Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump interacted with each other publicly for the first time since their feud, sharing a handshake and conversation during a memorial service for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Phoenix. 

The reconciliation fulfilled Kirk’s longtime wish for the two men to mend relations, something he had openly discussed prior to his passing.

Kirk’s wishes for Musk and Trump

As noted in a CNN report, Kirk had long positioned himself as an intermediary between Musk and Trump, maintaining close ties with both figures even at the height of their falling out. He highlighted this in a conversation with commentator Megyn Kelly in June. “I know both these guys … I am hopeful, optimistic, and will do everything I possibly can to try and bring this back together,” Kirk said. 

Kirk had also spoken highly of both men. On his podcast, he described Musk’s acquisition of Twitter as “the most important purchase since the Louisiana purchase.” He also praised Trump’s MAGA movement. 

Kirk reportedly texted Musk frequently, urging him to avoid rhetoric that could harm Trump’s agenda. Musk reportedly was receptive to Kirk’s feedback, despite his announcement that he would be launching a third political party in the United States. His prediction proved accurate when Musk and Trump were sighted side-by-side during his memorial service, where they spoke briefly and shook hands.

Signs of reconciliation

Kirk’s memorial became a symbolic turning point. Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of Kirk’s podcast, posted a photo of Musk and Trump together, noting Kirk’s hope that the two would reconcile “for Charlie.” Musk himself echoed the sentiment, sharing a similar photo with the words “For Charlie,” followed by the White House X account posting the same line later.

Musk has since engaged more positively with Trump on social media, while his America Party PAC shared images of Musk embracing Kirk’s widow, Erika. After her speech calling for forgiveness, Musk posted a passage from the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” 

Kirk had shared his wish for such an outcome in the past. “Knowing both of these men and knowing President Trump much better than Elon, but knowing both of these men, I can tell you I think that there’s going to be a peace treaty moment, a calming down, a moment where both sides come together and we know that we are stronger against the left than we are divided,” Kirk had stated over the summer.

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats, has urged communications regulator Ofcom to investigate Elon Musk over alleged breaches of the Online Safety Act on social media platform X. 

Davey claimed that X is hosting harmful content, including grooming and self-harm materials, and argued Musk should be held personally accountable for “crimes” he claimed are reportedly being committed under the billionaire’s leadership.

New UK law

The Online Safety Act, which came into effect earlier this year, requires tech platforms to remove illegal content and enforce age verification or face steep penalties, among other regulations. Davey claimed to the BBC that Musk had dismantled X’s child safety team, enabling disturbing content to spread. 

“He (Musk) is actually, I think, committing crimes,” Davey stated. “Ofcom should go after him. The laws are there. What his business is doing is against the law because it is disgusting.”

X has faced criticism in the UK and Europe over content moderation policies since Musk’s takeover. Musk, in turn, has accused regulators of suppressing free speech, calling Ofcom’s enforcement “heavy-handed” and the legislation “suppression of the people.”

Political clash

The dispute comes as the Liberal Democrats gather in Bournemouth for their annual party conference. Davey is reportedly planning to use his keynote speech to escalate his rhetoric against Musk. He has also pushed for a motion in Parliament to summon the CEO to face questions over remarks made at last weekend’s Unite the Kingdom rally in London.

At that event, organized by activist Tommy Robinson, Musk warned of “uncontrolled migration” and declared that “violence is coming.” These comments were later described by Davey as incitement. Musk responded by labeling the Lib Dem leader a “craven coward.” While some officials distanced themselves from Musk’s remarks, Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride highlighted that he did not believe the CEO had broken the law.

A Cybertruck parked at Stanford Shopping Center in California was recently hit with what might be the most try-hard piece of paper ever slipped under a wiper blade: a “fake citation” accusing the driver of supporting a “fascist car.” 

The note, shared on X by Tesla staff program manager Ryan Torres, quickly made the rounds on X, where it quickly gained attention as an example of how not to protest.

The world’s least intimidating ticket

According to the citation, the supposed “violation” was “driving a fascist car.” The remedial action? Take the bus, call an Uber, or ride a bike. The note also dubbed Elon Musk a “chainsaw-wielding Nazi billionaire.” Now, protests against Tesla and Elon Musk have become commonplace this year, but one cannot help but cringe and feel second-hand embarrassment at the idea of a person just driving around with a stack of fake anti-Tesla/Musk citations.

Torres pointed out the irony himself in his post on X. Tesla currently employs over 140,000 Americans, and SpaceX has put the U.S. firmly back at the top of space technology. As Torres put it, maybe the person behind the world’s least intimidating ticket should “read a book on innovation before vandalizing” other people’s property.

Peak performative clownery

Not to mention that the fake ticket’s logic collapses under its own weight. EVs like the Cybertruck are literally designed to reduce emissions, not “destroy the economy.” If anything, Tesla has bolstered the United States’ economy by fueling jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and clean energy. It’s not the first time a Tesla has been the target of vandalism or politically charged notes, but this one stands out for sheer cringe value. 

Torres summed it up neatly: “Peak clownery.” On that point, at least, the citation earns full marks. In a way, though, perhaps cringe fake tickets are not as bad as the literal firebombs that were being thrown at Tesla stores and cars earlier this year because some critics were gleefully misinformed about Elon Musk.