Benny Johnson, a conservative media figure, said that at Charlie Kirk’s memorial, Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump had a tense public meeting that ended on a note of unity. As reported by the New York Post, Johnson told listeners and viewers he heard Musk say to Trump,
“If we don’t hang together, we will surely hang separately, so let us unite,”
Musk added he was,
“proud to sit with my president tonight.”
Johnson said the comments were made during private moments backstage at the memorial held Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Those comments were first reported publicly by Johnson and picked up by several outlets.
The memorial came days after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah college event on Sept. 10, 2025. Charlie Kirk’s death led to a large outpouring from conservative figures and a memorial that drew major names from the right. Benny Johnson’s account framed the Musk–Trump interaction as a symbolic easing of a public rift between the two men, a point that generated attention because both have been influential in conservative circles.
Benny Johnson’s background and past controversies

Benny Johnson has built a career as a writer, podcaster, and content creator within conservative media. He has been employed by or appeared on outlets and networks linked to the right-leaning media world.
His career includes a widely reported 2014 firing from BuzzFeed after editors found multiple instances of unattributed material in his writing. Those past controversies are often cited when people weigh the reliability of his on-the-ground claims.
What did Benny Johnson specifically report at the memorial?
Johnson said he was backstage and that he saw or heard parts of the conversation involving Musk and Trump. He quoted Musk’s “hang together” line and the “proud to sit with my president tonight” remark.
Johnson posted a video and commentary afterwards about the encounter. Other reporters present described cordial moments between Trump and Musk onstage, but full transcripts or a complete recording of the backstage conversation have not been publicly released.
Why does his “just fixed” phrase matter?

The phrase “just fixed Trump and Elon” matters because it frames the meeting as more than a photo opportunity. Benny Johnson suggests that the disagreement between Trump and Musk over policy, criticism, and public messaging was publicly addressed and at least partially resolved in front of many people. As per Raw Story reports, Johnson said,
"This was a profound and beautiful example of what Charlie was constantly doing for our movement," he added. "He fused together the greatest schism that we've seen in the Trump administration. He just fixed Trump and Elon. We saw it live."
This moment drew attention from conservative media and political analysts because Trump and Musk had previously been openly critical of one another. Musk criticized some of Trump’s proposed legislation, and Trump responded sharply. Seeing the two appear reconciled shifts the narrative among their followers.
Limits to verification and next steps
Benny Johnson’s report rests largely on what he says he heard backstage. As of now, no publicly available, independently verified transcript exists that reproduces the full exchange he described.
News organizations continue to report from the memorial and from follow-up statements; additional recordings or confirmations could appear later. For now, Johnson’s account is one eyewitness version among several public reactions to the event.