Elon Musk, Donald Trump event on X crashes site, Tesla CEO blames cyberattack
By: Rebecca Picciotto (CNBC)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
- Elon Musk's much-hyped interview of Donald Trump on the social media platform X was quickly derailed by technical glitches.
- Musk blamed a cyberattack, saying "There appears to be a massive DDOS attack on . Working on shutting it down."
- After nearly an hour of troubleshooting, the conversation eventually kicked off around 8:45 pm E.T. At least one million people were tuned into the interview, according to the X Spaces tally.
Elon Musk (L) and Donald Trump (R).David Swanson | Vincent Alban | Reuters
Elon Musk's much-hyped interview of former President Donald Trump on the social media platform X was quickly derailed by technical glitches in the first minutes of the scheduled start time on Monday evening.
Social media users trying to log on to the event, which was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET, reported that they could not join X's livestream platform.
Shortly after 8:20 p.m., Musk, the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO, blamed a cyberattack for the freezing screens. He said that the company had tested the system with 8 million concurrent listeners earlier on Monday to preempt any technical errors and ensure X's livestream capabilities could handle the event.
As the evening went on and the platform struggled to resolve the technical issue, Musk said that the interview would proceed at 8:30 E.T. with whichever users could successfully join the stream. He added that the "unedited audio" would be posted immediately afterwards.
After nearly an hour of troubleshooting, the conversation eventually kicked off around 8:45 pm E.T. At least one million people were tuned into the interview, according to the X Spaces tally.
Musk opened the interview by apologizing for the delay and blaming an attack against the company's servers. There were no clear signs of an attack, however, and other parts of X continued working throughout.
"This massive attack illustrates there's a lot of opposition to people just hearing what President Trump has to say, but I'm honored to have this conversation," Musk said.
In response to CNBC's request for comment about the technical delay, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung pointed to Musk's X post blaming a potential cyberattack.
The glitch was reminiscent of X's technical disaster in 2023 that botched Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign launch announcement.
The interview was billed as a buzzy, news-making event to help the Trump campaign revive its supporters after a rattling three weeks since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
"This is unscripted with no limits on subject matter, so should be highly entertaining!" Musk wrote in a Sunday post on X, teasing the event.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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This whole thing sounds hokey.
Technical issues blamed on a cyberattack?
I smell Trump blaming this on the Democrats.
Musk's platform isn't working like it should. I guess he shouldn't have fired all the techies
But of course, it was the Democrats hacking it
I forgot about that. What a smart move
The Musk -Trump interview is playing on Infowars
musk and the former 'president' are amoral freakshows
Trump just said Biden is "close to a vegetable"
The audio is not that great making Trump sound like he has loose or missing teeth.
I can't find the whole interview; do you have a link maybe? I don't know how much I can stomach though.
I'm listening to the 'conversation' now - they're just talking about the 'assassination attempt' for 15 to 20 minutes - they're both just kissing each others' asses, it's disgusting.
On today's "Deadline: White House" there was a guest who points out Elon Musk is turning "X" into a right-wing channel alone instead of a balanced service. Something he promised he would not do, it is said. He (the guest) and She (Nicole Wallace) ask this question:
Why are advertisers and liberals still on 'X' where misinformation and apathy about the truth exists daily?
It's time to go and take their monies where truth is.
I think Flynn got too close to some mortar shells exploding....
If nothing else, Musk has shown us who the fascists are. Today, the Washington Post asked the Biden administration to step in and stop a private citizen from interviewing Trump and the EU began their interference in our election by threatening X for hosting an interview. The Harris campaign, who refuse to answer question from the media also attacked Musk for spreading Trump's agenda.
I've listened to about 20 minutes of it. Its actually very boring.
I don t know if Trump is badly lisping , but that is what it sounds like. Twitter is having fun making fun of him.
I think Musk wanted to find a way to get Trump to return to X and become a daily poster there. Trump will play along for a couple days and then say to hell with this.
The real question is how long this junk will last. I presume they have no time limit.
I didn't hear a minute, but lisping is a common issue in online group meetings
Trump and Musk are claiming that 100 million people will eventually hear this interview. I hope that's true, it would guarantee a Harris victory.
Musk, not surprising, offered Trump a wiffle ball interview. Trump of course made his typical lies and Musk did not once even hint at a correction. It was also interesting / strange listening to Trump suck up to Musk.
Disregarding Trump's ridiculous exaggerations and lies, Elon made some very good policy points.
Its been going for an hour and a half, although they are hinting the end may be in sight. With these two you never know though. They might be getting their second wind.
At least he answered questions.
When is Harris/Walz going to do the same?
Trump 'answers' questions by lying; is that good with you? Trump lying to you about what he claims he can do (e.g. prevent wars) and will do (e.g. end the Ukraine war) is worthless.
My guess is after the convention. Right now Harris is shoring up her base and trying to inspire the electorate. Seems reasonable to me.
It is really ridiculous that we can hear the same questions and answers that Donald gives and we come away knowing we've just been played, conned, or knowing a lie when we hear it. . .and some Trumpists come away believing passionately that they have been supplied with 'gospel truth.' It is ridiculous. The answers given by Trump can not be equally true and a lie at the same time. Impossible!
Ah! It must be Trumpists put their understanding of Trump's answers through an 'alternative reality' filter system.
Trump 'answers' questions by lying
so he is a politician that learned how to do that when he was a democrat not that long ago. So what. They all do it.
How did Trump come to adopt the term?
This is another irony.
There have long been warnings about Trump’s lies. That Jacobson story in the Post is from 2018. Trump falsely claimed after the 2016 election , which he won, that millions of people had illegally voted for his opponent, Hillary Clinton. Leading up to the 2020 election, Trump again routinely asserted that voting in the US would be rigged against him, and afterward, when he denied his loss, critics began using the term “the Big Lie” to describe his rejection of the factual world.
Trump, master propagandist , has since seized the term from his critics and now routinely uses it to claim it is he who is the victim of untruths and conspiracies.
“The Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE! ” [Trump] said in a statement issued by his PAC on May 3.
Since then, Trump’s use of it to claim his own persecution has arguably eclipsed its use to warn about his lies as a form of propaganda.
Well, being how liberals’ claim that Trump tried to steal the 2020 election by claiming it was the big lie makes sense that you are comparing Hitler to them.
After the Gold Rush
MARIE BRENNER
SEPTEMBER 1990
[Excerpt.]
Donald Trump appears to take aspects of his German background seriously. John Walter works for the Trump Organization, and when he visits Donald in his office, Ivana told a friend, he clicks his heels and says, "Heil Hitler," possibly as a family joke.
Last April, perhaps in a surge of Czech nationalism, Ivana Trump told her lawyer Michael Kennedy that from time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler's collected speeches , My New Order , which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed. Kennedy now guards a copy of My New Order in a closet at his office, as if it were a grenade. Hitler's speeches, from his earliest days up through the Phony War of 1939, reveal his extraordinary ability as a master propagandist .
"Did your cousin John give you the Hitler speeches?" I asked Trump.
Trump hesitated. "Who told you that?"
"I don't remember," I said.
"Actually, it was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of Mein Kampf, and he's a Jew." ("I did give him a book about Hitler," Marty Davis said. "But it was My New Order, Hitler's speeches, not Mein Kampf. I thought he would find it interesting. I am his friend, but I'm not Jewish.")
Later, Trump returned to this subject. "If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them."
Is Ivana trying to convince her friends and lawyer that Trump is a crypto-Nazi? Trump is no reader or history buff. Perhaps his possession of Hitler's speeches merely indicates an interest in Hitler's genius at propaganda . The Führer often described his defeats at Stalingrad and in North Africa as great victories. Trump continues to endow his diminishing world with significance as well.
My proof?
critics began using the term “the Big Lie”
straight from your link
Maybe you didn’t understand my post.
You try to pin the use of the words ‘the big lie’ on Trump first using them.
I proved you wrong by showing you, in your own pasted part of your link, that it was leftists that started to use the term first.
It’ no surprise that the left adopted a quote from as on of their own.
Prove it. Show the 'pin' where it is mentioned (in my comments) that Trump was the FIRST to use the term: "Big Lie." As my comment clearly says Hitler was the FIRST to use the propaganda styled: "Big Lie."
As far as liberals go they were right to point out that what Donald is doing is a "Hitler-level" propaganda technique as 8.2.6 points out. He had the book, 'New Order' back before the 90's! And, where Donald comes in is he ACCEPTED the term as his own propaganda tool about his made up 'Big Lie' about his 2020 election loss.
Funny how a politician who is not on the friendliest terms with the truth is so shocking to those on the left that ignore when their side of the isle lies.
Never said that. Your propaganda article insinuated it by this first sentence.
How did Trump come to adopt the term?
No it didn't insinuate that to the collective "you." That is an untruth. Nowhere in the comment 8.2.4 that starts out stating Hitler came up with the propagandist 'tool' - "Big Lie" does it make sense to suggest that Donald came up with the expression FIRST! Adolph Hitler was born, raised, and WW2 ended (1945) before Donald was born (1946). Oh, and Donald is 78 years old now.
Trump's Big Lie was applied to Trump and his lie that the election was stolen. He never adopted the term for his own.
JBB, See 8.2.8 (and I will add this with the link that it all comes from here.)
You need to tell cb that because his link specifically states that he did
www.usatoday.com /story/opinion/columnist/2024/08/12/trump-musk-interview-x-twitter-spaces-disaster/74774628007/
Trump rambles, slurs his way through Elon Musk interview. It was an unmitigated disaster.
4-5 minutes
For a fascism-curious billionaire who loves cuddling up to right-wing loons, Elon Musk sure is good at making right-wing politicians look stupid.
Former president Donald Trump had loudly trumpeted a planned Monday night interview with Musk that would stream on X. But much like the disastrous X-platformed launch of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign , the Musk/Trump interview failed to launch , leaving social media users laughing at the collective incompetence.
Since Vice President Kamala Harris rose to the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, Trump’s campaign has been flailing . His childish attacks against her aren’t working. His racist comments about her mixed-race heritage have repelled all but his most loyal supporters. His vice presidential pick, JD Vance, becomes less likable every time he speaks .
So his answer, weirdly, was to sit down with Musk and talk to what would undoubtedly be a very online audience that doesn’t represent the broader electorate. Had the conversation gone off without a hitch, it still would have been odd and largely useless for Trump’s effort to halt Harris’ momentum.
Trump's interview with Elon Musk was an unmitigated disaster
But the online interview went off (the rails) with a multitude of hitches. X users erupted with either frustration or laughter as the planned start time passed, and nothing could be accessed. It took more than 40 minutes before the interview could start and be heard by anyone. It was amateur hour, the last thing a campaign struggling to project competence needed.
Last May, when the DeSantis campaign premiered with a glitch-tastic interview with Musk on what was then called Twitter, Trump mocked the debacle , writing on social media: “Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!”
On behalf of DeSantis, allow me to say this: HAH!
Forget the glitches, Trump's X interview got worse when he started talking
Of course, things didn’t get better for Trump once the interview was able to proceed.
Trump says AI did it: Trump blames Harris' crowds on AI, so let's all assume everything we don't like is fake!
He was rambling, babbling on about crowd sizes and immigration and President Joe Biden and whatever else seemed to pass through his mind. He was also badly slurring his words , raising questions about his health, and doing nothing to knock down rising concerns about his age and well-being.
He sounded like a disoriented, racist Daffy Duck.
Elon Musk is no Barbara Walters – his interview skills stink
Musk, meanwhile, has the interviewing skills of a stoned introvert. He did little but cheerlead Trump and agree with every bizarro thing that fell out of his mouth, while occasionally going on the kind of odd right-wing tangents you’d expect from a man too rich to ever be told to pipe down.
I’m not going to quote anything Trump said in the interview because it was either too stupid to merit transcription or a mere repetition of the nonsense he spouts at every rally he holds.
Harris can beat Trump: I was wrong about Kamala Harris. And that's a huge problem for Donald Trump
A big part of Trump’s problem right now is he has become almost unbearably boring. Build a wall. Drill, baby, drill. Marxist, socialist something-something. Harris only recently became Black. Blah, blah, blah.
Musk gave Trump the same gift he gave Ron DeSantis. Whomp-whomp.
So for Trump, sitting down with a rich weirdo few people like and slurring his way through an interview that failed to launch was, in the words of one Donald J. Trump, “a DISASTER!”
Musk, with his social-media ineptness and unmerited sense of self-importance, made DeSantis look like a fool. And now he’s done the same to Trump.
Heck, if Musk keeps this up, I might start to like him.
I don't think Musk sets out to make them look like fools.....
Really, he just essentially agreed with whatever trump ranted and lied about in regard to whatever question was asked - so it takes nothing to make him and them look like the fools they are.
My final word -
Musk didnt ask Trump why he lied about Kamala Harris and said she is using AI to create rally crowds
some interviewer
Kamala can go talk to him also. Just think of the millions she could reach to tell them all about what her policies will be if she gets elected.
Using that logic, Trump should accept an interview conducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger or Robert DeNiro or any number of high profile celebrities who are clearly biased against Trump and can command a large audience.
It would be stupid for Trump to accept such an interview.
Actually, Kamala Harris should accept the invitation (and be well prepared to present her points in contrast to Donald's and Elon's). A 'youthful' homosexual named Pete Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary, for the Biden Administration often appears before the assembled Fox News crowd on any given day and gives them his level-headed best which helps to illustrate that he is a homosexual with a 'head on his shoulders' and not just a self-absorbed 'head' between his legs.
Go! If only to establish that he presented her the same privilege as Donald; if only to demonstrate 'no fear' of a hostile virtual audience of 'non-believers' in her.
And then perhaps Elon will have demonstrated he can present opportunity for balance, even though he does not accept her policies (any longer). Finally, she could take down at least in the short-term some MISINFORMATION/DISINFORMATION being broadcasted to an "X" audience.
That assumes the interviewer will be objective and not gear the interview against her.
Musk let Trump talk unchallenged.
Musk could just as easily interrupt Harris and challenge everything she says. In that, she would spend her time defending and correcting and less time getting her message out.
There is no logical reason to put oneself at a disadvantage.
I understand. Still, I would suggest she do it. (She just has to be ready.)
There is something to be said for Pete Buttigieg going repetitively into the 'belly of the beast, 'er Fox News' and not only surviving the experiences, plural—he comes back out to us with 'receipts.'
I don't hear him slurring at all - not that I'm defending the asshole - but it's just a mutual ass kissing mutual bj 'conversation'
and musk laughing inappropriately ....
I once had a good opinion about Donald and then he became known to me. I once had a good opinion about Elon, and now he has become 'known' to me. I can now say that both of these men are 'TRASH' to me. That Elon would purchase a service like Twitter and then bend it to his will to support (and turn over identifying information on "X" users- say e-mail addresses to Donald and the RNC) is going too far!
I observe that Elon is not inviting Harris onto his platform for an interview. Or will he?
The media should be fair to leave the damn platform to Right-wing propagandists and MISINFORMATION. Where it now resides and belongs! Get off "X" (if you can).
What can a man of the status of Elon Musk want with a liar like Donald? How does Elon know when Donald is telling the truth? Donald is somewhere right now on the planet lying. . . .
How can anybody tell when Donald is telling the truth in a setting?
And so we get a reality check on how Elon (really) feels about ordinary and marginalized citizens of our country. The scoundrel 'class' has turned its face to look us right in the eyes!
Incidentally, Donald is deploying another 'trick' of his (so be on the 'watch' for it): No Press coverage is bad press coverage. Donald desperately wants to steal back the limelight from V.P. Harris. . . so if it takes a 'Liar's palooza" to break through her EARNED MEDIA BLOCKADE. . . Donald is "all in" to throw out lies as often as UPS/FEDEX/DHL does its combined deliveries!
Donald wants to be the king of EARNED MEDIA (free media from the MSM).
I understand Musk asked Kamala to be interviewed like Trump. I am looking forward for that to happen. S/
What kind of crazy campaign strategy would give a Trump supporter and amateur (and bad) interviewer the means to publicly interview Harris?
Interview venues should be hosted by professionals and ideally professionals who can maintain at least the semblance of objectivity.
Um, he is a billionaire with a couple million followers. Of course it doesn't seem she really doesn't want to get her message out so I am sure she will chicken out.
Well that hasn't happened in years but keep the hope alive.
"Um"? You think you have offered a good reason to do this interview?
Breaking this down for you:
⛬ The interview will not be objective
Musk offered Trump wiffle ball questions, allowed him to ramble on, and never challenged any of his lies (and he spewed some outrageous crap). Musk will almost certainly do the opposite for Harris.
An interview controlled by a biased non-professional is a negative benefit. With a negative benefit (i.e. penalty vs. reward), the greater the audience, the worse the negative effect. As I noted, it would be strategically stupid for Harris to do that.
A ridiculous conclusion. Of course she wants her message out and thus she will seek venues where she actually can get her message out rather than spend her time defending against attacks from a biased host.
This is basic politics. It is also common sense.
What little I heard of this 'interview' or 'whatever that was' lolol - all musk did was say uh huh and yes or something to that effect while trump rambled and lied, as usual
That is how it went. No matter how outrageous Trump's claim, Musk just let it go.
I'm listening to the whole thing in its entirety now - and it's just about the 'assassination attempt' and illegal immigrants and the border - 15 to 20 to 30 minutes in - and crowd size at the 'rally' where the 'assassination attempt' occurred
I think he's watched Scaface too many times - referring to other countries emptying out their jails and releasing them here.
He said Putin respects him.
That is a ridiculous conclusion based on a desire to keep Kamala away from getting anything other than softball question.
More conjecture as to what Musk might do in an attempt to shelter Harris from getting any tough questions
So she should just stick with biased professionals that will only give her wiffle balls. There would be no negative benefit if she was prepared and held her own, better yet told the millions of people she would reach what she would do other than sound bites. The only way it is a negative benefit is if she blows it and can not hold her own.
The conclusion is valid. The only people she wants to get her message out to will be the ones that are already voting for her if she only does interviews with them. Musk would reach a totally different audience. Funny how people complaining about Musk giving Trump softballs and letting him talk without interrupting are looking for Kamala to get softballs and letting her talk without interrupting her. When she does that she will be doing it in front of the people that are already planning to vote for her
There is a difference between asking tough questions and attacking an interviewee. Maybe Musk has a better idea what that is that the MSM does.
So far Kamala is running on the no substance platform and if she doesn't do any interviews where she might be asked to defend her positions, flip flops or anything else uncomfortable (Like Trump has done many times) She is only showing her fear letting people know who she is and what she stands for.
Of course it is common sense to avoid someone like Musk if she has no faith that Musk would not eat her lunch. She could gain alot and only lose a little
Amazing that you do not realize it is stupid for a politician to willingly place themself in a hostile political venue.
But trump said she's not a smart person.
I was watching Stephen Colbert with my dad and company, and he replayed all of trump's former 'campaign' comments about Joe and they were just a rehash. Not a single fresh idea or thought or anything. Nothing new. Just the same remarks and ____________ insert political opponent's name here shtick.
Amazing to think anyone would believe singing to the chior is a good way to get a message out to anyone not in the chior.
I never have an expectation of trying to change the mind of Trump supporters. My conclusion is that those who support Trump at this point are entirely unreachable with facts or logic.
I do find it interesting that Trump supporters are aghast at mostly chickenshit nits about Harris-Walz while ignoring the major wrongdoings and fundamental character flaws of Trump.
I suspect that in the grand scheme of things, voters will be able to recognize the positive, altruistic, presidential, responsible message coming from Harris-Walz in contrast to the negative, narcissistic crap coming from Trump-Vance.
I've been communicating by email with some old friends who are desperate to turn me around to MAGA. Our back and forths have been cordial and lively. They are making about as much headway with me as you are having trying to talk down your MAGAs.
To MAGA the economy and immigration trump all other issues.
I think people definitely have trump fatigue - most are tired of trump 24/7 - and he is seriously losing a lot of support - I honestly love Joe Biden but I am glad he stepped aside honorably. The new enthusiasm and hope and joy is a refreshing change from the 24/7 hate and insanity and ignorance coming from trump.
Also, I listened to the musk/trump interview - parts of it on Colbert tonight and elsewhere - and I heard him slurring but I didn't hear that on other bits I heard elsewhere, weird. I questioned John Russell on that the other day because I didn't hear it at all and then I heard it clear as bell, like I said, on Colbert, when he played parts of it back.
I agree 100%.
The Trumpists I know live in an alternative reality.
Donald posted a meme about white, clean, orderly front yards and picket fences (as 'Trump America') and contrasted it with a chaotic image of black and brown immigrants ('Coming to America') and taking 'black jobs' and 'brown jobs' from citizens of the country.
Trump is a player in the game of racists memes! Identity politics too! So much for some conservatives who try to point elsewhere on the topic!
That had nothing to do with my post so deflection noted.
Somebody has to explain to me, how it is possible for someone to 'bear' up under a prolific daily liar's scorn for the truth. Unless, they travel in harmony of an alternative universe (of lies) together! That is, how can one sit and listen to blatant, deliberate, and repetitive lies and not feel any unction to speak up in defense of truth?!
HOW is this possible?
Donald looks 'dated' these days.
Like a 1950s comic book villain...
Oh, which one?
This one -
LOL! (I am going to laugh out loud at 'Donald' because he stupidly mocks people and is petty every day of his life!)
There isn't anyone more deserving of ridicule than that jerk.
I am really stunned as to what the richest man in the world is signaling by 'intimately' paling around with the nation's biggest prevaricator Donald! Elon does something for Donald, but what does Donald do for Elon? There will be a backlash on Tesla over this-if it has not begun already!
Musk probably thinks he will get a lot out of Trump. Major tax cuts. Elimination of regulations on his businesses. No bid government contracts. Who knows what else.
It reminds me of the 2016 election season when Donald remarked that he has been 'buying' (or words to that effect) politicians, on both sides, of the aisle for decades ahead of his choosing to run for office. Donald is untrustworthy. . . but, I guess, as long as it is a transactional, Donald can be in it for Elon's money and 'reputation.'
Now then to the politics. . . should Donald (heaven forbid) become president again. . . I guess any support for Ukraine by Elon's array of products would be part of a high-pressure move by Donald to get Ukraine to surrender land to Russia (namely, keep Crimea and may more).
What could it be that a prevaricator Donald and Elon would discuss behind doors in a 'sacred' space. . . . Hmmm. Selling 'out' the federal government comes quickly to mind.