Conversation with Musk on X Platform
Criticizing Rival Harris... Showing Friendship with Kim Jong-un
Calling Tesla Electric Cars "Amazing"
Musk Also Responds, "I Will Support"
"Only a smart president can stop the Ukraine war. I can stop it."
On the 12th (local time), former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, met with his supporter Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and claimed that he is the right candidate to solve major international issues as the next president. While emphasizing that a 'strong president' is important for the national security of the United States, he also showcased his friendship with Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea.
In the evening, former President Trump made these remarks during a conversation released on the X (formerly Twitter) platform, disparaging his competitor, Vice President Kamala Harris. This interview was made public amid recent polls showing former President Trump trailing behind the Democratic Party's new candidate, Vice President Harris.
Former President Trump began by addressing the shooting incident during last month's campaign. He said, "At the time, I didn't realize there was so much blood coming from my ear, but later doctors said, 'The ear is a place where a lot of blood comes out,'" adding, "It made me believe in God even more." He also told CEO Musk, "If I hadn't turned my head, I wouldn't have been able to talk to you," and said he would attend the Butler, Pennsylvania campaign rally again in October, where the shooting incident occurred. CEO Musk had publicly declared his support for former President Trump immediately after the shooting.
He also unleashed criticism against Vice President Harris, the Democratic Party's new candidate. Former President Trump criticized, "Due to the loose immigration policies of Harris and Joe Biden, illegal immigrants were able to cross the U.S. border connected to Mexico." He also claimed that Harris copied his pledge when she recently announced plans to abolish federal income tax on tips. He raised his voice, saying, "Only a smart president can stop the Ukraine war," asserting that he is that person.
Former President Trump identified the greatest threat to the Earth not as the climate crisis but as nuclear warming, stating, "We must not entrust anything to fools like Biden." He claimed there was no 'nuclear crisis' during his administration and emphasized the need for a strong American president to stand up to nuclear-armed countries. When CEO Musk said about Kim Jong-un, "He responds to strength, not weakness," former President Trump responded, "That's right. I maintained a good relationship with him during my term," showcasing their friendship.
Former President Trump, who had maintained a critical stance on electric vehicles, praised Tesla during the conversation with CEO Musk, calling its products "amazing." On this day, CEO Musk also said he would take a role in the administration to reduce government spending if Trump is re-elected. When CEO Musk said, "I hope a Government Efficiency Commission is established to ensure government funds are used in a better way. I will support this," former President Trump responded, "I would gladly do that if re-elected."
The interview was delayed by more than 40 minutes due to technical issues. Regarding this, CEO Musk claimed, "X was tested to accommodate up to 8 million users but was subjected to a large-scale DDoS attack."
Trump Returns to X... Due to Lagging Poll Numbers?
Former President Trump's return to X is after a long time. Especially through the conversation with his supporter CEO Musk, it is interpreted that he aimed to rally supporters and counter the rising momentum of the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race. According to The Hill, in the average of 111 recent nationwide polls, Vice President Harris holds a slight lead with 47.6% support over former President Trump's 47.3%.
Before the conversation, former President Trump also posted on his X account. He questioned, "Is it better now than when I was president?" and wrote, "I will make America great again." The last post Trump wrote on X before this was a mugshot photo from August last year. The post before that was on January 9, 2021.
Previously, former President Trump was permanently banned from major U.S. social media platforms, including Twitter, after being identified as behind the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot by his supporters. After CEO Musk acquired Twitter at the end of 2022, he proactively restored Trump's account, but Trump had been communicating through Truth Social, the SNS he founded. Recently, CEO Musk, who has been struggling with a sharp decline in advertising revenue, is also expected to benefit from Trump's return to X.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU), which is active in regulating social media, stated on this day that former President Trump's conversation with CEO Musk on X could violate the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA is a law enacted in August last year to prevent the spread of false information and illegal content on social media platforms. The EU is also investigating whether X violated the DSA in relation to a stabbing incident that occurred in the UK on the 29th of last month. If confirmed to have violated the DSA, X could face fines of up to 6% of its global revenue.
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