Elon Musk and Donald Trump held a conversation on X Spaces on Monday evening, where the GOP nominee touched on a range of topics, including a recent assassination attempt, his plans to return to Butler, Pennsylvania, and his criticism of Kamala Harris. While Trump has participated in interviews with various major networks, YouTubers, and others, Harris has notably not held a press conference, given interviews, or announced any policy positions.
Musk emphasized that the event was a conversation rather than an interview, explaining, “My use of the word conversation is deliberate. This is so that people understand how Donald Trump talks when it’s a conversation, rather than an interview. Nobody is quite themselves in an interview, so it’s hard to understand what they’re really like.”
At the start of the Spaces, Musk mentioned that X had been under a DDOS attack, causing a delay. He then asked Trump about the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, expressing his admiration for Trump’s courage. Trump described the experience as “surreal” and recounted how he knew immediately that he had been shot, adding that bullets were “whizzing overhead” as he took cover.
Trump credited his survival to divine intervention, stating, “For those people who don’t believe in God, I think we got to all start thinking about that.” He explained that he was saved by looking at a sign about illegal immigration, which caused him to turn his head at the last moment, resulting in the bullet striking his ear instead of his head.
Trump also honored Corey Comperatore, a retired firefighter who was killed in the attack, and acknowledged others who were injured. He praised the Secret Service agent who took down the shooter with a single shot, remarking, “It was one perfect shot from very far away. And if he didn’t do that, Elon… a lot more people could have been badly hurt and killed.”
Musk praised Trump for his bravery, recalling how Trump raised his fist in the air after the incident. Trump responded by saying, “When I put the fist up, they were just relieved and happy and thrilled, and the place went crazy.” He also announced plans to return to Butler in October.
The conversation then shifted to illegal immigration, where Trump criticized Kamala Harris for her handling of border security, calling her weak in her role as “border czar.” He also accused Harris of copying his proposal to eliminate taxes on tips, a policy she recently announced during her campaign.
Musk agreed with Trump on the importance of securing the border, stating, “I think it’s essential to have a secure border. I mean, you’re not a country unless you have a secure border.” He added that immigration should be focused on bringing in “good, hard-working people.”
Trump further accused Harris of orchestrating a “coup” against Biden, claiming that the Democrats gave Biden the option to leave office “the nice way” or “the hard way.” Musk echoed this sentiment, saying, “They just took him out back behind the shed and basically shot him.”
This conversation marked Trump’s return to X after being banned by the platform’s previous ownership following the January 6th Capitol riot. Musk, who has previously voted for Democrats, has now endorsed Trump ahead of the 2024 election.