Elon Musk to Interview Donald Trump on X as a Supporter

On August 12, billionaire Elon Musk announced via his social media platform X that he will interview former President Donald Trump on Monday night at 8 p.m. EDT. This live-streamed event comes just a month after Musk endorsed Trump’s bid for re-election.

The details of the interview were revealed on Sunday, with Musk inviting questions and comments from the public, following Trump’s hint about the interview on his preferred platform, Truth Social. Just a month prior, Musk had publicly endorsed Trump after a serious security incident during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Since then, Musk has not held back in his criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running alongside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in the upcoming Democratic primary, as the Democratic National Convention draws near.

Although Musk did not specify the exact topics that will be covered during the interview, he stated that it would be “unscripted with no limits on subject matter.” This openness suggests that a wide range of issues could be discussed, including political strategies, social media dynamics, and other relevant current events.

Interestingly, on the same day as Musk’s announcement, Trump made his own post on X. This marked his first contribution to the platform in nearly a year. The former president shared a campaign advertisement that rapidly gained traction, achieving 4.8 million views within less than an hour. This was only the second time Trump had posted on X since his account was permanently suspended in the wake of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Musk played a pivotal role in reinstating Trump’s account, conducting a public poll to gauge user sentiment after his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in 2022. This decision has reinforced Musk’s reputation as a proponent of “free speech,” but it has also drawn criticism for his perceived lack of moderation on the platform. Critics argue that his approach could potentially sway U.S. elections, some viewing it as a push toward more authoritarian tendencies.

Examples of this criticism include Musk’s controversial decision to ban journalists who have been critical of him and his management of how the platform handles press inquiries. Since Musk took over, the platform has faced significant challenges, including a 50% drop in ad revenue and an accumulating debt burden.

In a letter addressed to Musk, five secretaries of state recently called for changes to the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, after it disseminated incorrect information regarding elections. This incident reflects ongoing concerns about the potential for misinformation to spread across social media platforms.

The scrutiny has not been limited to Musk alone. Last October, the European Union issued warnings to Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the dangers of disinformation, particularly concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict. Concurrently, Musk faced legal challenges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, compelling him to testify about his acquisition of Twitter, an action he has consented to undertake later this year.

As the interview with Trump approaches, many eyes will be watching to see how Musk navigates the conversation and whether it will touch on critical issues affecting both the tech landscape and the U.S. political climate.

Source: UPI