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It’s safe to say that Elon Musk‘s interview for The Don Lemon Show on X was a disaster. Aside from addressing controversial topics centering around politics, hate speech, racism, and immigration conspiracies, the interview challenged Elon’s ability to adhere to his “free speech” propaganda when pushed to his limits. Ultimately, the interview resulted in the billionaire axing the show from his X platform even before its first episode aired.
How bad could the interview have been? After almost a week on edge with growing tension between both men lived out on social media, the world finally got a whiff. Notably, the interview, initially the first episode of Don’s talk show, The Don Lemon Show was set to debut on X. However, the soured contract prompted Don Lemon to release it on YouTube, sharing excerpts on his X account.
Elon Musk Admits to Ketamine Usage for Depression During Don Lemon Interview
During their hour-long banter, Don Lemon managed to chip in a question that’s thrived rent-free on everyone’s mind. He quizzed Elon about his state of mind and sobriety when binge-posting his mostly controversial statements on X. To that, the billionaire denied ever posting under the influence. He also reaffirmed he doesn’t drink.
Relentless, the media personality asked about the CEO’s use of the drug ketamine. After chastizing Don Lemon for bringing up his medical prescription in a public interview, Elon Musk admitted he took the drug on prescription and it helped him alleviate “a negative frame of mind” like depression. He also clarified that he doesn’t abuse the drug, saying,
“If you’ve used too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done. I have a lot of work.”
The Great Replacement Theory and Racism
As the interview progressed, Don Lemon questioned Elon Musk about his endorsement of The Great Replacement Theory.” The racist conspiracy theory alleges the intentional replacement of white people in the United States with the influx of immigrants. The billionaire denied calling it a “conspiracy.”
Regardless, Elon Musk believes the Democratic party had an incentive to support the influx of undocumented immigrants. Doing so could bolster their win in the upcoming elections. He added,
“You don’t need a conspiracy in that case because you have a very basic incentive. You could say that I’m wrong about that incentive, but that’s my view.”
The interview subject naturally shifted to racism, with Don Lemon bringing up Elon Musk’s previous quoting of a post that referenced the phrase, “Hispanic Invasion.” The tech mogul claimed his resharing and quoting of the post did not necessarily mean he endorsed it. Asked why he’d quote something he didn’t believe in, Elon responded,
“Because anything I quote is gonna have a whole range of statements,” Musk replied. “It doesn’t mean I agree with everything in it.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Elon Musk kicked against “making everything a race issue.” He believed doing so was unfair and it was about time for the world to move on, and start treating “people like people,” rather than seeing everything through the lens of history.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s Alliance
Don Lemon’s interview also touched on Elon Musk’s recent meeting with Donald Trump in Florida. The Tesla CEO explained they met by chance when he stopped by a friend’s place for dinner and the presidential candidate showed up.
Related:
There’s ‘No Way in Hell’ Putin Will Lose, Elon Musk says, so the U.S. Should Abandon UkraineElon confirmed that the former POTUS did most of the talking, and their discussion did not involve anything new or groundbreaking. He went on to debunk claims that Donald Trump asked him for a donation to fund his presidential aspirations.
As for his political affiliations, Elon Musk reaffirmed his desire to not endorse or contribute to any presidential candidate. While he remains faithful to that resolve, he is open to the possibility of reconsidering his stance. Regardless, one thing he knows for sure is that he would continue leaning away from Joe Biden.
Hate Speech May Thrive Freely in a Revolutionalized X
Elon Musk reiterated his quest for free speech during the interview after Don Lemon suggested better content moderation. The media personality asked Elon if he believed creating a platform with better content moderation would ensure reporters wouldn’t have to ask him questions suggesting he endorsed hate comments like the “Hispanic invasion” concept.
Responding, Elon Musk made it clear he owed it to no one to answer such questions regardless of what he posted. Asked if he believed he had a responsibility to moderate hate speech on X, Elon shared,
“I think we have a responsibility to adhere to the law. And I have a responsibility to be transparent about when things are shown, why they are shown. That’s why we open-source our algorithm.”
Going further, Elon pointed out that “moderation” was a propaganda word for censorship. Hence, regardless of media criticism, his platform would only take down content that breaks the law. The pair also discussed topics relating to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), video games, the groundbreaking Tesla Roadster, advertisers on X, Trans rights and wokeness, and DEI’s impact on the medical system.
