Elon Musk’s recent interview with Donald Trump on the X platform was marred by technical issues that Musk attributed to a cyber attack. The conversation, which was aimed at open-minded independent voters, experienced delays due to a distributed denial of services (DDoS) attack that saturated data lines. Despite the rough start, Musk reiterated his endorsement of Trump and called on moderate voters to support the Republican candidate. The conversation also touched on various topics, including an assassination attempt on Trump, his desire for an “Iron Dome” missile defense system, and his views on immigration.
The X conversation between Musk and Trump comes as the former president is trying to reset his re-election campaign, while Vice-President Kamala Harris’s Democratic nomination has tightened the race for the White House. Trump praised Musk’s Tesla car company and expressed willingness to work with the tech billionaire on a government efficiency commission. The relationship between Musk and Trump has evolved over the years, with the two engaging in a friendly conversation during the X event.
The technical glitches during the interview were reminiscent of past livestream malfunctions on the platform, but Musk’s large following on X helped attract about one million listeners to the conversation. In response to the conversation on X, EU industry chief Thierry Breton warned Musk to comply with EU digital content laws. X chief executive Linda Yaccarino criticized the EU’s attempts to regulate political activities in the US through digital content laws.
Whether Trump will continue to engage on X remains to be seen, as he has predominantly used his Truth Social platform for posting. The interview covered a wide range of topics, including Trump’s desire to close the Department of Education and his views on Mr. Biden’s decision to exit the race. The Harris campaign characterized Musk and Trump as “self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class.”
Overall, the conversation between Musk and Trump on X provided insights into the political dynamics leading up to the 2024 election. Despite technical challenges, the two men engaged in a cordial discussion that touched on various policy issues and campaign strategies. The endorsement of Trump by Musk underscores the tech billionaire’s growing influence in political circles, as he continues to leverage his platform to drive political discourse.
Source link