President Donald Trump and tech tycoon Elon Musk seemed to reconcile after their public spat from months earlier, as they attended the funeral of 31 year old political activist, Charlie Kirk, in an Arizona sports stadium.
Trump was among the many speakers at Kirk’s memorial service, alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others.
During a break in the speeches, the camera captured Musk sitting next to the president as they shook hands. The news comes as Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika stunned mourners ‘I forgive my husband’s killer’.
While applauding, Trump tapped Musk on the knee and said, “All good,” according to Nicola Hickling, the founder of LipReader, who spoke to Irish Star US.
“Trump then leaned in and said, ‘I think we should stop this and say something now,'” Hickling said, reports the Mirror US.
“Donald turns to Dana and says, ‘Did you know about this,'” she continued.
This event marks the first joint public appearance for the pair since 30 May.
Musk, a vocal supporter and significant donor of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, led the Department of Government Efficiency where he reportedly cut jobs across departments to reduce federal waste.
However, since June, the pair have been involved in a series of social media posts with targeted hostility on X and Truth Social following Musk’s departure from Trump’s administration.
The duo had a falling out over the landmark Trump legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill, effectively ending their friendship. Musk also criticised the Trump administration’s handling of the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s case.
Kirk, a staunch Trump supporter, once stated that he “inspired millions” and was a “patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate.”
He was the founder of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organisation advocating for conservative politics in educational institutions. He was tragically shot during a public debate with students at Utah Valley University on 10 September.
The alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, was captured after an extensive manhunt that spanned over 30 hours. The 22 year old Robinson reportedly claimed he had “enough” of the “hatred” Kirk was disseminating.
The shocking murder of Kirk sparked outrage across both Republican and Democratic lines. In the wake of the killing, senior officials from the Trump administration have issued threats of retribution against anyone who “celebrates” Kirk’s death.
Numerous individuals have been dismissed or faced sanctions. Notably, late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel was indefinitely suspended following comments related to Kirk.
