Trump to be Interviewed by Supporter Elon Musk on X

AFP/APP

Washington: Donald Trump will be interviewed live on X by its billionaire owner Elon Musk on Monday. This comes as the former Republican president returns to the platform following a lengthy absence.

Trump previously used the site, then called Twitter, during his political rise and presidency but was banned after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Musk reinstated Trump’s account after purchasing the platform in 2022. However, Trump has only posted once since then, favoring his Truth Social platform for sharing his thoughts.

Ahead of the 8:00 PM (midnight GMT) interview with Musk, Trump has posted multiple times, primarily campaign ads and links to his website. Musk, the world’s richest person according to Forbes, has emerged as a major voice in US politics, but he is also criticized for allegedly turning X into a platform for right-wing conspiracy theories.

Musk described the interview as “unscripted with no limits on subject matter,” promising it will be “highly entertaining.” The 53-year-old, who also leads SpaceX and Tesla, has gained prominence among Trump supporters, and this audience is crucial for Trump, especially as he faces growing competition from Kamala Harris, who is gaining traction as the Democratic candidate.

Musk has frequently criticized the Biden administration and the “woke mind virus,” and spread far-right misinformation about immigration and voter fraud. His endorsement of Trump last month came shortly after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally.

Although Musk has supported Trump, their relationship has had its ups and downs. Musk was a former Democrat and has publicly criticized Biden for not inviting him to a 2021 electric vehicle summit. Both Musk and Trump are dealing with federal investigations—Trump over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, and Musk amid multiple federal probes of Tesla.

Musk’s recent focus has aligned with the Republican hard-right, including spreading false information about immigration and the US elections. New analysis from the Center for Countering Digital Hate shows Musk’s misleading claims about the US elections have been viewed nearly 1.2 billion times on X.

The European Union, which is investigating X under digital content regulation laws, has reminded Musk of his duty to prevent “harmful” content. Musk mocked the EU’s top digital official, Thierry Breton, and responded with a meme featuring an obscene message. Trump’s campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, accused the EU of election interference and criticized it for attempting to dictate how Trump campaigns.