WASHINGTON — President Trump referred to Elon Musk as “a friend of mine” Thursday — but added that his former “first buddy” got “strange” last week when they traded attacks.
Trump spoke about Musk, the world’s richest man and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, while signing legislation overriding California emissions rules that promote electric vehicles.
“I like Tesla,” Trump said during a riff on how would-be car buyers should have choices, moments before recounting his relationship with Musk.
Musk was “very honest” in his equivocal stance on EV mandates, said the president, who added that the former Department of Government Efficiency figure “got a little bit strange … over much smaller things than that,” the president said.
Musk lashed out at Trump after the president withdrew the nomination of Musk’s personal friend Jared Isaacman to lead NASA.
