Tesla CEO Elon Musk had a rendezvous with former President Donald Trump on Sunday in Palm Beach, Florida, joined by a group of affluent Republican donors, as reported by the New York Times, drawing from insights provided by three individuals briefed on the gathering.
Trump is actively engaging with donors as he prepares for the upcoming general election campaign against President Joe Biden. The extent of Musk’s potential financial backing or endorsement of Trump and his 2024 campaign remains uncertain.
Requests for comment from Musk and a representative for Trump’s campaign went unanswered initially.
Observers noted the arrival of private jets belonging to both Trump and Musk at a Palm Beach airport on March 2, landing within a short span of each other. The jets’ arrival was first documented by “Elon Jet,” a service that tracks over 125 jets owned by politicians, celebrities, and business leaders using publicly accessible data.
In September 2023, Musk visited the White House to discuss advancements in artificial intelligence technology but did not have a meeting with Biden during that visit.
Musk, the proprietor of X and head of defense contractor SpaceX in addition to Tesla, refrained from endorsing Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns.
The relationship between the two has seen its share of contention. Musk resigned from then-President Trump’s advisory councils in June 2017, citing Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accords.
In 2022, Trump publicly labeled Musk a “bull—- artist,” alleging that the Tesla CEO claimed to have voted for Trump in private conversations. Musk promptly refuted the claim, asserting that the first time he voted for a Republican was in support of Mayra Flores in a Texas special election that year.
Musk has openly criticized both Trump and Biden. In a July 2022 tweet, Musk expressed that while he harbors no animosity towards Trump, it’s time for him to step away from the spotlight. He also urged Democrats to cease their attacks, suggesting that Trump’s only route to survival should not be through regaining the presidency.
During the same period, Trump accused Musk of seeking assistance at the White House for his various subsidized projects, including electric cars, autonomous vehicles, and space exploration endeavors.
Since Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, rebranded as X, he has become more vocal about his political views and has been seen alongside right-wing political figures globally.
In May 2022, Musk criticized the Biden administration for allegedly sidelining and neglecting Tesla despite its prominence in the electric vehicle sector.
Following Musk’s acquisition of Twitter with financial support from Saudi Arabia in November 2022, President Biden hinted at potential national security concerns regarding Musk’s collaborations with foreign entities.
Last year, Musk indicated a leaning towards supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who later suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump ahead of the New Hampshire primary in January.
During the DealBook Summit in November, Musk expressed his reluctance to support Biden while refraining from endorsing Trump. He also criticized Nikki Haley, a contender against Trump in the Republican primary, labeling her as a “pro-censorship” candidate.
On Tuesday, Musk utilized X to critique the Biden administration’s immigration policies and voiced support for Republican candidates such as Marty O’Donnell, a composer known for his work in popular video games, who is running for Congress in Nevada, and Jeremy Sylestine, a candidate for district attorney in Austin, Texas.
