Musk-Trump X Interview Plagued by Technical Issues, Draws Massive Audience
Elon Musk's highly anticipated X interview with Donald Trump faced technical difficulties, delaying the start. Despite challenges, the event attracted over a million listeners, marking Trump's return to the platform.
On August 12, 2024, Elon Musk's much-anticipated X Spaces conversation with former President Donald Trump encountered significant technical hurdles. The event, scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT, was delayed due to connectivity issues, highlighting ongoing challenges faced by the platform since Musk's acquisition in October 2022 for $44 billion.
Eighteen minutes past the scheduled start time, Musk reported a "massive" Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on X. This type of cybercrime, which involves overwhelming a system with data to render it inaccessible, is considered a federal offense in the United States. However, some users questioned the validity of this claim, speculating that the platform might have been unprepared for the high volume of interested listeners.
Despite the setbacks, the interview commenced at 8:42 p.m. EDT. By 9:40 p.m., approximately 1.3 million users were tuned in, showcasing the event's significant draw. This massive audience underscores X's position as a major social media platform, boasting over 330 million monthly active users as of 2023.
Trump, who had been absent from X since his January 8, 2021 suspension, made his return to the platform earlier that day to promote the interview. This marked his first post since Musk reinstated his account in November 2022, despite Trump's previous commitment to his own social media platform, Truth Social, launched in February 2022.
The technical difficulties experienced during this high-profile event are not unprecedented for X under Musk's leadership. Since acquiring the company, Musk has implemented sweeping changes, including a significant reduction in workforce - approximately 80% - which has potentially impacted the platform's operational stability.
"You're breaking every record in the book tonight"
Interestingly, Trump previously criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for a similar technically-challenged X interview in May 2023, which faced server strain due to high listener numbers. DeSantis subsequently suspended his presidential campaign on January 21, 2024, following a disappointing performance in the Iowa caucuses, traditionally the first major contest of the U.S. presidential primary season.
As the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, scheduled for November 5, 2024, approaches, this interview and its technical challenges highlight the increasing importance of social media platforms in political discourse and campaigning. The event also underscores the ongoing technical hurdles faced by X as it continues to evolve under Musk's leadership.
