August 14th 2024.
According to an article by The Hill, former President Trump recently made a return to the popular social media platform X after being reinstated in 2023. His first appearance on the platform was for an interview with none other than its owner, the enigmatic Elon Musk. The conversation, which lasted almost two hours on August 12th, got off to a rocky start as technical issues prevented some X users from joining. As frustrated users shared screenshots of their difficulties, Musk quickly pointed the finger at a "massive DDOS" attack, a type of cyber attack that aims to disrupt a website or service.
Musk didn't shy away from sharing his opinions during the interview, stating that the attack was evidence of the opposition to people simply hearing what President Trump has to say. The two men delved into a variety of topics, including Trump's controversial campaign and policies, such as the assassination attempt on his life, his views on immigration, and his plans for the economy and energy production in the future.
As the conversation turned to the topic of climate change, Musk, who had previously donated millions of dollars to Trump's presidential campaign, shared his belief that the United States should prioritize sustainability while avoiding demonizing the oil and gas industry. Trump, on the other hand, has been known to deny the existence of climate change, despite claiming to support clean air and water.
One particularly interesting moment during the interview was when Musk discussed his views on immigration, stating that he believes legal immigration is a positive thing and that many of the people who cross the border illegally are good people. However, he also expressed the need for a stronger vetting process to prevent dangerous individuals from entering the country. Trump's extreme views on border control have often been met with criticism and false claims, such as the belief that other countries are deliberately sending criminals and mentally ill individuals to the United States.
As the conversation shifted to the perspectives of some of the country's top business owners, some viewers couldn't help but notice that Trump dominated the discussion for nearly an hour. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took to X to point out this imbalance in speaking time, asking if anyone else was keeping track of how much each participant was talking. He later questioned whether most conversations were usually more balanced and suggested that both participants should be asking each other questions, rather than one doing all the talking.
Other CEOs, like Aaron Levie from Box, used the opportunity to challenge Musk to ask Trump about topics he has avoided in the past, such as his reference to the fictional character Hannibal Lecter during a rally. Levie's post was later deleted, but it garnered support from political figures like California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has a strained relationship with both Trump and Musk. Newsom called the interview a "complete failure," citing technical difficulties, awkward silences, and a lack of substance from the candidate.
But not everyone was critical of the interview. Some, like Mark Pincus, the founder of Zynga and creator of FarmVille, praised Trump's strong conversational skills and encouraged others to embrace the truth, even if it may be unpopular. Despite the mixed reactions, it's clear that this interview between two influential figures has sparked a lot of discussion and debate within both the political and business realms.
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