On Aug. 12, former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk sat down for an interview on X – a social media platform owned by Musk. Elon completed the acquisition of X in October 2022 and changed the name from Twitter to X in a controversial rebranding. The purchase of Twitter was closed at a $44 billion deal. Besides X, Musk also owns Space X and Tesla. His net worth is around $236.5 billion.
In January 2021, Trump was suspended from Twitter due to behavior violating company rules. This particular suspension occurred immediately after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Trump is now back on X after a few years of being banned.
“After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them — specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter — we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” Twitter released in a statement.
Shortly after the assassination attempt on Trump, Musk officially endorsed him for president on July 13. As one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the world, Musk’s opinion is bound to make waves.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote on X.
Before supporting Trump this election year, Musk wrote checks to various Democrats — notably John Kerry in 2004, who ran as a Democratic presidential nominee. In 2008, he contributed to the Senate races of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Despite his previous Democratic support, Musk has leaned more right in the present day. As an advocate for laissez-faire policy, it’s easy to see where a technology giant like him gets his beliefs from: He wants minimal government intervention in terms of conducting business.
In the two-hour long conversation, the two chatted about various policies and topics. Some felt as if the interview revealed very little valuable information, instead it served as a rambling encounter challenged with network glitches.
Musk started by bringing up the recent assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Musk shared how he thought that Trump’s action of pumping his fists in the air represented strength under fire. Musk continued to then explain how his reaction to the assassination attempt was a major reason why he was excited to endorse Trump for president.
“When I stood up before the hand, before the fist in the air, they didn’t know if I was alive. Nobody did. And when I put the fist up, they were just relieved and happy and thrilled. And the place went crazy. It was pretty amazing,” Trump shared.
They continued to discuss security concerns and the role of law enforcement. Following discussing the shooting, they pivoted to immigration and the Biden administration’s current handling of the border. Musk shared a much softer view on immigration compared to Trump.
“I say it very simply. They have to come in legally. They have to be checked. Because look, Kamala was the border czar. Now she’s denying it. Everything that I do, she’s saying she was strong on the border. We’re going to be strong. She doesn’t have to say it. She could close it up right now,” Trump said.
The interview continued to touch on ranging topics from environmental sustainability to economics. No matter the outcome of the interview, it’s important to recognize the collaboration of two powerful men in the United States. Trump is back on X, and one must keep a close eye on his communication on the platform as November draws near.
