As the U.S. hosts Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week, a brief yet significant event took place at the White House Dinner. When President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stepped into a hall with the royal guest, the former acknowledged Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who was also present for the occasion. A short clip of this incident has been making the rounds on social media, and netizens have responded with much agitation.
This is is one of the few instances where President Trump and Musk were spotted together since their infamous feud which which began in June this year. After a major fallout between the two due to a fiery exchange of posts on social media, Trump patting Musk at the White House event has become sensational news overnight.
US President Donald Trump pats Elon Musk at White House Dinner
On November 18, the White House hosted a special dinner to honor Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. At the event, several dignitaries were present, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, international footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, Speaker Mike Johnson. A clip from the event was posted by user @nicksortor on X on November 19.
🚨 WATCH: President Trump tapped Elon Musk on his way in to the White House dinner tonight
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 19, 2025
Elon’s reaction says it all.
The bros are back together 🇺🇸🔥 pic.twitter.com/BMVf2FMTUb
In the video, a hall crowded with prominent personalities welcomed the arrival of the Saudi de facto ruler, who was accompanied by US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. As soon as they stepped into the room, the video captures the President patting his torso. Musk responded to the gesture with a nod, followed by the thundering applause welcoming the royal guest.
This video garnered over 200k views on X at the time of writing, and it is justified. Since June 2025, Elon Musk and President Trump have been at odds on various issues, particularly the Big Beautiful Bill, which the Tesla CEO has been critical of.
At the White House dinner, Trump’s acknowledgement of Musk may indicate that the feud between them has thawed to a great extent. However, netizens are agitated and confused about the status of the relation between the two personalities.
Related: World’s Richest Man Elon Musk Gets Candid About the Vacation Homes He Owns
Netizens react to Elon Musk and President Trump’s interaction
Users on social media have been reacting to the latest video from the recent White House dinner, featuring the US President patting the Tesla chief executive. The outrage sparked online due to the contradictions that have emerged pertaining to Musk’s relation with Trump. Since June 2025, the SpaceX CEO had been in a tussle with President Trump via social media, notably X.
However, on their first encounter after the altercations online, they shook hands publicly at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on September 21. Their interaction at the White House dinner has seemingly complicated the scenario.
Few of the commenters defended the positive connection between Musk and Trump, implying that they are global leaders and act professionally in public.
That’s what happens when real builders link up—no scripts, no fakery, just respect. The future just walked into dinner together.
— Mel Gibson (@MelGibson1904) November 19, 2025
However, there were some users who shared their skepticism regarding the previous feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. A user went to the extent of mentioning Musk’s references to the Jeffrey Epstein files on his X posts in order to expose the US President for his reported association with the late financier.
I'm still curious if the feud between trump and elon was staged and then elon saying trump was in the files was a ploy to get the dems to release the files since the Dem judges were blocking them.
— Hookah (@ThisGuyHookah) November 19, 2025
There are indeed several questions that have emerged since the video went viral on social media. Nevertheless, the question that matters most in this context is whether the Tesla CEO has plans to return to politics soon.
Also Read: Elon Musk Acknowledges “90% Chance of Failing” Ahead of SpaceX Launch
