Elon Musk’s highly anticipated interview with former President Donald Trump on the social media platform X was met with technical glitches that derailed the event’s scheduled start time on Monday evening. The interview, which was set to begin at 8 p.m. ET, faced issues as social media users were unable to log on to X’s livestream platform.
Technical Difficulties
Shortly after 8:20 p.m., Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, attributed the freezing screens to a cyberattack. Despite the challenges faced by users trying to join the livestream, other parts of X remained operational. Musk claimed that the system had been tested with 8 million concurrent listeners earlier in the day to prevent technical errors and ensure a smooth livestream capability.
Event Delay
As the evening progressed and the technical problems persisted, Musk announced that the interview would proceed at 8:30 p.m. ET with those users who managed to successfully join the stream. He also mentioned that the “unedited audio” would be shared immediately after the event. After nearly an hour of troubleshooting, the conversation finally began around 8:45 p.m. ET, with approximately one million viewers tuned in.
Reaction to the Glitch
Elon Musk responded to the technical difficulties by acknowledging the opposition faced by people wanting to hear what President Trump had to say. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to have a conversation with Trump despite the challenges. Following the interview, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung highlighted Musk’s post on X in response to a request for comment on the technical delay. Cheung later congratulated Musk and Trump for the overwhelming response that caused the crash of the platform.
The technical glitch during the interview drew parallels to a similar incident on X in 2023, which disrupted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign launch announcement. Despite the setback, the interview with Trump was intended to be a newsmaking event to reinvigorate the Trump campaign’s supporters after recent developments following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
During the conversation, Elon Musk emphasized that it was meant to be a casual exchange to showcase Donald Trump’s personality. Trump proceeded to recount the assassination attempt he survived in July in Butler, Pa., which led to the death of a rally attendee. He also shared anecdotes about world leaders like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, while reiterating his stance on immigration and crime, including unfounded claims often heard on the campaign trail.
The technical glitches that disrupted Elon Musk’s interview with Donald Trump on X highlighted the challenges of hosting high-profile events on social media platforms. Despite the setbacks, the conversation between Musk and Trump attracted widespread attention and engagement from viewers. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of ensuring technical preparedness for live events in the digital age.
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