Donald Trump went through his own conspiracy theory checklist in a rambling exchange with his hugely wealthy supporter Elon Musk on Monday night, a conversation that initially fell through when the tech mogul said it was a technical glitch.
Trump’s return to X, formerly known as Twitter, lasted more than two hours, was overwhelmingly friendly and revealed little about his plans for a possible second term in the Oval Office.
What was billed as an “off-the-cuff” conversation between the two billionaires started more than 30 minutes late, meaning many of those online were unable to hear it in real time.
Musk, who is the richest person in the world according to Forbes, claimed, without evidence, that X had been subject to a cyber “attack.”
Matt Rauch / AP
In a very one-sided conversation about X, Trump complained about a “zombie apocalypse.” immigrantHe has repeatedly called President Biden a “fool” and has contemplated developing a new missile defense system based on one that defends Israel.
The Republican standard-bearer was also fired. Climate changeHe said rising sea levels would create more real estate investment opportunities.
He told Musk, “The biggest threat is not global warming. Global warming is going to cause sea levels to rise an eighth of an inch over the next 400 years.”
“You’re going to have more coastal real estate, right? That’s not the biggest threat. The biggest threat is nuclear warming. Because we have five countries with significant nuclear arsenals right now, and we can’t let that happen to idiots like Biden.”
Musk’s support for Trump strengthens
The conversation was intended to inject some energy into President Trump’s sluggish campaign. Biden is out of the race And was replaced by Kamala Harris.
Young people who see Musk as a hero are a major target of Trump, but his supporters tend to be older.
Musk, who previously said he voted Democratic, has thrown his influence and fortune behind Trump. The gunman attempted to assassinate him. People who attended the Republican Party rally last month.
During the conversation, Musk called Trump’s actions following the assassination attempt “inspiring,” saying it was one of the reasons he supported the former president’s recent bid for the White House.
Musk told Trump, “Instead of ducking down, you pumped your fist in the air and said, ‘Fight, fight, fight.'”
Trump Releases Details About Assassination Attempt
Trump said of the shooting, “If I hadn’t turned my head, I wouldn’t be talking to you right now, no matter how much I like you.”
The former president A bullet grazed my ear.The experience was “not pleasant,” he said, adding, “I didn’t realize I had that much blood in me.”
Trump said the doctors later said his ear was where the most bleeding was coming from, suggesting it was the most likely place for the bullet to hit him, and called it a “miracle” that his head was tilted toward the shooter at that crucial moment as the bullet zoomed by.
He said surviving the attack made him “more of a believer” in God.
The former president said he plans to return to Butler, Pennsylvania, where the shooting occurred, in October.
“We’re all ready,” Trump said, calling Butler “a great district.” “The people in Butler are fantastic.”
Trump criticizes Harris, compares looks to his wife
The former president questioned Harris’ intelligence and ability to lead on the world stage, saying, “She’s not a smart person.”
“We need smart people, we need people with leadership skills, and she doesn’t have that,” he said of his rival.
He discussed media coverage of Harris’s meteoric rise as a Democratic candidate, claiming she was “free-riding,” and Trump compared Harris’ appearance on the new Time magazine cover to that of his wife, Melania.
Trump said of Harris, “According to Time magazine today, she looks like the most beautiful actress who has ever lived. It was a painting, and in fact, she looks very much like the great First Lady Melania.”
The Harris Campaign Responds
The Harris campaign responded to the interview with a statement saying Trump’s “extremism” was “on full display” in his conversation with Musk.
“Trump’s entire campaign is about people like Elon Musk and himself — narcissistic rich people who have betrayed the middle class and can’t live stream in 2024,” campaign spokesman Joseph Costello said.
Focus on technical issues
The apparent technical difficulties, which came after Musk laid off many employees on the platform, served as an uncomfortable reminder that the Tesla boss once supported Trump rival Ron DeSantis, who campaigned on the platform. be troubled by problems.
When things finally got underway, Musk said, “This massive attack shows that there is a lot of opposition to people who only listen to President Trump.”
Musk commented on X:
The Harris-Walz campaign said in a statement that “Donald Trump’s extremism and danger are Project 2025 The agenda is a feature of his campaign, not a flaw, and it was on full display for anyone unfortunate enough to hear what happened on X.com tonight. Trump’s entire campaign is about Elon Musk and people like himself — narcissistic rich people who are selling out the middle class and can’t afford to live stream in 2024.”
Musk’s Right-Wing Presence Expands
Trump was banned from Twitter. A mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. He resigned as CEO in January 2021, but Musk reinstated him after acquiring the platform and renaming it.
Musk, a South African-born billionaire, has emerged as a prominent figure in American politics, but has been accused of turning X into a megaphone for right-wing conspiracy theories.
He is one of the Democratic Party’s most vocal critics, using his 194 million followers on X to lambast progressive efforts to promote diversity and inclusion (what he calls a “woke mind virus”) and the White House’s handling of the southern border.
In his “conversations” with Musk, Trump frequently brought up his favorite topics: bragging about his relationships with autocrats like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping, and claiming that America would be safer under his rule.
“One of the things we’re going to do is build the Iron Dome,” he said, referring to Israel’s missile defense system.
“We’re going to have the best Iron Dome in the world… because it only takes one crazy person to start something.”
Musk reiterated his strong support for Trump, saying the former president was “the path to prosperity and Kamala is the opposite.”
Could we hire Musk?
Musk once appeared to be seeking a job in the Trump administration, expressing interest in serving on a cost-cutting committee.
“I think it would be great to have a government efficiency commission that would look at these things and make sure that taxpayer dollars are being spent … in a good way,” he said. “I would be happy to help on such a commission.”
Trump appears to have indicated his approval of the job application.
He told the guy who fired Twitter after he acquired it, “You’re a top cutter.”
