Technical Issues Disrupt Musk's Interview with Trump on X

Elon Musk's highly anticipated discussion with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on his platform X was delayed and marred by technical issues. The interview, which began over 40 minutes late, faced widespread access problems for users.^[1]  

Musk asked Trump questions on topics like immigration and inflation, but Trump made several unsubstantiated claims without challenge. Musk reiterated his endorsement of Trump, who is facing a strong challenge from Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election.

Musk attributed the technical problems to a cyber-attack. The issues were reminiscent of previous high-profile glitches on X, including a similar problem during Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' campaign announcement in May 2023.

Trump's access to X was restored shortly after Musk took over the platform, following its suspension after the January 6th, 2021, Capitol attack. Since then, Trump has primarily remained active on his own platform, Truth Social, with limited activity on X.

Musk, who previously supported President Joe Biden in 2020, has recently shifted his political stance, endorsing Trump and starting a fundraising organization for his campaign.

Trump, who has been critical of electric vehicles, adjusted his stance after receiving Musk’s endorsement, expressing support for electric cars in a recent rally. Meanwhile, the Biden administration continues to promote electric vehicles as part of its climate change initiatives, a policy that has faced opposition from Republicans in Congress.