interview would air live on X at 8 pm ET.
"This is unscripted with no limits on subject matter, so should be highly entertaining!" he said.
The Tesla CEO then asked X users to post questions and comments for the former president to address in the chat.
The interview will be hosted on Trump's account, @realDonaldTrump.
Viewers can go to Trump's account at 8 pm to tune in to the live conversation.
"I said, 'I didn't know that - you told me you voted for me.
"So he's another bulls**t artist, but he's not going to be buying it."
However, Musk did buy X months later.
BLUE TO RED
The CEO then went on to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump's rival, for the 2024 presidency.
I’m for electric cars. I have to be, because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice.
Donald Trump
“My preference for the 2024 presidency is someone sensible and centrist," he on X in 2022.
"I had hoped that would [be] the case for the Biden administration, but have been disappointed so far,” Musk said at the time.
The endorsement was a change for the entrepreneur, who had previously said that he voted almost exclusively for Democrat candidates since becoming a US citizen in 2002.
Musk's pivot to the Republican party might be due to his relationship with President Joe Biden, which started going downhill when the president didn't invite the Tesla owner to the 2021 White House electric vehicle summit.
Trump's main policy points
DONALD Trump closed the Republican National Convention on July 18, telling supporters he wanted to become president for "all Americans.
- Implementing tax cuts, including no tax on tips
- Protecting Social Security and Medicare - Trump said 'incomes will skyrocket and the middle class will prosper like never before'
- Protecting borders - He pledged to end the 'border nightmare.' That means two things on day one - 'Drill baby Drill,' as he said, and close the borders
- Finishing building the wall
- Keeping our 'sons and daughters safe'
- Replenishing the military and building a military 'dome' - Trump insisted he could stop wars with just a phone call and said no military would be able to penetrate the USA if he came into office
- Ending the war in Ukraine and imposing tariffs on Iran
- Vowing to "beat" China
- Working to decrease prices and ease inflation
- Bringing down the cost of energy
- Making cities 'safe, clean and beautiful' again
- Making it possible for Americans to buy gas-run cars by ending the electric vehicle mandate on the first day of his presidency
Since then, Musk has criticized Biden relentlessly on X.
He was similarly disinterested in Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden's replacement in the upcoming election, calling her a "communist" on the platform.
While Musk hasn't mentioned any plans to interview Harris, his upcoming interview with Trump comes after an online campaign event on X faced technical difficulties last year.
DESANTIS' GLITCH
DeSantis launched his presidential campaign in a live stream on X last May, but the event suffered from technical difficulties and video glitches.
Elon Musk Twitter buy timeline
Elon Musk bought the social media app citing altruistic reasonings for his aquisition.
April 2022: Negotiations for Musk to purchase Twitter began.
October 27, 2022: Musk finalized his purchase of X and began his rebranding efforts.
November 1, 2022: Twitter boars is dissolved, making Musk the "sole director" of the site.
July 23, 2023: Musk announces icon rebranding and X users point out the switch. "And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds," .
July 24, 2023: the reason for the rebranding. "The Twitter name made sense when it was just 140 character messages going back and forth – like birds tweeting – but now you can post almost anything, including several hours of video," he said.
The announcement, where DeSantis was joined by Musk and moderator David Sacks, had malfunctions for over 20 minutes before the governor gave his speech and held a Q&A session.
DeSantis dropped out of the race in 2021 and endorsed Trump for the presidency.
TRUMP AND EVS
Musk and Trump's relationship started to take a turn in March when the two met at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Trump, who has previously been against policies supporting electric vehicles, has changed his tune about EVs due to Musk's support.
“I’m for electric cars," he said at a rally earlier this month.
"I have to be, because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice."
RETURN TO X
Trump was previously suspended from X, known as Twitter at the time, following the insurrection at the Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021.
However, Musk restored Trump's official account on the platform a month after he bought the platform.
Trump frequently posts on his Truth Social social media platform and has only posted once on X since regaining access.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Trump and Musk's interview is set to appear on X on Monday at 8 pm Eastern.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Trump and Musk for comment.
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Donald Trump and Elon Musk's complicated relationship
Former president Donald Trump and Telsla CEO Elon Musk's relationship started rocky, but the pair have since reconciled, with Musk fully endorsing Trump and interviewing him on X Spaces on August 12.
In 2022, Elon Musk and Donald Trump publically feuded on X, then still known as Twitter.
Trump called Musk a liar and "bulls**t artist" during a rally in Alaska.
"Elon is not going to buy Twitter," Trump said at the time.
"You know, he said the other day, 'I've never voted for a Republican.' I said, 'I didn't know that - you told me you voted for me. So he's another bulls**t artist, but he's not going to be buying it."
In response to Trump's critiques, the SpaceX founder clapped back.
"I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset," Musk posted.
Musk also went on to buy X months later.
The X owner said he had previously voted mostly for Democrats since becoming a United States citizen in 2002.
However, when the 2024 election rolled around, he endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump's rival.
"My preference for the 2024 presidency is someone sensible and centrist," Musk wrote on X in 2022.
"I had hoped that would [be] the case for the Biden administration, but have been disappointed so far."
His shift in political parties might be attributed to his plummeting relationship with President Joe Biden who didn't invite Musk to the 2021 White House electric vehicle summit.
Despite their past issues, Trump and Musk's relationship took a turn in March after they met at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump was also previously against electric vehicles but has since changed his stance.
"I’m for electric cars," he said at a rally earlier this month.
"I have to be, because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice."
Following the assassination attempt at Trump's rally in July, Musk announced his support for the former president.
"I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," Musk wrote on X after the shooting.
During a recent press conference, Trump spoke highly of Musk.
"I respect Elon a lot. He respects me," he said.
"Elon, more than almost anybody I know, he loves this country. He loves the concept of this country, but like me, he says this country is in big trouble, it’s in tremendous danger."
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