Donald Trump’s interview with X CEO Elon Musk signaled a historic moment in political history; for the first time ever, a confirmed presidential candidate was interviewed on social media, providing access to all who had an account on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The interview has garnered over 1 billion views on X since going live, though there is double counting in those figures.
While not Trump’s first appearance on X under Musk’s ownership, having previously sat down with Tucker Carlson on the site a year prior, the two-hour conversation came simultaneously as Trump returned to posting on the platform since being permanently banned in the last days of the presidency.
To break down the interview, citizen journalist @VigilantFox shared the key takeaways from a historic night.
Although the interview was supposed to begin at 8pm EST, an alleged DDOS attack delayed the live broadcast. Musk attributed this to “a lot of opposition” to Trump’s opportunity to speak freely to the American people.
After the technological problems were addressed, the two moved on to the assassination attempt on Trump in July.
Musk described the former president’s response as “inspiring”, with Trump crediting the “immigration chart” which forced him to swivel his head at just the right moment.
When the discussion shifted to policy, Trump unleashed on Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump accused Harris of stealing the “no tax on tips” policy despite hiring tens of thousands of IRS agents to target workers who are regularly tipped.
Trump also warned that Harris may allow up to 60 million new immigrants into the country.
On Joe Biden, Trump said he believed the President “might not even have an IQ at all.”
The X CEO also proposed a number of policy ideas of his own, including the creation of a “government efficiency commission” to regulate government spending.
Amid Musk’s dispute with the European Union, the business magnate noted that Trump “didn’t try to shut down the media” despite “relentless” attacks on his administration.
What’s your view on the interview? Feel free to listen and let us know in the comments below.
