5 Key Points from Trump's Conversation with Musk About X
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5 Key Points from Trump's Conversation with Musk About X
Former President Trump made his first public comment on Musk's discussion of several current affairs on social platform X, but the event was postponed due to technical issues, and Trump's remarks remain controversial and could be exploited by political opponents.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsBy: Brett Samuels
Translation: Baicai Blockchain
Former President Donald Trump held a conversation with Tesla founder Elon Musk on the social media platform X on Monday. X is owned by Musk. The event marked a significant return for Trump on the platform since his account was reinstated in 2023.
Technical issues caused delays, preventing many from joining on time. Trump and Musk spoke for about two hours, discussing various topics including the recent assassination attempt against Trump, his views on immigration and the economy, and future energy production. Musk has publicly endorsed Trump in the 2024 campaign.
Here are five key takeaways from the conversation.
1. Trump's Return to X
Monday’s conversation marked Trump’s return to the social media platform he once used to shape his political image and redefine presidential communication.
Not only did Trump appear with Musk in a Spaces live audio session, but he also posted multiple times on X in the hours leading up to the interview—suggesting he may resume using X as a communication channel during this volatile election season.
The Spaces livestream attracted over one million listeners at its peak.
Trump was an active user of the platform when it was still called Twitter, until his account was suspended shortly after the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021 over concerns it could "incite further violence."
Last year, after Musk acquired and rebranded the platform as X, Trump’s account was restored. His only post since then had been in August last year, sharing his mugshot taken following criminal charges in Georgia.
Trump’s return comes at a time when polls show Vice President Kamala Harris has erased his lead in the race and generated significant enthusiasm after replacing Biden as the Democratic nominee.
2. Trump Avoided Major Missteps
The conversation between former President Trump and Musk often resembled one of his campaign rallies—he frequently digressed, labeled Harris and Biden as “incompetent,” and repeated familiar campaign anecdotes.
But he also managed to focus on certain issues, particularly inflation, avoiding the kind of incendiary and controversial remarks that have marred his recent public appearances. Allies had urged him to stay policy-focused.
“The election is coming up, and people want to hear about the economy. Food prices are going up… This stupid administration made it happen,” Trump said. “It’s disgraceful. And in my opinion, that’s what people care about most.”
Trump attacked Harris as a “San Francisco liberal” and accused her of flip-flopping on fracking and defunding the police, suggesting she would revert to more progressive positions if elected in November.
He also criticized Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), for signing a law requiring schools to provide free menstrual products in all public school restrooms.
Trump’s recent public appearances have been overshadowed by controversial comments. At a forum with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), he attacked Harris’s biracial background. At a rally in Atlanta, his messaging was derailed by his criticism of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R). At a press conference last week, Trump boasted about the large crowd he drew before the January 6, 2021, mob attack on the Capitol.
3. Still Gave Democrats Ammunition
Despite attempting to focus on policy while attacking Harris, Trump’s meandering responses to Musk’s questions provided Democrats with material they could use to counter the former president.
Trump reiterated his plan to eliminate the Department of Education and hand education control back to the states—a position aligned with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint developed by the Heritage Foundation. Democrats have actively promoted awareness of this plan, framing it as Trump’s agenda if re-elected.
“Not every state will do well,” Trump said. “Out of 50 states, I’d bet 35 would do very well.”
Trump again claimed the U.S. faces more dangerous enemies domestically than from Russia or China.
He also lashed out at political opponents, calling Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) a “loser,” labeling Vice President Harris “incompetent,” and describing President Biden as “borderline comatose.”
Harris’s campaign account on X shared Trump’s comment praising Musk for firing striking Tesla workers.
“I won’t mention the name of the company, but if they go on strike, you can just say, ‘That’s okay, you’re all fired,’” Trump said.
4. Musk Tried to Steer Trump Toward Policy Positions
Musk, who has openly backed Trump, frequently offered his own views on policy issues or attempted to persuade the former president to adopt his stance.
Musk stated his view on climate change: the U.S. should not “demonize” the oil and gas industry but should instead “lean toward sustainability.” Trump has expressed support for “clean air” and “clean water” but has long questioned the reality of climate change.
On immigration and the surge at the southern border, Musk shared views that were notably more moderate than Trump’s usual rhetoric.
The Tesla CEO said legal immigration is beneficial, most illegal border crossers are good people, but strict screening is needed to keep dangerous individuals out.
In contrast, Trump promised that if elected, he would carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. He falsely claimed other countries are sending prisoners and psychiatric patients to the southern border and said some entering the U.S. speak languages no one has ever heard of.
Late in the interview, Musk repeatedly mentioned creating a government committee to study national debt and explore how Congress could reassess spending.
“I think forming a government efficiency commission to review these issues and ensure taxpayer money is well spent would be excellent,” Musk told Trump. “I’d be happy to help with such a committee.”
5. Another X Event Derailed by Technical Issues
For many listening to Monday’s conversation, the nearly one-hour delay due to technical problems felt all too familiar.
The event was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., and Trump posted a link to the Spaces room about 10 minutes beforehand. But the conversation didn’t officially start until 8:42 p.m.
Users reported difficulties joining, sharing screenshots showing messages like “Details unavailable” or “This Space is not available.” Others managed to join but only heard background music while waiting for Trump and Musk to begin.
Musk blamed what he described as a “massive DDoS attack” (distributed denial-of-service attack) on the platform.
“As this massive attack shows, there is tremendous opposition to hearing what President Trump has to say,” Musk told listeners at the start of the conversation.
The technical problems echoed those faced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) when he attempted to launch his 2024 presidential campaign via Spaces. That event was also disrupted by technical issues, with the call cutting in and out for over 20 minutes before Musk ended the original Space and tried to start a new one.
Monday’s difficulties may give other political figures pause before hosting similar events on X in the future.
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