Elon Musk has sided with US President Donald Trump over Ukraine, agreeing on X that the country should “get a new leader”. The tech tycoon endorsed Trump’s criticism of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, writing: “I agree, time for Ukraine to get a new leader.”
Mixed reaction to Musk's post
The post drew a mixed reception. Some users agreed with Musk’s stance, while others accused the X owner of acting as Trump’s “cheerleader”.
“Do you have your own thought process or just will keep licking n repeating whatever Trump says,” asked one person. “Trumps cheerleader has responded,” said another.
Recent backing and past feud
This is not the first time in recent days Musk has backed Trump over Ukraine. Earlier this week the SpaceX boss wrote “Zelenskyy has gone too far” underneath a video commentary by Trump criticising the Ukrainian leader.
During a conversation with journalists, Trump had publicly criticised the Ukrainian leader, advocating a new leader who would be able to reach an agreement with Russia.
The comments come after the pair’s bitter war of words last year, which resulted in Musk being kicked out of Trump’s government. Musk, who headed up the short-lived Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), started getting on Trump’s nerves when he attacked the president’s federal budget. Trump responded in kind, and the feud reached its zenith in early June when Musk called for an impeachment.
Reconciliation and recent appearance
Despite the pair reconciling, their relationship has never reached the heights of their early 2025 bromance. This recent display of support may indicate the pair are ready to get back together.
Earlier this week Musk was at the centre of a roasting after showing up to receive an award from the US president looking like he hadn’t seen a barber in weeks. While Trump was handing out the National Medal of Science – which critics have dubbed little more than a vanity exercise for the President to stroke the egos of his billionaire allies – viewers were far more focused on Musk's scruffy appearance.
