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.
The Elon/Trump Interview: Must-See Moments
All the key takeaways in under 5 minutes.
🧵 THREAD pic.twitter.com/xD6ziUWZGB
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 13, 2024
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.
The interview began with Elon Musk highlighting a massive DDoS attack that disrupted the live broadcast and delayed it well past its scheduled 8 PM broadcast.
Musk said this was a clear indication of the strong opposition to allowing President Trump’s voice to be heard. "This… pic.twitter.com/OxV60rj65p
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 13, 2024
After the technological problems were addressed, the two moved on to the assassination attempt on Trump in July.
From there, the conversation shifted to a more ominous topic—the ideal location for a sniper.
Musk found it particularly interesting how Thomas Crooks had chosen the most obvious spot for an assassination attempt and nobody saw it coming.
"If the goal is to assassinate, what's… pic.twitter.com/gyP4ilJbDs
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 13, 2024
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.
Musk praised Trump for his response to an assassination attempt, noting that instead of retreating, Trump continued to fight with a defiant spirit.
"Your actions after that assassination attempt were inspiring," Musk told Trump, who reflected on how that day deepened his belief… pic.twitter.com/rzbWOcKywa
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 13, 2024
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.
The discussion then turned to policy, with Trump criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris for her hypocrisy.
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 13, 2024
Trump accused Harris of stealing his "no tax on tips" idea while simultaneously supporting increased IRS surveillance on people's tips.
"These people are FAKE," Trump… pic.twitter.com/cpzEuwwpvE
Trump also warned that Harris may allow up to 60 million new immigrants into the country.
Musk then issued a dire warning about the future of America if the current border policies continue.
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 13, 2024
"I'm not sure we've got a country if open borders persist for another four years," Musk warned.
Trump stressed that if Kamala gets into office, it would lead to 50 to 60 million… pic.twitter.com/tO3AVwAMPP
On Joe Biden, Trump said he believed the President “might not even have an IQ at all.”
In the night's funniest moment, Trump quipped that Joe Biden’s IQ is so low, “he might not even have an IQ at all.”
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 13, 2024
“There's nothing on the board that goes this low.” pic.twitter.com/Q6HAKJ3t7o
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.
As the conversation continued, Musk proposed a bold plan to cut government spending, linking inflation directly to government overspending.
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 13, 2024
"Inflation comes from government overspending because the checks never bounce when it's written by the government," Musk explained.
He… pic.twitter.com/aUGd3ehSDK
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.
In contrast to the censorship regimes across the world, Musk told Trump, “I think it's obvious that you're a believer and an advocate of free speech.”
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 13, 2024
Why?
“Because during your first time as president, you were attacked relentlessly every day, often very unfairly with false… pic.twitter.com/iPQxlBTf2E
What’s your view on the interview? Feel free to listen and let us know in the comments below.
This viral conversation, which has amassed over 88 million views in just five hours, can be listened to on replay on Donald Trump’s 𝕏 page.https://t.co/ianfeDxVpY
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 13, 2024
