The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is set to interview Donald Trump live on his X network on Monday night, and has promised a “very entertaining” time with the former president, whom he openly supports in the race for the White House.
The interview is expected to seek to relaunch the Republican candidate’s campaign, which has been struggling since Kamala Harris entered the race on the Democratic side.
But the exercise, between two men accustomed to outrageous and controversial statements, 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 Digital Commissioner 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.
Monday’s interview with the former president will be conducted “with no predetermined script, no limits on the topics discussed 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, this account – the former White House guest’s favorite communication channel during his term – had only posted one new publication: his mugshot.
But a salvo of messages published Monday morning, between campaign videos and promotion of the interview, seemed 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 ever since, according to the Wall Street JournalAn advisory role for the tech mogul would even be under discussion if the former president regained the keys to the White House.
Elon Musk recently denied that he was planning to donate tens of millions of dollars a month to the former president’s campaign, as the press had reported. He spoke of levels that were “much lower.”
“I have great respect for Elon Musk, and he has great respect for me,” Trump said at a news conference last week. “Like me, he believes this country is in great trouble and in great danger.”
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 as popular as 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 appeared 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.