Elon Musk's Treatment At Trump Inauguration Hints He's Overstaying His Welcome

President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk seemed like peanut butter and jelly, especially after the former's 2024 campaign. Whether it was when they feasted on McDonald's with RFK Jr. aboard Trump's private jet, or the time they hit peak cringe in a weird singing video, the bond they formed proved to be one that was mutually beneficial — considering Musk spent millions to help President Trump come out on top. He later earned the lead position in the president's Department of Government Efficiency. However, since Trump won the presidency, it appears their relationship became more one-sided. If Trump's accidental indication that Musk is getting super annoying says anything about their relationship, it appears their bromance may be going down in flames quicker than some onlookers thought it would.

As expected, Musk was among those present in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025 with Trump and his crew to ring in the president's inauguration. While Musk sat proudly at the event, several X, formerly known as Twitter, users took notice of how certain attendees treated him during it.

In one clip posted on X, President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, apparently overlooked Musk as he went down the line of tech giants in attendance, including Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, and shook their hands. Though Musk looked like he was anticipating a handshake, he cordially nodded his head after Kushner passed him. Not exactly a warm welcome.

As if being ignored by President Donald Trump's son-in-law wasn't enough of an ego-bruiser for Elon Musk, he may also have felt wounded after he was given the cold shoulder by Donald's youngest son, Barron Trump, who looked unhappy about being positioned next to him in the crowd. In an Inauguration Day clip posted on X, Barron seemingly did everything in his power to avoid meeting Musk's gaze before caving, per another clip. The two eventually locked eyes and shook hands. Another video shared on X showed a displeased-looking Barron standing near Musk, and the latter enthusiastically played it up for the camera after Donald delivered some remarks regarding space exploration.

While Musk's attendance at the inauguration was one of the more tame acts he's performed to support Donald, other measures — like his rumored Florida move — show he could be growing a bit too obsessed with him. As a result, it seems Musk might have been on the outs of the guests attending the inauguration, regardless of the role he played helping the president reach that very moment.