Janice R. Andrews
Amidst much anticipation and in front of around a million people, former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk had a two-hour chat on X, the social media network that was formerly known as Twitter. There was an initial nearly 45-minute delay in the X Spaces interview because of what Musk called a “distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.” The conversation spanned a wide variety of subjects, including immigration, international policy, the economy, and Trump’s attempted assassination, despite the technological difficulties.
Musk Blames Cyberattack for Interview Delay
Hundreds of thousands of X users eagerly awaited the platform’s owner, Elon Musk, speaking with 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump at 8 p.m. ET. That being said, the live chat didn’t start until 8:40 p.m. ET. Musk used X to clarify that a DDoS attack—a kind of cyberattack intended to overload a service with enormous traffic and temporarily render it inoperable—was the reason for the delay.
This answer, combined with the event’s high visibility, stoked concerns about the platform’s security. Even though some detractors questioned Musk’s veracity, the interview went forward and had a peak audience of almost a million listeners.
Key Takeaways from Trump and Musk’s Two-Hour Discussion
Musk presented the exchange as an unofficial “conversation” rather than a conventional interview after it got going. The conversation covered a wide range of subjects, starting with Trump’s account of the July assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. After that, the two discussed topics including immigration, foreign policy, and economic concerns that have been crucial to Trump’s campaign narrative.
Attempt at Assassination and Security Issues
Trump discussed the July assassination attempt on his life, which had previously attracted a lot of media attention. Using this as a springboard, he talked about his larger worries regarding security and the dangers that public leaders face in the unstable world of today.
Immigration: A Known Position
Trump reiterated his long-standing allegations that criminals, including murders, are crossing the U.S. border when immigration was a hot subject. Trump persisted in his claims that dangerous and unproductive people were entering the nation, even in the face of many studies that demonstrate immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than residents of the United States. His political messaging has been centered around this rhetoric since his first presidential campaign in 2016.
Foreign Policy: Disapproval of Harris and Biden
The topic of American foreign policy was also discussed, with Trump chastising President Joe Biden for how he has handled the crises in Gaza and Ukraine. Additionally, he attacked Vice President Kamala Harris, referring to her as the “border czar,” saying that she had not adequately addressed the immigration situation. Trump made some very sharp comments against Biden, even after the former senator from Delaware withdrew from the 2024 contest. Trump furthered his claims that the political system is corrupt by calling Biden’s action a “coup.”
Tesla and Economic Policies
As the CEO of Tesla, Musk pushed the discourse toward energy and electric cars, a subject that is near and dear to his heart. It’s interesting to note that throughout the conversation, Trump—who has historically been dismissive of electric cars—praised Tesla as a “incredible” product. This was a change from his previous position, since he had only a few days previously condemned electric vehicles at a rally before accepting Musk’s resounding support.
The Interview’s Strategic Importance
Trump’s choice to participate in this lengthy discussion on X is a component of a larger plan to establish a connection with a certain voter group that is becoming more active on non-traditional media. Journalist and conspiracy theory guru Mike Rothschild claims that this tactic represents how electoral communication is evolving. According to Rothschild, the Trump team is aiming to win over new voters, especially younger people who are more likely to be reached by livestreams, podcasts, and platforms like X than by traditional media.
According to Rothschild, this is a pretty astute move, Yahoo News said. It’s not the press conference, nor is it the one-hour cable news special. Trump has fundamentally altered the definition of what it means to run for office.
This interview is Trump’s third appearance on social media in the last several weeks. He has previously taken part in talks with controversial streamer Adin Ross and YouTuber Logan Paul, both of whom had sizable audiences. The purpose of these visits is to reach out to the influencers’ fan groups, who are predominantly made up of young men—a vital demographic for Trump’s campaign.
Elon Musk’s Position and Incentives
Elon Musk believes that having Trump on X is a strategic decision with several benefits. Musk and the former president, who had not been on X for over a year, have a tense relationship even though Musk openly endorsed Trump for president. But Trump’s comeback to the platform would give X, which has been struggling with issues including slowing user growth, legal troubles, and worries from sponsors, a much-needed lift.
Musk’s choice to host Trump might also be interpreted as an effort to salvage the platform following Ron DeSantis’s disastrous X presidential campaign launch in May 2023. Technical difficulties beset that event, and even Trump made fun of the webcast at the time. By holding a successful high-profile discussion with Trump, Musk could be trying to establish X again as a legitimate forum for political discussion.
Result: The Influence of the Trump-Musk Discussion
More than merely a political interview, Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s two-hour chat on X was a calculated maneuver by both men to connect with a particular audience and further their own agendas. For Trump, it was a chance to make a connection with those who are less interested in conventional media and younger, tech-savvy voters. For Musk, despite the early technological issues, it was an opportunity to demonstrate that X is a platform fit to host important political events.
This conversation represents a turning point in the history of political communication as the 2024 presidential contest heats up. Platforms like X are growing more significant in influencing public opinion and reaching voters as conventional media’s influence declines.
