(Cupventi.com) – On Monday evening, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s much-anticipated interview with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk finally took place on Musk’s social media platform, X, after being delayed due to technical difficulties.
Originally scheduled for 8 p.m., the event was postponed by over 40 minutes, with Musk attributing the delay to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. However, this claim has not been confirmed, leaving many questions unanswered. Despite the delay, more than 1 million people were tuned in when the conversation finally began, as indicated by a counter on X.
“Congratulations on breaking every record in the book,” Trump remarked, alluding to the high number of users attempting to access the livestream. However, the interview was plagued with issues. Trump’s speech sounded distorted at times, leading some listeners to compare his voice to that of a cartoon character. Others speculated that audio compression issues might be the cause. The technical problems were reminiscent of a similar situation in May 2023 when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis encountered glitches on X during the launch of his presidential campaign, an effort that ultimately failed against Trump.
The hour-long broadcast faced more issues as sound was lost for extended periods, and thousands of users were either unable to join or were dropped from the stream. In contrast, Trump had mocked DeSantis during his platform’s own technical issues, boasting on Truth Social, “My Red Button is bigger, better, stronger, and is working (TRUTH!) Yours does not.”
Ahead of the interview, Musk had hinted at potential problems, mentioning on X, “Am going to do some system scaling tests tonight & tomorrow in advance of the conversation.” Despite the warning, X did not provide further details or evidence to support the claim of a cyberattack.
Musk kicked off the event by asking Trump about an assassination attempt on July 13, where Trump’s ear was grazed by a bullet. This incident has been a pivotal moment in Trump’s campaign, with Musk endorsing Trump shortly after the attack. Musk, who supported Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020, has shifted his political stance significantly, now aligning himself with Trump and the Republican Party.
The interview marked Trump’s return to X after a year-long absence, during which his account, @realDonaldTrump, was inactive. Trump’s last post before Monday was in August 2023, where he shared a mug shot taken after being booked in Atlanta on felony charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. His account had been restored a month after Musk took control of the platform, following its suspension after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Trump’s reappearance on X is seen as a strategic move to reach a broader audience beyond his core supporters who frequent his rallies and Fox News interviews. However, the interview was not without controversy. Some X users reported seeing advertisements in support of Trump during the broadcast, though neither X nor Trump’s campaign confirmed if there had been a specific ad buy.
Elon Musk, who has been embroiled in various controversies since acquiring X, has launched a super PAC to support Trump’s campaign, although it is now under investigation in Michigan for potential violations of state laws on voter information. Despite being a longstanding critic of electric vehicles, Trump has softened his stance since Musk’s endorsement, stating at a rally, “I’m for electric cars. I have to be, because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice.”
This shift in Trump’s position has drawn criticism from figures like United Auto Workers President Shawn Fein, who accused Trump of being a “sellout.” The Biden administration, meanwhile, has promoted electric vehicles as part of its broader environmental strategy, though Republicans, including Trump’s running mate Senator JD Vance, have opposed such subsidies, arguing they primarily benefit wealthy individuals.
Musk and Trump have also been involved in spreading false claims about voter fraud, a recurring theme in their political rhetoric. Additionally, Musk faced backlash in November 2023 for endorsing an antisemitic post on X, further fueling controversy surrounding his social media platform.