What was supposed to be a significant return to social media for former President Donald J. Trump was plagued by technical glitches on Monday night. A livestreamed conversation between Trump and Elon Musk on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, was delayed by nearly 40 minutes due to technical issues, undermining the event that aimed to showcase Trump’s comeback.
Despite the shaky start, once the conversation began, the camaraderie between Musk and Trump was evident. Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur and owner of X, posed a series of non-challenging questions, allowing Trump to reiterate his campaign talking points. He also argued that the criminal cases against him were part of a conspiracy by the Biden administration to weaken his 2024 campaign, and he accused foreign leaders of deliberately sending criminals to the United States.
Throughout the conversation, Musk largely agreed with Trump, offering praise and support for his views. This marked a significant shift for Musk, who, despite previously being critical of Trump, has become increasingly aligned with the former president on various issues. Musk even encouraged listeners who consider themselves moderate to support Trump, signaling a clear endorsement from the tech mogul.
Musk, who has a shared disdain with Trump for mainstream media, made it clear early in the conversation that he was not conducting an adversarial interview. Instead, he emphasized that the conversation was meant to provide an “open-minded” and “independent” audience with a chance to “catch a vibe” from Trump. Musk aimed to present Trump in a more casual, conversational light rather than subjecting him to tough questioning.
However, whether this strategy will help Trump regain momentum with undecided voters or help Musk restore confidence in his platform remains uncertain. The conversation’s rocky start, which Musk attributed to a cyberattack, threatened to overshadow the discussion itself. The technical difficulties also brought to mind similar issues from a previous political event hosted by Musk in 2023, when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign announcement on Twitter was marred by glitches, hot mics, and dead air.
The conversation, hosted on X’s audio livestreaming platform, Spaces, followed a series of efforts by Trump to regain the political spotlight he has lost since Biden’s re-election campaign began, and Harris became the Democratic nominee. Trump has often attacked Harris for avoiding interviews and formal news conferences, contrasting his willingness to take questions with her media-shy approach. He framed his discussion with Musk as part of his effort to reclaim attention.
Earlier, Trump had taken a combative stance in an interview with Black female journalists at a National Association of Black Journalists convention, where he questioned Harris’s racial identity. He also appeared frustrated during a hastily arranged news conference in Palm Beach, Florida, where his responses were meandering, and a story he told about a helicopter ride drew criticism.
By contrast, the discussion with Musk allowed Trump to extend his reach beyond the conservative media bubble where he is usually given free rein to speak. According to X, over a million listeners tuned in, providing Trump with a broad audience. The conversation also gave Musk a platform to air his grievances, including criticisms of government regulation, which he claimed stifles innovation. Musk, who has frequently criticized Biden in his X posts, supported Trump’s portrayal of Biden as weak and incompetent, and of Harris as unfit for leadership.
A spokesperson for Harris, Joseph Costello, mocked the technical issues on X and criticized Trump and Musk for being “self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class.”
The conversation capped a notable thaw in what had been a frosty relationship between Trump and Musk. While Musk had previously been a vocal critic of Trump, his political views have shifted, particularly on issues like transgender rights, immigration, and the Biden administration’s treatment of Tesla. Musk’s endorsement of Trump follows a recent assassination attempt on Trump, and Musk has since co-founded a super PAC aimed at bolstering Republican efforts in the upcoming election.
For his part, Trump has toned down his criticism of electric vehicles, frequently praising those produced by Musk’s company while still critiquing their supposed shortcomings. On Monday, Trump made his return to X, posting campaign videos and attacking Harris, marking his most active engagement on the platform since being banned in 2021 following the Capitol insurrection. Musk reinstated Trump’s account after acquiring X in 2022, but Trump had largely favored his own platform, Truth Social, until now.
