United States Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump made a notable return to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in an attempt to rejuvenate his campaign after a challenging few weeks. Marking the occasion, Trump engaged in a two-hour conversation on X’s Spaces feature with the platform’s owner, Elon Musk, who has publicly endorsed Trump’s re-election bid.
The discussion, which began about 40 minutes late due to what Musk described as a “massive” cyberattack on the platform, touched on a range of topics including Trump’s Democratic rival Kamala Harris, the European Union, China, climate change, censorship, and migration. Throughout the conversation, Trump reiterated his longstanding claims of being the target of a political vendetta, while Musk repeatedly expressed his support for the former president.
The conversation drew approximately 1.2 million listeners, despite technical issues that limited the audience. During the discussion, Trump took the opportunity to criticize Harris, labeling her as a “radical left lunatic” and “worse than Bernie Sanders,” to which Musk responded, “It’s essential that you win the election for the sake of the country.”
Trump’s return to X, however, comes after a prolonged absence from the platform, which had been his preferred medium for communication during his presidency. In the final days of his term, Twitter suspended Trump’s account following the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol, citing the risk of further incitement of violence. Despite being reinstated by Musk in November 2022, Trump had refrained from posting on the platform until recently. His first post since 2021 was made on August 24, 2023, following his surrender to the Fulton County Jail in Georgia, where he faces charges related to alleged attempts to subvert the 2020 election.
Trump’s return to X comes as he faces challenges adjusting to Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president. With President Joe Biden stepping aside, Harris, along with her running mate Tim Walz, has reenergized the Democratic campaign, leading in key battleground states. Recent polls indicate that Harris holds a slight advantage over Trump in critical regions like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. In response, Trump’s campaign has been working to regain momentum, promoting his return to X as a significant event and releasing campaign videos targeting Harris.
The Harris campaign was dismissive of the Trump-Musk conversation, accusing Trump of serving the interests of the wealthy and out-of-touch individuals like Musk. They also criticized the technical issues that plagued the live stream, mocking Trump’s ability to run a campaign in the modern digital age.
Meanwhile, Musk’s involvement in the interview underscores his increasing influence in U.S. politics. As the world’s richest man, controlling companies like Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has shifted his political allegiances to the right in recent years. His endorsement of Trump came after an assassination attempt on the former president in July 2023, which prompted Musk to express his full support for Trump’s re-election campaign.
Musk’s platform, X, has become a stage for right-wing political discourse, with critics accusing him of enabling the spread of misinformation. Despite these criticisms, Musk frames himself as a defender of free speech. The Trump-Musk chat on X is not the first time Musk has hosted a right-wing political figure. In May 2023, he hosted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to announce his presidential campaign on the platform, although that broadcast was marred by technical glitches.
Musk was keen to avoid a repeat of those issues during his conversation with Trump, conducting system tests beforehand to ensure a smoother experience. Despite the challenges, the interview succeeded in drawing significant attention to both Trump’s campaign and Musk’s platform, highlighting the evolving landscape of political communication in the digital age.
