The long-awaited debate between the initiator of the Tesla company, Elon Musk, and the Republican candidate for the presidency of the United States, Donald Trump, on the billionaire’s platform X took place with interruptions.
The talk with Mr. Musk, asking nondisruptive questions on topics like immigration and inflation, started more than 40 minutes after the scheduled time because many people were unable to enter the chat.
The event was presented as an interview, and Trump was able to make numerous statements, most of which were unproven and unanswered.
Mr. Musk again supported Trump, who is up against a new forceful and credible Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in November’s election.
He attributed the glitches to a cyberattack, but one expert opined the same thing to the BBC: it was unlikely.
The debate on X is coming at a time when Trump, the former president and a nominee of the Republican Party, is seeking to reboot his re-election bid.
This has been occasioned by the entry of Ms. Harris after the existing president, Joe Biden, had to make a move to the back, making the competition for the presidency much tighter.
Mr. Musk, on the other hand, has transformed into a political activist of some sort.
Who is Elon Musk, and what is so special that he is deemed worthy of billions of dollars?
He has lately joined a new political committee, contributing to Trump’s campaign.
When one of the discussants asked, ‘America is at a fork in the road, and you are the path to prosperity, and I think Kamala is the opposite,’ Mr. Musk replied.
The two men discussed issues that included the assassination attempt on Trump last month during a rally in Pennsylvania, his demand for an ‘Iron Dome’, a defense system used in Israel, and immigration, which is one of the major policies of the campaign.
He also dwelled on the possibility of abolishing the federal Department of Education and transferring that function to the states as soon as he assumes the presidency in November.
Trump and Mr. Musk have moved in a political circle but have been known to engage in an online brawl in the past.
