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 香蕉视频直播� a conversation that was plagued by technical glitches.
香蕉视频直播淚f I had not turned my head, I would not be talking to you right now 香蕉视频直播� as much as I like you,香蕉视频直播� Trump told X香蕉视频直播檚 owner .
Musk, a former Trump critic, said the Republican nominee香蕉视频直播檚 toughness, as demonstrated by his reaction to last month香蕉视频直播檚 shooting, was critical for national security.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 some real tough characters out there,香蕉视频直播� Musk said. 香蕉视频直播淎nd if they don香蕉视频直播檛 think the American president is tough, they will do what they want to do.香蕉视频直播�
The rare public conversation between Trump and Musk, which spanned more than two hours Monday night and was overwhelmingly friendly, revealed little new about Trump香蕉视频直播檚 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 platform香蕉视频直播檚 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 Musk香蕉视频直播檚 leadership, although it was largely ignored during his conversation with Trump save for a passing Trump reference to a 香蕉视频直播渞igged election.香蕉视频直播�
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, 香蕉视频直播淒etails not available.香蕉视频直播�
Trump香蕉视频直播檚 team posted that the 香蕉视频直播渋nterview on X is being overwhelmed with listeners logging in.香蕉视频直播� And once the meeting began, Musk apologized for the late start and blamed a 香蕉视频直播渕assive attack香蕉视频直播� that overwhelmed the company香蕉视频直播檚 system. Trump香蕉视频直播檚 voice sounded muffled at times.
Trump supporters were openly frustrated.
香蕉视频直播淣ot available????? I planned my whole day around this,香蕉视频直播� wrote conservative commentator Glenn Beck.
香蕉视频直播淧lease let Elon know we can香蕉视频直播檛 join,香蕉视频直播� billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted.
Ahead of the event, Musk posted on the platform that X was conducting 香蕉视频直播渟ome system scaling tests香蕉视频直播� 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.
Trump香蕉视频直播檚 Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, noted that Trump mocked DeSantis at the time.
香蕉视频直播淲ow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!香蕉视频直播� Trump wrote in a message reposted by Harris香蕉视频直播� campaign Monday.
Once the interview ended, Harris香蕉视频直播� campaign responded with a statement saying, 香蕉视频直播淭rump香蕉视频直播檚 entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself 香蕉视频直播� self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.香蕉视频直播�
Monday香蕉视频直播檚 meeting highlighted the evolving personal relationship between Trump and Musk, two of the world香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渕oderate Democrat香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播済overnment efficiency commission.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淵ou香蕉视频直播檙e the greatest cutter,香蕉视频直播� Trump told Musk. 香蕉视频直播淚 need an Elon Musk 香蕉视频直播� 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.香蕉视频直播�
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 Musk香蕉视频直播檚 leadership of Tesla. And on Monday, at least, Trump returned to Musk香蕉视频直播檚 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. He香蕉视频直播檚 gotten in a over censorship, railed against what he calls the 香蕉视频直播渨oke mind virus香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播� then known as Twitter 香蕉视频直播� two days after the Jan. 6 violence, with the company citing 香蕉视频直播渢he risk of further incitement of violence.香蕉视频直播� 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.
Trump香蕉视频直播檚 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. Musk香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渁mplification of harmful content香蕉视频直播� by broadcasting his interview with Trump. In a letter posted on X, Breton urged Musk to 香蕉视频直播渆nsure X香蕉视频直播檚 compliance香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渕ind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the U.S. Presidential election.香蕉视频直播�
