Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
On Monday night, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Elon Musk engaged in a two-hour live conversation on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
After a delay caused by a “massive” cyberattack—as the X owner called it—the discussion started by commenting on Trump’s assassination attempt in June, with other topics such as the future of artificial intelligence, electric vehicles (EVs), and sustainability.
Musk formally endorsed Trump two months ago immediately after the assassination attempt with the former President reaffirming how much that meant to him.
[It] meant a lot to me. Not all endorsements mean that much, to be honest. Your endorsement meant a lot,” Trump stated.
Here’s the full conversation between Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
Later in the conversation, Musk proposed that Trump establish a new presidential commission dedicated to “government efficiency” suggesting that he could be part of it. Trump immediately approved the idea saying, “I’d love it.”
During the conversation, Trump acknowledged Musk’s contributions to the EV industry, stating, “You do make a great product, I have to say. I have to be honest with you. That doesn’t mean everybody should have an electric car, but these are minor details. Your product is incredible.”
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, emphasized the importance of transitioning towards sustainable energy.
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“It is something we need to move towards. People can still have a steak and drive gas cars. I don’t think we should vilify people for it, but we should generally lean in the direction of sustainability,” Musk said.
“I believe solar will dominate Earth’s energy generation in the future. By combining solar power with batteries to charge electric vehicles, we can achieve a long-term sustainable solution.”
Musk also highlighted Tesla’s mission to create vehicles that are both environmentally friendly and desirable.
“At Tesla, we don’t believe that caring about the environment means sacrificing quality. Our cars are designed to be beautiful, high-performing, and fast. Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y spell out S———. It’s probably the most expensive joke ever, but I’m a big fan of creating an inspiring future,” Musk quipped.
The discussion also touched on the broader implications of transitioning to a sustainable energy economy. Musk expressed concerns about the potential risks of not moving quickly enough.
“Over time, we want to shift to a sustainable energy economy. We don’t want to get too close to 1,000ppm [parts per million of CO2] because it becomes uncomfortable to breathe, you start getting headaches. On balance, it’s probably better to move towards a sustainable future faster rather than slower,” he concluded.
In a speech in Atlanta held earlier this month, Trump expressed his support for electric vehicles, attributing his stance to the strong endorsement from Elon Musk.
“I’m for electric cars. I have to be, you know, because Elon [Musk] endorsed me very strongly. So, I have no choice,” Trump stated.
The Presidential candidate has recently criticised electric vehicle (EV) mandates and green energy policies. Trump labeled the current administration’s green initiatives as a “scam” and pledged to redirect funds towards more traditional infrastructure projects.
“Ridiculous and actually incredible waste of taxpayer dollars that is fueling the inflation crisis,” Trump declared, referring to the government’s investment in green energy.
He attributed the rising inflation rates to the massive expenditures associated with what he termed the “Green New Scam.”
According to a Washington Post report, Trump reaffirmed in a meeting with top U.S. oil executives in May that he is committed to reversing many of the measures Biden implemented to combat climate change.
In 2023, electric vehicle (EV) sales in the US surged by 40 percent compared to the previous year, reaching nearly 1.2 million vehicles, according to data from Cox Automotive. Additionally, the total EV market share in the US increased from 5.9 to 7.6 percent compared to the previous year.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
