Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Interview on X Delayed by Technical Issues, Sparks Controversy
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump participated in a two-hour interview with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Monday, broadcast on Musk’s social media platform, X. The event faced a delay of over 40 minutes due to technical issues, which Musk attributed to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. This claim, however, could not be independently verified.
Despite the delay, the interview drew significant viewership, with up to 1.3 million people tuning in at various points during the conversation. Trump seized the opportunity to highlight the high interest, congratulating Musk on the large audience.
The technical problems recalled a similar issue from May 2023 when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced glitches during his campaign announcement on X. At that time, Trump had mocked DeSantis on his own platform, Truth Social, saying, “My Red Button is bigger, better, stronger, and is working (TRUTH!) Yours does not.”
Ahead of the interview, Musk had announced plans for system scaling tests to ensure a smooth conversation, but X did not provide details or evidence regarding the alleged cyberattack.
During the interview, Musk praised Trump for his bravery following an assassination attempt last month, while Trump commended Musk for his decisive management style, particularly his willingness to dismiss workers demanding better conditions.
Musk, who endorsed Trump shortly after the assassination attempt despite Trump’s previous opposition to electric vehicle support, expressed his belief that Trump represents the right path for the future. “I think we’re at a fork in the road of destiny, of civilization, and I think we need to take the right path, and I think you’re the right path,” Musk said.
The interview allowed Trump to voice his usual grievances, personal attacks, and exaggerated claims without challenge from Musk, who did not address Trump’s inaccuracies, such as the assertion that foreign criminals are crossing the U.S. southern border or that bacon prices had dramatically increased.
The conversation marks Trump’s latest effort to shift focus from Vice President Kamala Harris, who has gained momentum with high-energy rallies since replacing President Biden as the Democratic candidate. Harris’ campaign has been buoyed by a series of impactful events, including an upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
In response to the interview, Harris campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello criticized Trump, stating, “Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.”
Throughout the interview, Trump disparaged Harris with terms like “third-rate” and “incompetent,” but also complimented her appearance, comparing her to Melania Trump. Trump expressed frustration over Harris replacing Biden on the ticket, falsely labeling it a “coup.”
Trump, who had been leading in battleground state polls, is now trailing Harris in some of these critical areas. A vocal critic of electric vehicles, Trump has recently praised Tesla’s cars following Musk’s endorsement.
The interview also saw Trump return to X, formerly known as Twitter, for the first time in a year. His account, @realDonaldTrump, had been reinstated following Musk’s acquisition of the platform after being suspended due to concerns over incitement of violence related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Musk, who has supported Trump’s campaign and echoed his claims about voter fraud, has also established an external super PAC for Trump’s campaign, which is currently under investigation in Michigan for potential violations of state laws regarding voter information collection.
Source: Reuters
