Trump Hosts Musk at Mar-a-Lago Dinner After Shock Maduro Raid, Photo Shows
Source: Newsweek
Published Jan 04, 2026 at 01:33 PM EST updated Jan 04, 2026 at 04:03 PM EST
A photo exclusively obtained by Newsweek on Sunday showed Elon Musk dining with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, seemingly around the time that Musk announced his Starlink satellite internet service would deploy in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro. Newsweek reached out to the White House by email on Sunday afternoon for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Trump and Musk kicked off the second Trump administration as fast friends who cooperated on a number of projects, most notably the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aimed to reduce spending and bloat at the federal level. This built on the already considerable partnership forged during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, in which Musk backed Trump and threw his considerable resources behind him.
However, things took a sharp turn just a few months into the administration as Musk and Trump had a very public and bitter falling out over a spending bill, which Musk called "disgusting" and very vocally opposed. Musk went on to claim that Trump was in the Jeffrey Epstein files while Trump suggested he would end government contracts with Musk in response.
What To Know
Trump and Musk appeared to go months without speaking after their falling out. Trump told reporters in June that he had no intention of speaking with the tech mogul as their feud continued, but in August acknowledged Musk "had a bad moment" and was ultimately "a good person."
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-hosts-musk-dinner-shock-maduro-raid-photo-shows-11305236
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