Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with additional details from the interview between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump on X.
The highly anticipated interview between Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump was delayed by 44 minutes due to an apparent massive Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Despite the disruption, the event reached unprecedented levels, with over 1.3 million listeners tuning in. Trump lauded Musk for “breaking every record in the book tonight,” as the overwhelming demand flooded the platform.
The Conversation Started With Trump's ‘Fight' Response
Tesla CEO's first question to the former President was about the Jul. 13 assassination attempt on Trump. He asked Trump about the assassination attempt at his Pennsylvania rally last month.
"I didn't know I had that much blood," Trump said, of the shooting, while also saying it was the "best alternative you could think about" as he wasn't more gravely injured.
"If I had not turned my head, we wouldn't have been talking right now," says Trump
During the conversation, Trump announced that he is going back to Butler.
The former President jokingly said that he’ll kick off his next speech in Butler with, “As I was saying…”
Musk chimed in, “Before you were rudely interrupted.”
Trump Attacked VP Kamal Harris's No Tax On Tips Policy
During the conversation, the Republican presidential candidate attacked his Democratic opponent saying Vice President Kamala Harris is replicating his no tax on tips policy.
He also accused Harris and the government of hiring 88,000 IRS agents to go after waitresses and caddies.
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Former President Attacks Harris On Immigration
After Musk repeatedly tried to steer the conversation toward immigration, Trump jumped into the conversation and attacked Harris on the subject. He said Harris has denied being the border czar, but immigrants are entering the U.S. from "all over the world."
Musk referred to his own background as a legal immigrant and emphasized the need for streamlining immigration. "Most of the illegal immigrants are hard-working people," said Musk but some are not.
"They won't do anything" on immigration said Trump. The ex-president claimed Harris was more incompetent than Biden on immigration.
He added saying, "We're going to have to largest deportation in history."
During the conversation, Trump also claimed that Harris had never visited the relevant portion of the border.
The Tesla CEO also spoke about his visit to the border saying he saw a stream of people coming to the U.S. but most of them "didn't look super friendly."
"These countries are getting rid of their non-productive workers," said Trump in response.
Trump Addresses Biden's Withdrawal From The 2024 Race
Trump once again expressed regret over President Biden’s withdrawal, as he had clearly hoped for an election rematch with him.
"This was a coup of the President of the United States," stated Trump, referring to Harris taking Biden's place as the Democratic candidate.
The Former President Calls For An Iron Dome
“We are in a very bad position,” Trump said about Ukraine, adding, “A smart president could have stopped that.” He warned that the conflict, along with tensions in the Middle East, could lead to World War III.
Musk echoed the concern, stating that people “underrate the risk of World War III.” He emphasized that a global nuclear war would mean “game over” for humanity.
Trump proposed building an Iron Dome to protect the country from such threats, saying, “Why shouldn’t we have an Iron Dome? Israel has one.” He was referring to Israel’s missile defense system, designed to intercept and destroy short-range weapons.
Trump Once Again Claims ‘Good Relationship' With Russian President
Trump later recounted familiar stories about Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and his views on NATO, which he often shares publicly.
He also repeated several of the same unfounded and debunked claims about immigration and crime that have become staples of his campaign rhetoric.
Trump blamed Biden on failures on multiple fronts including inflation, Afghanistan, and the attack on Israel.
"I had a good relationship with Putin," despite what Trump called the Russia hoax. "He respected me," said the former President. Ukraine was the "Apple" of Putin's eye.
The Republican candidate also spoke about his relationship with the North Korean leader. "I walked onto his land," said Trump about the meeting with Kim on the DMZ.
"People like Kim Jong Un respond to strength," Musk added.
“When they see a Kamala or sleepy Joe they can’t believe it,” Trump said, mispronouncing the vice president’s first name.
Trump Calls Tesla A ‘Great Product' But Says Not Everyone Needs It
Interestingly, repeating his earlier statement, Trump reiterated that not everyone needs an electric vehicle but praised Musk's Tesla.
"You do make a great product. Your product is incredible," Trump said on Tesla and EVs, adding, “That doesn’t mean everyone should have an electric vehicle.”
Trump Is Concerned About AI And The Amount Of Electricity It Requires
Trump expressed concerns about AI, particularly its substantial electricity consumption. He acknowledged the Tesla CEO as a “big fan” of AI but noted his surprise upon learning about the technology’s significant energy demands.
"This is shocking to me, but AI requires twice the energy that the country already produces," Trump said, adding, "You are gonna need tremendous amounts of electricity, like almost double what we produced now for the whole country, if you can believe it."
Trump Advocates For Eliminating The Department Of Education
“I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states,” Trump stated, calling for the federal agency’s elimination.
He criticized the U.S. education system, saying U.S. students are falling behind compared to their peers around the world.
Trump argued that dismantling the Department of Education would have significant benefits, asserting, “There are a lot of advantages,” including the potential to cut education costs in half.
Trump Slams Biden And Harris, Citing Economic Failures And Future Risks
Trump has criticized Biden for the state of the U.S. economy, stating, “The economy is a disaster with inflation… Four years ago, people were saving a lot of money. Today they’re using all their money and borrowing money just to live,” during his interview with Musk.
Trump also targeted Harris, asserting, “If she wins, this country will go out of business.”
Image Via Shutterstock
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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