If you were wondering whether Elon Musk is still in Donald Trump's good graces, the president's son just answered that question with a resounding yes. Speaking at the Doha Forum on Sunday, Donald Trump Jr. delivered what amounts to a full-throated endorsement of the Tesla Inc. (TSLA) CEO, calling him a genius and confirming he's "100%" back in Trump's circle.

Changing Science, Technology, and Free Speech

Trump Jr. had particularly glowing things to say about Musk's work with Twitter, now known as X. "I mean, he really allowed the democratization of truth and freedom and free speech to occur," Trump Jr. said during his appearance. That's high praise coming from someone whose family has had a complicated relationship with social media platforms over the years.

But the compliments didn't stop there. Trump Jr. went on to describe Musk's broader work across Tesla, SpaceX, and his other ventures as representing "a generational level of genius." He added that his father "understands and respects that" and noted that Musk was "changing the face of science and technology" with his various projects.

Patching Things Up After Policy Friction

The warm words come at an interesting time. President Trump himself recently said he liked Musk "a lot" during a White House press briefing, acknowledging Musk's support during the presidential campaign that returned Trump to office for a second term.

This represents something of a thaw in relations. Tensions had reportedly been running high between Musk and the administration following several policy decisions that hit Tesla's business directly. The most notable was the ending of the federal EV credit, along with the proposed rescinding of the 2009 Endangerment Finding, both moves that don't exactly help electric vehicle sales.

Still, not everything is smooth sailing. Trump recently rolled back Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, relaxing fuel efficiency requirements amid affordability concerns in the automotive industry. Ford Motor Co. (F) CEO Jim Farley praised the move, while California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized it. The rollback could benefit traditional automakers more than it helps Tesla, which already builds efficient electric vehicles.

Price Action: TSLA declined 1.26% to $449.25 during pre-market trading, according to Benzinga Pro data.