In a much-anticipated interview, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump engaged in a wide-ranging discussion with billionaire Elon Musk, where grievances, personal attacks, and bold claims took center stage. The conversation, which was livestreamed on X (formerly Twitter), was delayed by around 40 minutes due to technical issues but drew a massive online audience.

During the interview, Trump claimed that President Joe Biden's recent withdrawal from the presidential race was nothing short of a "coup," asserting that his debate performance had forced Biden out. "I beat Biden so badly in the debate, he was forced to quit—it was one of the greatest debate performances ever. Biden's exit, it was a coup," Trump declared to Musk.

Last month, Biden, who had resisted ending his campaign, abruptly dropped out and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the top position. This decision followed mounting pressure from fellow Democrats after a poor showing during a June 28 debate with Trump.

Trump expressed his displeasure with Harris stepping in as the Democratic nominee, accusing her of avoiding public scrutiny. "She hasn't done an interview since this whole scam started," Trump said. Musk chimed in, labeling Harris as "far left," while Trump went further, calling her a "radical-left lunatic." The pair also criticized Minnesota's Democratic Governor Tim Walz, with Trump ridiculing his policies, including a law allowing tampons in boys' bathrooms.

The conversation also touched on a recent assassination attempt against Trump, which the former president described as "not pleasant" and "surreal." He recounted the incident in detail, telling Musk, "I knew immediately that it was a bullet." Musk, who endorsed Trump partly due to his response to the attempt, praised Trump’s resilience, recalling the viral images of Trump’s fist pump following the incident.

Trump and Musk also discussed the ongoing issues at the U.S. southern border, with Trump reiterating his intention to oversee the "largest deportation" in American history if re-elected. Musk, who had visited the border, supported Trump's stance, describing the people he encountered there as "not friendly."

During their conversation, Trump did not hold back in his criticism of Biden, particularly on economic issues. He accused Biden of causing the worst inflation crisis in a century, stating, "I think we have the worst inflation we’ve had in 100 years. They say it’s 48 years. I don’t believe it." Trump blamed the current administration for the hardships faced by Americans, citing the record inflation rate of 9.1% in 2022, the highest in over 40 years.

In a surprising twist, Musk proposed taking a role in Trump's administration, should he be re-elected, to help control government spending. Musk suggested creating a government efficiency commission to ensure taxpayer money is spent wisely. Trump welcomed the idea, praising Musk’s cost-cutting efforts at X and expressing his enthusiasm for Musk’s potential involvement.

The interview, which drew over 1.3 million viewers 45 minutes into the conversation, was marked by technical difficulties, which Musk attributed to a distributed denial-of-service attack. However, this claim remains unverified.

As the interview concluded, Trump congratulated Musk on breaking viewership records, hinting at the massive interest generated by their conversation. The two-hour-long chat offered a glimpse into the dynamics between the former president and the tech billionaire, both of whom share a penchant for stirring controversy and challenging the status quo.