Elon Musk was seated far away from President Donald Trump during a White House dinner on Tuesday, following a public feud between the two men earlier this year
As President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for the Saudi Arabian leader whom MI6 deemed “very likely” to have orchestrated the murder of a Washington Post journalist, he appeared to give a cold shoulder to once-trusted ally Elon Musk.
Musk, the planet’s wealthiest individual and former DOGE chief, was spotted sitting miles away from the president during the East Room feast. Trump offered Musk merely a brief pat on the arm whilst making his entrance to the dinner, The Associated Press reported.
The uncomfortable seating setup on Tuesday came after a bitter and very public slanging match between Musk and Trump across social media and in press statements earlier this year – two figures who had once shared a tight bond following Musk’s donation of over a quarter of a billion pounds to Trump’s 2024 White House bid.
A clinical psychologist likened their public row and subsequent fallout to the telltale signs of a romantic split, complete with the anger, frustration and sense of betrayal typically seen when couples go through a messy divorce.
Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s effective leader, made his maiden trip to the White House since Saudi operatives murdered Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul back in 2018. Trump welcomed him to Washington on Tuesday.
The shocking assassination triggered worldwide outrage and appeared to push the Gulf nation towards international isolation. American intelligence concluded in 2021 that bin Salman had sanctioned the capture or killing of Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the Saudi regime, reports the Irish Star.
Whilst the crown prince has acknowledged responsibility, he maintains he never authorised the mission. When bin Salman touched down on the White House’s South Lawn for his meeting with Trump, he was welcomed with an extravagant display featuring ceremonial music, a U.S. Marine band and aerial demonstrations – mirroring the lavish reception Trump afforded Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faces International Criminal Court charges for alleged war crimes.
“You’re mentioning somebody that was extremely controversial,” Trump remarked about the slain journalist, before disputing U.S. intelligence findings regarding the Saudi crown prince’s role in the affair.
“A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about. Whether you like him, or didn’t like him, things happen. But [bin Salman] knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that.”
After Trump berated the journalist for her inquiry, branding her “fake news” and instructing her not to “embarrass our guest by asking him a question like that,” a composed bin Salman responded: “It’s painful and it’s a huge mistake, and we are doing our best that this doesn’t happen again.”
The crown prince announced that Saudi Arabia would boost its planned investments in the US to nearly $1 trillion, up from the $600 billion the Saudis had previously committed to during Trump’s May visit.
According to bin Salman, the kingdom is keen on securing US AI chips and has a “huge demand” for processing power.
Meanwhile, Trump indicated that he “can see” a deal being struck to export US nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, though he offered no timeline for such an arrangement.
However, that figure appears rather far-fetched, considering the subdued oil prices and bin Salman’s costly domestic “megaproject” spending. Trump, nevertheless, seemed absolutely delighted.
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