recounted his assassination attempt in vivid detail and promised the largest deportation in U.S. history during a high-profile return to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter 91裸聊视频� a conversation that was plagued by technical glitches.
91裸聊视频淚f I had not turned my head, I would not be talking to you right now 91裸聊视频� as much as I like you,91裸聊视频� Trump told X91裸聊视频檚 owner .
Musk, a former Trump critic, said the Republican nominee91裸聊视频檚 toughness, as demonstrated by his reaction to last month91裸聊视频檚 shooting, was critical for national security.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 some real tough characters out there,91裸聊视频� Musk said. 91裸聊视频淎nd if they don91裸聊视频檛 think the American president is tough, they will do what they want to do.91裸聊视频�
The rare public conversation between Trump and Musk, which spanned more than two hours Monday night and was overwhelmingly friendly, revealed little new about Trump91裸聊视频檚 plans for a second term. The former president spent much of the discussion focused on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration and his plans to cut government regulations.
Still, the online meeting underscored just how much the U.S. political landscape has changed less than four years after Trump was permanently banned by the social media platform91裸聊视频檚 former leadership for spreading disinformation that sparked the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress and undermined the very foundation of the American democracy.
Such disinformation under Musk91裸聊视频檚 leadership, although it was largely ignored during his conversation with Trump save for a passing Trump reference to a 91裸聊视频渞igged election.91裸聊视频�
The session was intended to serve as a way for the former president to reach potentially millions of voters directly. It was also an opportunity for X, a platform that relies heavily on politics, to redeem itself after some struggles.
It did not begin as planned.
With more than 878,000 users connected to the meeting more than 40 minutes after the scheduled start time, the interview had not yet begun. Many users received a message reading, 91裸聊视频淒etails not available.91裸聊视频�
Trump91裸聊视频檚 team posted that the 91裸聊视频渋nterview on X is being overwhelmed with listeners logging in.91裸聊视频� And once the meeting began, Musk apologized for the late start and blamed a 91裸聊视频渕assive attack91裸聊视频� that overwhelmed the company91裸聊视频檚 system. Trump91裸聊视频檚 voice sounded muffled at times.
Trump supporters were openly frustrated.
91裸聊视频淣ot available????? I planned my whole day around this,91裸聊视频� wrote conservative commentator Glenn Beck.
91裸聊视频淧lease let Elon know we can91裸聊视频檛 join,91裸聊视频� billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted.
Ahead of the event, Musk posted on the platform that X was conducting 91裸聊视频渟ome system scaling tests91裸聊视频� to handle what was anticipated to be a high volume of participants.
The rocky start was reminiscent of a May 2023 social media conversation between Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Republican governor was using the social media platform as a way to officially announce his presidential bid, marred by technical glitches, overloaded by the more than 400,000 people who tried to dial in.
Trump91裸聊视频檚 Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, noted that Trump mocked DeSantis at the time.
91裸聊视频淲ow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!91裸聊视频� Trump wrote in a message reposted by Harris91裸聊视频� campaign Monday.
Once the interview ended, Harris91裸聊视频� campaign responded with a statement saying, 91裸聊视频淭rump91裸聊视频檚 entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself 91裸聊视频� self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.91裸聊视频�
Monday91裸聊视频檚 meeting highlighted the evolving personal relationship between Trump and Musk, two of the world91裸聊视频檚 most powerful men, who have shifted from being bitter rivals to unlikely allies over the span of one election season.
Musk, who described himself as a 91裸聊视频渕oderate Democrat91裸聊视频� until recently, suggested in 2022 that Trump was too old to be president again. Still, Musk Trump two days after his assassination attempt last month.
During their talk, Trump welcomed the idea of Musk joining his next administration to help cut government waste. Musk volunteered to join a prospective 91裸聊视频済overnment efficiency commission.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檙e the greatest cutter,91裸聊视频� Trump told Musk. 91裸聊视频淚 need an Elon Musk 91裸聊视频� I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts. I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.91裸聊视频�
Even before his endorsement, the tech CEO had already been working privately to support a pro-Trump super PAC. The group, known as America PAC, is now under investigation by election officials for alleged misleading attempts to collect data from voters.
Meanwhile, Trump has softened his criticism of electric vehicles, citing Musk91裸聊视频檚 leadership of Tesla. And on Monday, at least, Trump returned to Musk91裸聊视频檚 social media platform in force. The former president made at least eight individual posts in the hours leading up to the Musk interview.
Long before he endorsed Trump, Musk turned increasingly toward the right in his posts and actions on the platform, also using X to try to sway political discourse around the world. He91裸聊视频檚 gotten in a over censorship, railed against what he calls the 91裸聊视频渨oke mind virus91裸聊视频� and that Democrats are secretly flying in migrants to vote in U.S. elections.
Musk has also reinstated previously banned accounts such as the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Trump, who was 91裸聊视频� then known as Twitter 91裸聊视频� two days after the Jan. 6 violence, with the company citing 91裸聊视频渢he risk of further incitement of violence.91裸聊视频� By November 2022, Musk had bought the company, and , although the former president refrained from tweeting until Monday, on his own Truth Social site, which he launched during the ban.
Trump91裸聊视频檚 audience on X is legions larger than on Truth Social, which earlier this year. Trump has just over 7.5 million followers on Truth Social, while his mostly dormant X account is followed by 88 million. Musk91裸聊视频檚 account, which hosted the interview, has more than 193 million followers.
In a reminder that the world was watching, the chat prompted a preemptive note of caution from Europe.
Thierry Breton, a French business executive and commissioner for internal market of the European Union, warned Musk of possible 91裸聊视频渁mplification of harmful content91裸聊视频� by broadcasting his interview with Trump. In a letter posted on X, Breton urged Musk to 91裸聊视频渆nsure X91裸聊视频檚 compliance91裸聊视频� with EU law, including the Digital Services Act, adopted in 2022 to address a number of issues including disinformation.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung urged the EU to 91裸聊视频渕ind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the U.S. Presidential election.91裸聊视频�
