Elon Musk says X’s town hall with Donald Trump ‘will be interesting’
Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) will host a town hall with former US President Donald Trump, three years after he was suspended following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Elon Musk’s decision to lift Donald Trump’s Twitter ban prompted a chatter on the micro-blogging site.(Reuters)
The presumptive Republican nominee will answer submitted questions during the live-streamed event, which will also be broadcast in partnership with cable channel NewsNation. This comes after Trump was convicted on all 34 counts in connection with a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
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The social media company is also planning a similar town hall with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is running for president as an independent.
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According to The Wall Street Journal, President Joe Biden was also invited to a debate or town hall but declined.
Musk also reposted The New York Post’s townhall news with the caption, “This will be interesting.”
X to stage town hall with Trump: Date, time and more
These town halls’ dates, locations, and moderators have not yet been announced. X users will submit questions, but moderators will have the final say on what is asked, likely including at least one NewsNation host alongside other journalists, as reported by Axios.
Trump, who famously steamrolled CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during a town hall last year, has his first debate against Biden scheduled for June 27.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino conceived the idea for these town halls and pitched it to Nexstar Media Group, NewsNation’s parent company.
Trump has posted once on X since Musk lifted his ban last year.
Reports indicate that Musk and Trump have grown closer in recent months.
Musk has not been shy about voicing his displeasure with Biden, and Trump and Musk have reportedly met to discuss a wide range of issues, including cryptocurrency policy and a possible invitation for Musk to address the Republican National Convention this summer, according to Bloomberg News.
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Musk wrote on X that he was “pretty sure I’ve never discussed crypto with Trump, although I am generally in favor of things that shift power from government to the people, which crypto can do.”
There have also been discussions about a possible advisory role for Musk should Trump win the election in November. Recently, Musk attended a dinner in Los Angeles with tech moguls aiming to derail a potential second term for Biden, who is trailing Trump in polls in several key swing states.
Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for Trump, told Bloomberg News, “President Trump will be the only voice of what role an individual plays in his presidency. Many of the nation’s most important leaders in technology and innovation are concerned with the damage done to their industry by Biden’s failures.”
