Donald Trump discussed his array of conspiracy theories during a disjointed chat with wealthy supporter Elon Musk on Monday, which began with a claimed technical issue by the tech mogul. On the platform X, Trump expressed his concerns about an "immigration apocalypse," repeatedly criticized President Joe Biden as "foolish," and pondered over creating a missile defense system similar to Israel's. The former president also downplayed climate change, suggesting that rising sea levels would merely increase waterfront property opportunities.
"The real danger isn't global warming, where the sea level might rise by a mere one-eighth of an inch over the next 400 years," Trump told Musk. "That just means more beachfront property. The true threat is nuclear proliferation, as we now have five nations with substantial nuclear capabilities, and we must prevent any mishaps involving leaders like Biden."
The conversation, which was advertised as unrestricted, started over 30 minutes late, and many potential listeners couldn't access it live. Musk, listed as the world's wealthiest individual by Forbes, alleged that the platform, previously known as Twitter, had suffered a cyber "assault."
This discussion aimed to boost Trump's faltering campaign, which has struggled since Biden's withdrawal, replaced by a rising Kamala Harris. Trump targets young men who idolize Musk, a demographic that typically skews older in his following. Over a million users tuned in live to the conversation on X.
Musk, who admits to having voted Democrat in the past, has since thrown his support and wealth behind Trump, especially after an assassination attempt on the Republican last month. The technical issues occurred after Musk had laid off numerous staff at the platform, and served as a reminder of his previous support for Trump's rival, Ron DeSantis, whose campaign launch also faced issues.
Once the conversation commenced, Musk stated that the "large-scale attack shows significant resistance to people simply hearing what President Trump has to say." Trump was previously banned from Twitter after his supporters attacked the US Capitol in January 2021, but Musk reinstated him upon taking over and renaming the platform.
The South African-born billionaire has become a prominent figure in US politics but is criticized for transforming X into a platform for right-wing conspiracy theories. He fiercely opposes Democrat initiatives, using his 194 million followers on X to attack efforts for diversity and inclusion, which he terms the "woke mind virus," and the White House's border policies.
"We're seeing a flood of people crossing the border," Musk told Trump, comparing it to the "zombie apocalypse" in the film "World War Z." "It's impossible for the US to accommodate everyone from around the world," Musk added, identifying himself as a "legal immigrant."
During his conversation with Musk, Trump frequently boasted about his ties with autocrats like Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, and claimed America would be more secure under his leadership. "One of our plans is to develop an Iron Dome," he said, referring to Israel's missile defense system. "We aim to have the world's best Iron Dome... because it only takes one madman to trigger a conflict."
Musk reaffirmed his strong backing for Trump, stating that the former president "represents prosperity, unlike Kamala." At one point, he seemed to be seeking a role in a potential future Trump administration, suggesting he'd like to be part of a cost-cutting committee.
"I believe it would be beneficial to have a government efficiency commission that reviews these matters and ensures taxpayer money is used wisely," he said. "I'd be glad to contribute to such a commission." Trump seemed receptive to the idea, telling Musk, "You're the ultimate cost-cutter," referring to his recent staff cuts at Twitter.
