When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn 
In a key moment for the 2024 US presidential race, Donald Trump and Elon Musk highlighted their strong and controversial alliance during a widely watched interview on X.
The conversation, filled with bold statements and strategic political moves, shows how tech leaders play a bigger role in American politics.
Musk’s public support for Trump, along with the possibility of him being part of a future Trump administration, marks a big change in their relationship and could boost Trump’s campaign as he faces tough competition from Kamala Harris.
Topics of Discussion
Trump Assassination Attempt
The interview started with Trump telling the dramatic story of the recent assassination attempt against him, which he said happened during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump explained that he survived because he turned his head at the right moment, which saved him from being hit by a bullet.
Elon Musk, who began the conversation by praising Trump’s bravery, asked him to share the story, even though Trump had previously promised to only tell it once at the Republican National Convention.
Trump jokingly said, “Illegal immigration saved my life,” referring to the chart about immigration he was looking at when the bullet missed him. Musk endorsed Trump after the incident and used this moment to compliment Trump’s courage further.
This is insane…
New video from the Trump assassination attempt shows Thomas Crooks not stealthily crawling on the AGR roof, but literally running across.
The Secret Service either allowed this or is so incompetent it’s truly hard to believe.pic.twitter.com/CxlV4vISlN
— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) July 31, 2024
Kamala Harris and Immigration
Trump quickly moved on to criticize Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris, especially focusing on her role in immigration. His comments included:
- Criticism of Harris as the “Border Tsar”: Trump criticized Harris by calling her the ineffective “border tsar” and blamed her for what he called a crisis at the US-Mexico border. He claimed that dangerous people, including those released from prison for serious crimes like murder, were trying to enter the country – making an unproven claim that 22 people from the Congo, who he called murderers, had recently entered the US He also attacked Harris personally, calling her a radical Democrat and accusing her of destroying California when she was the state’s attorney general and later a senator.
- Comparing Harris to Melania Trump: In a bizarre twist, Trump discussed Harris’s appearance on the cover of Time magazine and compared Harris to his wife, Melania Trump, calling her “beautiful” while criticizing her political work.
Harris Campaign Response
The Harris campaign criticized the interview, arguing that Trump’s campaign mainly serves rich individuals like himself and Elon Musk, who they described as self-centered billionaires.
They also highlighted the irony that, despite their wealth, they couldn’t even run a successful livestream in 2024—alluding to the technical issues that led to the livestream starting 40 minutes late.
Climate Change and Global Threats
The conversation then turned to global issues, where Trump downplayed climate change’s importance. The key points from this part of the interview include:
- Dismissal of Climate Change: Trump said that global warming is a minor issue, instead focusing on what he called “nuclear warming” as the biggest threat to global security. Even though he has often been skeptical of green energy, Trump made a surprising comment about electric vehicles, praising Musk for his work with Tesla and suggesting that Musk might be the one to put solar panels on cars in the future.
- Comments on Ukraine: When discussing Ukraine, Trump suggested that he could have prevented the current conflict if he were still president. He also expressed admiration for Russia’s military history, which is in line with his often controversial views on foreign policy.
Musk’s Role in a Potential Trump Administration
Elon Musk was supportive throughout the interview, even suggesting he could join a future Trump administration as part of a “government efficiency commission.” This idea fits with Musk’s business skills and Trump’s political goals, showing a stronger alliance.
Musk, who has previously said he was a moderate Democrat, argued that Trump represents the path to prosperity and that his involvement in politics is because he believes the country is at a critical moment.
Unproven Claims
Throughout the interview, Trump made several unproven claims, many of which were widely discussed on X after the interview.
Criticism of Harris as the “Border Tsar”
Trump’s claim that Harris was the “border tsar” is not accurate. Harris was never officially in charge of border security. Her role was focused on dealing with the root causes of migration from Central America, not on managing border security directly. The responsibility for border security lies with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Again, VP Harris was not assigned to be a "border czar." There is no such job.
On February 2, 2021, a Biden EO created 2 new strategies for addressing migration through regional diplomacy.
On March 24, 2021, Biden announced VP Harris had agreed to lead THOSE strategies. https://t.co/XpaMlKE2bK pic.twitter.com/noVTV9SypV
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) July 23, 2024
22 Congo Murderers in the US
Trump claimed that 22 people from the Congo, who he called murderers, had recently entered the US.
Officials from both countries have clearly said that these stories are baseless. Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, a spokesperson for the Democratic Republic of Congo, stated that Trump’s claims about Congolese prisons being emptied are not valid.
Similarly, Serge Mombouli, the Republic of Congo’s ambassador to the US, confirmed no evidence to support these statements.
Experts and human rights organizations focusing on the region have also said they have found no proof to back up these claims. A search through media reports and information from both pro- and anti-immigration groups uncovered no evidence.
In reality, the number of Congolese migrants arriving at the US border is very small, and there is no data to suggest that any of them are former prisoners.
Trump has made similar unproven claims before, but none of these claims have been proven to be true.
Dismissal of Climate Change
Trump said that global warming is a minor issue, instead focusing on what he called “nuclear warming” as the biggest threat to global security.
Trump’s dismissal of climate change is based on incorrect information. His claim that sea levels will rise only one-eighth of an inch over the next 400 years is wrong. In reality, the global average sea level is rising much faster—data shows that the global mean water level in the ocean rose by 0.14 inches per year from 2006 to 2015.
History of the Trump-Musk Relationship
The interview between Trump and Musk shows a big change in their relationship, which was difficult before. They used to disagree, but now they are working together because they have similar goals and dislike the current government.
MUSK: “I’ve not been very political before… they try to paint me as a far right guy which is absurd because I like to make electric vehicles… I supported Obama. I stood in line for 6 hours to shake Obama’s hand… historically I was a moderate Democrat. But now I feel like we’re…
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 13, 2024
This change happened mainly because Musk doesn’t agree with President Biden’s policies, especially those that affect his businesses. Furthermore, his views on Kamala Harris have become more critical and controversial.
Imagine 4 years of this … https://t.co/gFwWAv15Qx
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 22, 2024
Musk’s increasing involvement in conservative politics, including his efforts to get other tech billionaires to back Trump, shows that he believes Trump’s way of running the country is better for his own interests. This support became stronger after an assassination attempt on Trump, which seemed to bring them even closer.
