WASHINGTON — Aboard Air Force One late Sunday, President Trump downplayed speculation of a reconciliation with Elon Musk after the two spoke briefly during conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service.
“Elon came over and said hello. It’s nothing to do with that,” Trump told reporters during a 13-minute gaggle early in the flight back to Joint Base Andrews. “We had a little conversation. We had a very good relationship but it was nice that he came over.”
Trump turned quickly to praise for Kirk, calling the memorial “a great tribute to a great man.” He said Kirk will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and suggested the possibility of naming a space at the White House in his honor. He lauded Kirk’s widow, Erika, for her composure and for what he called her “good heart” and “very smart” approach, adding that she “has a shot at making it even more special.”
The president described the final song at the service as so striking that he wants to use it at campaign rallies. “Wasn’t that beautiful? That was the best rendition I’ve ever heard,” he said.
On domestic policy, Trump promised the National Guard would arrive in Memphis “very soon” to help curb violent crime, comparing the planned action to the federal intervention he said has made Washington “a very safe city.” “We’re not letting Washington go,” he said, claiming that crime in the capital has fallen sharply since the Guard was deployed there.
During the conversation, Trump also made a series of other remarks: He said waters near Venezuela are “empty,” which he argued shows drug trafficking routes have been disrupted; previewed a Monday announcement on autism that he called “a very important news conference,” while suggesting that vaccines should be administered in smaller doses over time; and criticized Democrats as standing for “chaos, confusion, anger.”
The president concluded the wide-ranging session with comments on foreign policy, expressing hope for a diplomatic path toward a two-state solution in the Middle East and saying his administration is “studying Gaza and dealing with Gaza very strongly.”
