The Subtle Slip Up That Told Us Everything We Need To Know About Trump & Elon's Bromance

After now-President Donald Trump was shot at during his Butler, Pennsylvania rally in July 2024, tech mogul Elon Musk seemingly realized that life was too short to not go after the person you love. He marked his admiration for "The Apprentice" alum by officially endorsing his presidential campaign. Then, over the next few months, the X CEO got even closer to Trump, who soon realized that the love Musk gave him was what was missing in his marriage to Melania Trump. Thus, their whirlwind bromance began, and the internet couldn't resist teasing that Musk was actually Trump's First Lady.

But as we've seen with Trump's complicated relationship with Vice President JD Vance, and given the fact that he even admitted he doesn't care about Vance, Trump may not be a bro's bro. Sure, Musk has been putting the necessary work into their relationship, but Trump may just be pretending to be chummy with the father of 12 because of his immense wealth. After all, if someone is really important to you, you probably wouldn't botch their name, right? Well, lo and behold, Trump referred to his alleged bestie as "Leon" at a Wisconsin rally in September 2024. "Leon's going to send up a rocket," Trump said, referencing Musk's plan to rescue two stranded astronauts. Earth to Musk, but your boy couldn't even be bothered to get your name right. 

Since President Donald Trump accidentally called Elon Musk "Leon," they've appeared together publicly several times. Still, signs suggest their bromance isn't genuine on Trump's end. In fact, Musk's overwhelming presence in Trump's life reportedly got on his nerves before he even took office. An insider source told Mediaite in December 2024, that "100% Trump is annoyed," by Musk. The source added, "There's a Chinese saying: 'Two tigers cannot live on one mountaintop,'" referring to how only one man can be in power. As far as Trump is concerned, he's the boss, which he reinforced during a Phoenix, Arizona speech that same month. Addressing claims that Musk was gunning for his job, Trump said (via NBC News), "No, he's not going to be president, that I can tell you," noting that his South African birth disqualified him.

Trump further made it clear that Musk is his subordinate in a February 2025 New York Post interview when he hinted that he thought of Musk as a kid. "He's sort of ... child-like ... He's a very good guy. Very smart guy. I always thought of him as a loner, a recluse [but] he's becoming very unreclusive. It's amazing," he told the outlet. Yikes. We hate to break it to Musk, but Trump may not be the best bromance partner. Not only did he mix up your name, but he thinks of you as a lonely kid who will never be his equal.