Trump recalls assassination attempt in Musk interview

Donald Trump’s interview with billionaire Elon Musk on his social media platform, X, has finished with 1.2 million users listening. Over the two-hour conversation, the Republican candidate spoke of his assassination attempt last month and attacked his Democratic rival, Kamal Harris.

Initially set to begin at 04:00 GST, the interview was delayed by 40 minutes due to a “massive DDOS attack,” Elon Musk said on X. This type of attack disrupts a targeted server by flooding it with traffic to prevent users from accessing online sites or services.

Trump recalled his assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania last month, which left him with a bloodied ear. "I knew immediately that it was a bullet. I knew immediately that it was at the ear...,” Trump said. "You know, I'm a believer [in God]. Now I'm more of a believer, I think. And a lot of people have said that to me. A lot of great people have said that to me, actually. But it was, it was amazing that I happened to be turned just at that perfect angle," the Republican presidential candidate said.

He went on to criticise the current administration under Biden and Vice President Harris- the Democratic nominee for the upcoming November election- claiming Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he were still president.

"We don't have a president right now - and Kamala is even worse. She's a San Francisco liberal who destroyed that city, destroyed California, and will destroy our country if she's elected," Donald Trump said.

"The economy is a disaster with inflation... Four years ago, people were saving a lot of money. Today they're using all their money and borrowing money just to live," he added.

The Harris campaign condemned the interview as an example of Trump’s “extremism and dangerous Project 2025 agenda”.

“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,” said Joseph Costello, a Harris campaign spokesperson.

The interview comes after Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, being replaced with Kamala Harris. Since then, Harris has pulled ahead in the polls, with a 0.3 per cent lead over Trump, according to the Hill’s national polling average.

Trump’s interview also comes after a long absence from the former Twitter platform, from which he was suspended in 2021 for “risk of further incitement of violence,” days after the 6 January 2021 Capitol riots. Musk restored his account after taking over the platform in 2022, although Trump refused to use it until Monday. Since his suspension, the Republican has largely communicated with his following on the platform Truth Social, owned by Trump Media and Technology Group.