As Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump strategizes on how to counter the rising momentum of Vice President Kamala Harris, he turns to an unusual platform for his next move: an interview on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, owned by Elon Musk.
To mark the occasion, Trump posted on X for the first time in nearly a year, sharing a two-and-a-half minute video. The video celebrated his 2016 election victory, attacked the criminal indictments against him in 2023, and repeated his pledge to “totally obliterate the deep state.” On his preferred platform, Truth Social, Trump simply teased the interview, telling his followers to “Enjoy!”
Meanwhile, Musk promised that the interview would deliver “Entertainment guaranteed.”
Harris Erases Trump’s Lead
Trump’s engagement with Musk comes after weeks in which Harris has erased Trump’s poll lead over President Joe Biden, who recently withdrew from the race. In response, Trump has employed a variety of tactics to regain attention.
These include spreading lies about Harris’ crowd sizes, making baseless claims about former San Francisco mayor and Harris supporter Willie Brown, and holding a rambling news conference at Mar-a-Lago. Most recently, Trump threatened to sue the Justice Department over the 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago home for pilfered documents.
A Complicated Relationship with Musk
The X Spaces interview continues Trump’s pattern of granting interviews to friendly media. Since Musk’s purchase of Twitter in 2022, the platform has trended more conservative, making it an appealing venue for Trump.
Despite their shared interests, Trump and Musk have had a complicated relationship. Trump long sought Musk’s support and money, but the tech magnate held off on a formal endorsement until July 2023. Around that time, reports surfaced that Musk might spend $45 million a month on a pro-Trump political action committee—a claim Musk has denied.
Trump, for his part, recently praised Musk during a rally, saying, “We have to make life good for our smart people and he’s as smart as you get.” Musk has previously dabbled in the presidential race, sponsoring a 2023 X interview where Trump’s Republican rival Ron DeSantis announced his candidacy—a broadcast marred by technical difficulties.
Trump’s Flailing Attack Lines
As Trump continues to vie for the spotlight, some of his tactics have drawn criticism. On Sunday, he amplified a debunked conspiracy theory that Harris used AI to inflate the size of a crowd at a recent rally, prompting Harris supporters to question Trump’s mental health.
Trump falsely claimed, “there was nobody at the plane, and she ‘A.I.’d’ it,” despite evidence that thousands attended the event. David Plouffe, former campaign strategist for President Barack Obama and current adviser to Harris, responded, “These are not conspiratorial rantings from the deepest recesses of the internet. The author could have the nuclear codes and be responsible for decisions that will affect us all for decades.”
During a recent news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump also claimed he was nearly involved in a helicopter crash with Willie Brown and that the former mayor criticized Harris during their discussion. Brown, a long-time supporter and former romantic partner of Harris, denied that any such incident occurred.
As Trump’s campaign faces increasing scrutiny, some Republicans are urging him to focus on Harris’ policies rather than her personality. Former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy advised Trump in a recent Fox News interview, “Stop questioning the size of her crowds.”
