Donald Trump said Monday that he is in contact with Elon Musk, stressing that the two have spoken “at times” since meeting at Charlie Kirk‘s funeral last month in Arizona, and that their relationship is now “good.”

Speaking to reporters on the presidential aircraft on his way to Japan, the president of the United States said he “always liked” Elon Musk, despite past tensions. “I’ve always liked Elon. He went through a difficult time, a bad time. But I like Elon, and I suspect I always will,” he said in response to a question from Politico.

The statements mark a new stage of normalization in the two men’s relationship after a summer of intense public confrontation. Trump and Musk had repeatedly traded personal attacks and political threats, as the billionaire businessman and owner of the X platform had left open the possibility of supporting candidates against Republicans, or even founding a new party called the “America Party.”

At the time, Trump had warned Musk that he would face “very serious consequences” if he went ahead with his plans, and had hinted that he could move against him through the Government Efficiency Office, which Musk had overseen in its early stages.

The recent rapprochement between the two is estimated to have significant political and economic ramifications ahead of the 2026 and 2028 elections, according to Politico.