U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said President Trump will “forgive but not forget” Elon Musk’s negativity after the tech billionaire left the government.
President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk were once close allies before their relationship fractured in June 2025. Photo: Reuters
In an interview with NewsNation’s “Batya” program on September 27, Commerce Secretary Lutnick said Musk had once been Trump’s “closest friend” in the cabinet.
“Elon Musk really earned the President’s friendship and admiration, but when he left the administration, he revealed a very negative side. I don’t think the President will forget that,” Lutnick told host Batya Ungar-Sargon.
Billionaire Elon Musk and President Donald Trump were closely tied during the 2024 campaign, with Musk spending more than $290 million supporting Trump and Republican candidates, according to Federal Election Commission records.
This relationship helped Musk secure the top position at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — a controversial agency tasked with cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in federal agencies.
However, tensions between Musk and other cabinet members over his role at DOGE strained his relationship with the President. This past May, Musk resigned as DOGE Secretary, and just days later publicly opposed Trump’s tax-and-spending bill, calling it a “gigantic abomination” on X.
Since then, their relationship has sharply deteriorated. Musk even accused Trump’s name of appearing in the “Epstein files.”
Nevertheless, Lutnick believes the President will still maintain a “friendly” attitude toward Musk in the future.
“He will be friendly and polite, because the President is naturally very polite. But do I think he’ll forget? I don’t think so,” Lutnick added.
Lutnick, formerly the CEO of Wall Street investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, had close ties with the Tesla boss before becoming Commerce Secretary. He said he has known Trump — a fellow New York billionaire — for over 50 years and was once deeply “concerned” about the friendship between Trump and Elon Musk.
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