Former United States President Donald Trump has rejoined the social media platform X amid efforts to revive his campaign after a challenging period on the trail. On Monday, he marked his return by participating in a chat on Spaces with Elon Musk, the platform’s owner and a public supporter of Trump’s re-election bid.
The discussion, held from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, was delayed by about 40 minutes due to what Musk described as a “massive” cyberattack on the platform. Despite the initial setback, the conversation eventually commenced, albeit with a limited audience, and a recording was promised for later distribution.
Over the course of nearly two hours, Trump and Musk covered a wide range of topics, including Vice President Kamala Harris, the European Union, China, climate change, censorship, and migration. Trump used the opportunity to discuss his familiar themes and assert claims of being targeted by a political vendetta, while Musk reiterated his support for Trump several times.
During the exchange, Trump labeled Harris a “radical left lunatic” and “worse than Bernie Sanders,” to which Musk replied, “It’s essential that you win the election for the sake of the country.” Approximately 1.2 million people tuned in to listen.
Ahead of the chat, Trump’s campaign promoted the event as “the interview of the century” and released several campaign videos attacking Harris and highlighting perceived threats from the political left. Trump’s campaign has been struggling since President Joe Biden stepped aside for Harris, positioning 78-year-old Trump as the oldest candidate in the presidential race.
In response, Vice President Harris and her running mate Tim Walz have revitalized the Democratic campaign, holding numerous rallies. Recent polls suggest Harris has an advantage over Trump in critical Midwestern battleground states.
The Harris campaign dismissed the Trump-Musk conversation, stating, “Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself – self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in 2024,” according to a statement posted on X following the chat.
