Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is set to interview Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on the X social media network on Monday, potentially adding more unexpected twists to the volatile US presidential race. The interview, slated for 8pm Eastern Time, could offer the former president a chance to regain attention as his campaign appears to be losing momentum. Earlier on Monday, Trump resumed activity on X after a year-long absence, posting an advertisement that emphasized his assertion that the four criminal charges against him are politically driven. His Democratic opponent in the November 5 election, Vice President Kamala Harris, has narrowed Trump's lead in polls and invigorated Democratic supporters with a string of dynamic rallies.
The interview on Musk's social media platform might enable Trump to connect with a different audience than the conservative base that frequents his rallies and views his interviews. However, previous similar events on the platform have faced technical difficulties. "Am going to do some system scaling tests tonight & tomorrow in advance of the conversation," Musk posted on the platform, formerly known as Twitter. The interview will be broadcast live via Trump's official X account, according to his campaign on Sunday. Trump's access to his account, @realDonaldTrump, was reinstated a month after Musk took ownership of X, following a suspension by the previous owners due to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack by his supporters.
Trump frequently uses his Truth Social platform, launched in February 2022. His last post on X before Monday was in August 2023, where he solicited donations and displayed a mugshot after being booked in an Atlanta jail related to felony charges stemming from his efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss in Georgia. Musk, who is known for his unconventional approach, could present a unique interview style. The world's wealthiest individual supported Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020 but has since shifted his stance and endorsed the Republican after the failed assassination attempt on Trump in July.
Musk, CEO of electric car company Tesla Inc, also initiated a fundraising organization to back Trump’s campaign, which is now under investigation in Michigan for potential breaches of state laws regarding voter information collection. Trump, who has been a critic of electric vehicles, changed his stance following Musk's endorsement. "I'm for electric cars. I have to be, because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice," Trump stated at an early August rally. Shawn Fein, President of the United Auto Workers, supporting Harris, labeled Trump a "sellout."
The Biden administration has promoted electric vehicles through tax incentives and other measures as part of its broader objective to reduce carbon emissions linked to climate change. Republicans in Congress have opposed these subsidies. Senator J.D. Vance, Trump's vice presidential running mate, argued that Biden's policy only subsidizes wealthy individuals who buy electric cars. Advertisers have abandoned X since Musk's acquisition in 2022, leading to a significant rise in hate speech due to reduced content moderation, according to civil rights groups. Meanwhile, Musk has been embroiled in various additional controversies, falsely accusing Biden and the Democratic Party of intentionally increasing potential Democratic voters by opening US borders to undocumented immigrants, despite non-citizens being barred from voting in federal elections.
