 "Donald Trump and Elon Musk sat down for a nearly 2-hour-long interview hosted on X. Reuters")
The widely-anticipated conversation between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk was plagued by technical issues that the Tesla CEO attributed to a cyber attack.
The extensive conversation, which Musk stated was intended for “open-minded independent voters,” began over 40 minutes late as many users experienced difficulties gaining access.
The rare public dialogue between Trump and Musk provided little new information about Trump’s plans for a second term. The former president spent much of the friendly discussion focused on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration, and his intentions to reduce government regulations.
Here are key takeaways from the interview:
Like Biden’s stutter, Trump’s lisp in focus
The former president sounded at times as if he had a lisp, many listeners pointed out. According to BBC, the term “slurring” was trending on Twitter in response to Trump’s voice during this conversation with Musk.
Comparisons were drawn to President Joe Biden’s well-documented stutter.
“Remember when all of Trumptard country crucified Biden for being too old, slurring and stumbling on his words, and basically forced him to leave the race…And now are trying to find any way to defend Trump being the old man who’s constantly slurring and asleep? Good times,” one user wrote.
“Very weird the people who claim Trump was slurring completely ignored Biden’s very obvious decline for over three years. Just so tiring the blatant hypocrisy from people all over the political spectrum,” another one said.
Impact Shorts
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One of the most notable moments of the conversation was Trump’s suggestion that Musk could play a role in his administration if he were to be re-elected. Trump praised Musk as “the greatest cutter,” referring to his ability to reduce government waste.
“I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts,” Trump said in context of his intent to return control of education to the states.
Musk, in turn, expressed willingness to join a prospective “government efficiency commission.”
Trump looking to shut Department of Education
During his appearance, Trump discussed his plan to disband the Department of Education. This proposal has a strong support base among the evangelical Christian right.
“I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states,” Trump said.
He said the US wasn’t doing well compared to Norwegian countries and some other nations when it came to education.
An Iron Dome for the US
In a move likely to stir further debate, Trump floated the idea of establishing an Iron Dome missile defence system in the United States, drawing inspiration from Israel’s infrastructure. “Why shouldn’t we have an Iron Dome? Israel has one,” Trump mused, referencing the system developed by Israeli companies with US support.
Iron Dome was developed after the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant group based in southern Lebanon. It was created by Israeli firms Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, with some US support.
Praise for controversial world leaders
Trump did not shy away from controversial remarks during the conversation, praising leaders such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.
“I know Putin. I know President Xi. I know Kim Jong Un,” he told Elon Musk before adding, “They’re at the top of their game; they’re tough; they’re smart; they’re vicious — and they’re going to protect their country.”
He said that these leaders, who are often referred to as dictators, love their country, but that it is a different kind of love.
“I’m not saying anything good or bad [about these leaders],” Trump added, seeking to temper the implications of his praise.
Greater reach for Trump
Just ahead of the interview, Trump finally returned to X (formerly Twitter). He made a series of posts on the platform for the first time in a year. His account had previously served as a key method of communication in previous campaigns and his four years in the White House.
When his access to the account was suspended by the previous owners following the Jan. 6 attack, citing concerns he would incite violence, Trump created his own social media platform, Truth Social.
He frequently posts on Truth Social. However, his posts there reach a much smaller audience than on X. While on Truth Social he has garnered just over 7.5 million followers, his X account boasts a following of 88 million. Elon Musk, who co-hosted the interview, is followed by over 193 million users.
With inputs from agencies