US Elections 2024: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has extended an invitation to US Vice President and Democrat nominee for the upcoming presidential elections Kamala Harris to appear in an interview with him after his interview with former US President and Harris' Republican rival Donald Trump on Monday (local time).
Trump sat for a friendly two-hour interview with Musk on X after technical problems delayed the start of the event for more than 40 minutes. Notably, Musk has endorsed Trump on several issues such as immigration and abortion while also initiating a super PAC to support Trump's campaign, though it is currently under investigation in Michigan for potential legal violations.
"Happy to host Kamala on an X Spaces too," Musk said on the platform after interviewing Trump. Notably, Harris has come under fire for not conducting any public interviews since President Joe Biden stepped out of the presidential race in November three weeks ago. Trump has repeatedly described Harris' rise to the top of the party ranks as a 'coup'.
While Harris and her campaign team are yet to comment on whether they would accept Musk's invitation, they mocked the Trump interview and its technical issues. "Trump's entire campaign is in service of people like Elon musk and himself - self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024," read a statement.
Trump's interview with Musk
The two men exchanged praise repeatedly, with Musk lauding Trump for his bravery during the attempt on his life last month, and Trump congratulating Musk for his willingness to fire workers demanding better conditions. "You're the greatest cutter. I mean, I look at what you do. You walk in, you just say: 'You want to quit?' They go on strike - I won't mention the name of the company - but they go on strike. And you say: 'That's okay, you're all gone.'," he said.
Musk, the world's richest person, announced his support for Trump shortly after his attempted assassination, despite the Republican's opposition to state support for electric carmakers like Tesla. Musk backed Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020 but has tilted towards a rightward stance.
Trump insulted Harris several times, referring to her as "third rate", "incompetent" and "a radical left lunatic." However, he praised her looks, saying, "She looks like the most beautiful actress ever to live", in a reference towards a picture of the Vice President on the cover of Time magazine.
'I beat him so bad': Trump on Biden's exit
Trump also asserted that Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 election was the result of a "coup." Trump attributed Biden's exit to a decisive debate performance, stating, "I beat Biden so bad in the debate, he was forced out of the race – one of the greatest debate performances ever."
During the interview, Trump also claimed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine would not have occurred if he were still in office. He emphasised his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting that this relationship could have prevented the conflict. "I got along with Putin very well, and he respected me," Trump said.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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