Photo: Saul Loeb Agence France-Presse Elon Musk (above) at the U.S. Congress shortly before a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 24.
Frankie Taggart – Agence France-Presse and Lucie Aubourg – Agence France-Presse in Washington
Posted at 3:19 p.m.
- United States
The richest man in the world, Elon Musk, is scheduled to interview Donald Trump live on his X network on Monday night, and has promised a “very entertaining” moment with the former president, whom he openly supports in the race for the White House.
The interview should seek to relaunch the Republican candidate’s campaign, which has been floundering since Kamala Harris entered the race on the Democratic side.
But the exercise, between two men accustomed to outrageous and controversial statements on the other hand, will also be risky, on a platform accused of having become a mouthpiece for the radical right and lax in the face of disinformation.
A few hours before the interview, Brussels warned Elon Musk: European Commissioner for Digital Affairs Thierry Breton sent him a letter to remind him of his moderation obligations.
Previous similar interviews had also turned into fiascos, like the entry into the campaign of former Republican candidate Ron DeSantis, announced on X in the presence of Elon Musk, but which had encountered technical problems.
On Monday, the interview with the former president will be conducted “without a predetermined script, without limits on the subjects covered and should be very entertaining!” wrote Mr. Musk, who bought Twitter in 2022, before renaming it X.
The conversation between the two billionaires is set to air at 8 p.m. on Donald Trump's account, which was suspended after his supporters attacked the Capitol but reinstated after Elon Musk bought Twitter.
Since then, the account—the former White House host's favorite communication channel during his term—has only posted one new post: his mugshot.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000But a flurry of messages published Monday morning, including campaign videos and promotion of the interview, did indeed seem to signal his return.
“He respects me”
Last month, the Tesla and SpaceX boss officially gave his support to the Republican candidate, just after the assassination attempt against the latter.
Mr. Musk regularly attacks Democrats on X, where he has 193 million subscribers, particularly on the subject of immigration.
The South African native has not always been a fervent defender of Donald Trump, with whom he has even publicly clashed. But the two men have continued to grow closer in recent months.
They met in March and have been speaking regularly on the phone since then, according to the Wall Street Journal. An advisory role for the tech mogul is even being discussed if the former president regains the keys to the White House.
Elon Musk recently denied wanting to give tens of millions of dollars per month to the ex-president's campaign, as the press had reported. He spoke of “much lower” levels.
“I respect Elon Musk a lot, and he respects me,” Donald Trump said at a news conference last week. “Like me, he thinks this country is in big trouble and in big trouble.”
Different audience
Last week, Donald Trump had already sought to reach a different audience by granting an interview to a controversial influencer, Adin Ross, who is also committed to his cause and popular like Elon Musk with young men.
The former president will be in North Carolina on Wednesday to talk about the economy, then in Pennsylvania for a campaign rally on Saturday. However, his campaign has been struggling since Joe Biden's shock withdrawal from the race.
While the 78-year-old Republican seemed to be in a good position against the 81-year-old president, Kamala Harris' candidacy has generated a wave of enthusiasm, which is reflected in the polls.
The woman who wants to become the first female president of the United States toured key states last week. Her schedule is much lighter this week, with only one trip so far on the theme of the cost of living, with Joe Biden on Thursday near Washington.
Next big event: the Democratic Party convention next week in Chicago, gathered around the “ticket” formed by the 59-year-old candidate and her new running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.