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By Peter Aitken
Politics Weekend Editor
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A photo exclusively obtained by Newsweek on Sunday showed Elon Musk dining with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, seemingly around the time that Musk announced his Starlink satellite internet service would deploy in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
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Newsweek reached out to the White House by email on Sunday afternoon for comment by email.
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Why It Matters
Trump and Musk kicked off the second Trump administration as fast friends who cooperated on a number of projects, most notably the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aimed to reduce spending and bloat at the federal level. This built on the already considerable partnership forged during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, in which Musk backed Trump and threw his considerable resources behind him.
However, things took a sharp turn just a few months into the administration as Musk and Trump had a very public and bitter falling out over a spending bill, which Musk called "disgusting" and very vocally opposed. Musk went on to claim that Trump was in the Jeffrey Epstein files while Trump suggested he would end government contracts with Musk in response.
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What To Know
Trump and Musk appeared to go months without speaking after their falling out. Trump told reporters in June that he had no intention of speaking with the tech mogul as their feud continued, but in August acknowledged Musk "had a bad moment" and was ultimately "a good person."
The pair were observed in September at Charlie Kirk's memorial service in Glendale, Arizona, engaged in conversation, with Musk posting a picture of the pair in conversation with the caption "For Charlie," indicating that tensions had eased.
However, no further developments occurred until this past weekend when Trump and Musk dined together at Mar-a-Lago Saturday night after the U.S. captured Maduro. Video posted to social media showed the pair arriving at the Mar-a-Lago dining room together as some people applauded.
Later that night at 11:37 p.m. ET, Starlink announced it would provide free broadband service to Venezuela through February 3, "ensuring continued connectivity" during the uncertainty facing the nation.
Musk, now sporting a United States flag as his profile picture on X, said this decision was made "in support of the people of Venezuela."
He also posted earlier in the day that it was "heartwarming to see so many Venezuelans celebrating their country freed from a brutal tyrant" and that "Venezuela can now have the prosperity it deserves."
Deposed Venezuelan leader Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived in New York City on Saturday evening to face criminal charges after being captured in a nighttime military operation that Trump said would allow the U.S. to “run” the South American country and tap its vast oil reserves for sale to other nations.
Maduro, wife, and son have been formally indicted in the Southern District of New York, including on charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said. Maduro had previously been indicted in March 2020 on "narco-terrorism" conspiracy charges in the same district, and in August 2025, the U.S. doubled its bounty to $50 million for information leading to his arrest. Maduro has denied any wrongdoing.
What People Are Saying
Elon Musk on Saturday wrote on X: "Congratulations, President Trump! This is a win for the world and a clear message to evil dictators everywhere."
Conservative commentator Eric Daugherty on X last week: "I'd like to give an absolutely MASSIVE thank you to Elon Musk for financially getting behind Republicans in the 2026 midterms. He has some disagreements with President Trump and especially the Congressional GOP. He is not satisfied with the level of government spending but knows progress has been made through DOGE. He understands what we are up against."
He added: "An existential threat to America and the West. But he also knows he can tip the scales against the destructive left. Get Out The Vote needs money. Fighting the Left's ballot harvesting and fraud needs money. This is what Team America looks like. Thank you, [Elon Musk]. Putting your money where your mouth is, even when it's difficult. Patriot."
The Department of Homeland Security on X, in part: "The investigation into Maduro has been ongoing for more than a decade, but President Trump made the bold brilliant action to go in and arrest him."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen if Starlink will provide service to Venezuelans beyond February 3.
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