Elon Musk appeared to drop a provocative question during a lavish state dinner held in honor of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a professional lip-reader.
The tech mogul, who dramatically fell out with Donald Trump six months ago, has since returned to the president’s orbit – evidenced by his high-profile presence at Tuesday night’s Washington banquet.
High Stakes Dinner for Prince Mohammed bin Salman
The crown prince’s visit marks his first trip to the White House in seven years, following the international backlash over the 2018 assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted the prince with the kind of pomp usually reserved for America’s closest allies, including a lush dinner and even an Air Force flyover. Melania nodded to Saudi Arabia’s national color in a $3,350 emerald gown by Elie Saab.
The guest list read like a who’s who of global power: Cristiano Ronaldo, Donald Trump Jr., Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Speaker Mike Johnson, and Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Maria Bartiromo. Business titans including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Mary Barra from General Motors, Charles Schwab, and Palantir’s Alex Karp also attended, according to Business Insider.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson pictured in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall. Credit:Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc / Getty Images.
A Lip-Read Moment Caught on Camera
In video clips from the event, Musk allegedly turns to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, lifts his glass, and appears to ask: “What is your opinion, is he a terrorist?” The remark, decoded by lip-reader Nicola Hickling for the Daily Mail, reportedly left Bourla stunned.
Representatives for both Musk and Bourla have not yet commented on the exchange.
The Khashoggi Shadow Returns
Despite the grandeur, the specter of Khashoggi’s murder loomed large. The journalist, a fierce critic of the Saudi regime, was lured into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where he was killed and dismembered by a 15-man team. US intelligence has long assessed that the crown prince likely approved the operation, a charge he denies, BBC News reports.
Pressed by reporters about welcoming the prince so warmly, Trump downplayed the controversy, calling Khashoggi “extremely controversial” and insisting that Mohammed bin Salman “knew nothing about it.”
Tense Moments With Reporters
ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce confronted the crown prince directly, citing US intelligence and the fury of 9/11 families. Trump repeatedly interrupted her, accusing her of being “fake news” and later calling her “a terrible reporter” with a bad attitude. When she followed up with a question about the Epstein files, Trump threatened to pull ABC’s license.
The crown prince eventually responded, describing the murder as “painful” and asserting that Saudi Arabia has reformed its systems to prevent similar incidents.
Despite years of global outrage, Trump’s relationship with Saudi Arabia has only deepened. Beyond political ties, the Trump family continues to pursue major business ventures in the kingdom, including a massive luxury skyscraper planned for Jeddah.