Trump and Musk Unite in Controversial X Interview Amid Technical Glitches
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump participated in a two-hour interview with Elon Musk on the social media platform X. The interview, held on Monday, faced a delayed start of over 40 minutes due to technical issues. Musk attributed these delays to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, though this claim remains unverified.
A Glitchy Start with Praise and Politics
Despite the challenging start, Trump turned the situation to his advantage by praising Musk for the high volume of viewers attempting to join the event. At its peak, the X platform displayed a counter showing up to 1.3 million listeners were tuned in. This incident was reminiscent of a similar technical mishap in May 2023, when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis experienced difficulties during his campaign announcement on the same platform. At that time, Trump had mocked DeSantis on his own social media platform, Truth Social, highlighting their differences in online engagement.
Prior to the event, Musk had posted about conducting system scaling tests to ensure the platform’s readiness for the conversation. However, no further details or evidence were provided regarding the alleged cyberattack.
Trump and Musk Exchange Compliments
Throughout the interview, both Trump and Musk engaged in mutual admiration. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and X, praised Trump for his bravery during a recent assassination attempt. In return, Trump lauded Musk for his decisive handling of employee matters, particularly in response to worker strikes. Trump referred to Musk as “the greatest cutter,” highlighting Musk’s ability to swiftly address labour disputes.
Musk, who endorsed Trump following the assassination attempt, has noticeably shifted his political stance to the right. This shift comes despite Trump’s opposition to state support for electric vehicle manufacturers, including Tesla. During the interview, Musk expressed his belief that Trump is the right leader to guide civilisation through a critical period.
Unchallenged Claims and Kamala Harris’ Campaign Surge
The interview allowed Trump to voice his opinions unfiltered, including several unverified claims. Musk did not challenge Trump on inaccuracies, such as his statements regarding criminal activities by immigrants and rising bacon prices. Research indicates that immigrants, including those in the US illegally, do not commit crimes at a higher rate than native-born Americans.
This interview occurred as Trump sought to regain attention amidst the growing momentum of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Since entering the race as a late replacement for President Joe Biden, Harris has energised the Democratic Party with dynamic rallies. A spokesperson for Harris’ campaign criticised Trump, arguing that his campaign prioritises the interests of wealthy individuals like Musk over those of the middle class.
Trump also targeted Harris during the interview, dismissing her as “third rate” and “incompetent,” but he also made a controversial comment by complimenting her appearance, comparing her to his wife, Melania. Additionally, Trump expressed frustration over Biden’s withdrawal from the Democratic ticket, inaccurately describing the switch as a “coup.”
Trump’s Return to X
Monday’s interview marked Trump’s return to X after a year-long absence. His account, @realDonaldTrump, was reinstated shortly after Musk took ownership of the platform. The account had been suspended due to concerns over incitement to violence during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Despite regularly posting on his own platform, Truth Social, Trump’s reach there is significantly smaller compared to X.
Musk, who has echoed Trump’s false claims about voter fraud and immigration policies, has also established a super PAC to support Trump’s campaign. This group is currently under investigation in Michigan for potential violations related to voter information gathering.