Elon Musk’s social media platform X will host a town hall meeting with former President Donald Trump, three years after he was banned from the site following the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, who was convicted Thursday of conspiring to make hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, is scheduled to answer questions during a livestreamed event broadcast under a partnership deal with cable network NewsNation.
The social media company is planning a similar town hall meeting with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
President Joe Biden was invited by social media companies to participate in debates and town hall meetings but declined, according to the Wall Street Journal. They were the first to report the news about the X sit-in.
The date, location and moderator for the town hall meeting have yet to be announced.
X Users submit questions, but moderators have the final say on what is asked.
Axios reports that moderators are expected to include at least one NewsNation host, along with other journalists.
Trump, who famously dominated CNN’s Caitlin Collins during a town hall meeting last year, is scheduled to face Biden in the first of two debates on June 27.
The idea for the town hall meetings was first conceived by X CEO Linda Yaccarino, who pitched it to NewsNation parent company Nexstar Media Group.
The Washington Post has reached out to X and NewsNation, as well as the Trump, Kennedy and Biden campaigns, for comment.
Trump has only posted once on X since the ban was lifted last year by Musk after he bought the site, then known as Twitter, for $44 billion in late 2022.
The town hall followed a series of reports suggesting Musk and Trump have grown closer in recent months.
Musk has been outspoken in his displeasure with Biden, and the two reportedly met to discuss a range of issues, including cryptocurrency policy and a possible invitation to speak at the Republican National Convention this summer. According to Bloomberg News.
“I generally support transferring power from governments to the people, and cryptocurrency makes this possible,” the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive wrote to X.
The two also reportedly discussed the possibility of Musk serving as an adviser to Trump if he wins re-election in November.
Their allies have also been discussing federal electric vehicle policy and the space program.
Trump spokesman Brian Hughes told Bloomberg News that “President Trump alone has the say in what role an individual plays in the presidency.”
“Many of the nation’s most important leaders in technology and innovation are concerned about the damage Biden’s failure will cause to the industry.”
Musk recently attended a dinner in Los Angeles for a group of tech moguls who have banded together to thwart a possible second term for the Democratic candidate, who is trailing Trump in opinion polls in several key battleground states.
Musk’s ties to Trump are a sign that Silicon Valley figures no longer feel the need to hide their affinity for the Republican Party, despite the fact that the tech industry has largely been dominated by Democrat-leaning supporters.
Prominent venture capitalists such as Marc Andreessen, Chamath Palihapitiya and David Sachs have been vocal critics of Biden’s policies or have explicitly voiced their support for Trump.
News of the town hall meeting about X comes amid a series of reports indicating Musk and Trump have grown closer in recent months.
The Tesla mogul and the former president reportedly met to discuss a wide range of issues, including cryptocurrency policy and a possible invitation for Musk to speak at the Republican National Convention this summer. According to Bloomberg News.
Musk, who unbanned President Trump’s Twitter account after buying the social media platform for $44 billion in late 2022, has not been shy about voicing his displeasure with President Biden.
He recently attended a dinner in Los Angeles for tech titans who have banded together to thwart a second term for Democrat Biden, who is trailing Trump in the polls in several key battleground states.
Before his Twitter account was suspended, Trump’s prolific tweeting garnered national support, helped him win the Republican nomination in 2015 and led him to a shock victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election.
After being banned from Twitter, he launched his own social media platform, Truth Social.
The platform, which was founded in 2022 and is owned by parent company Trump Media and Technology Group, has been plagued by glitches and other technical issues.
Trump Media shares began trading on March 26 after the company merged with Digital World Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
Trump supporters and speculators bought up the company’s shares, and the stock price soared 59% when it listed on the Nasdaq.
The company reported March quarter revenue of $770,500 and an adjusted operating loss of $12.1 million.
The company’s shares fell about 4% on Friday, the day after Trump became the first former commander in chief to be convicted of a felony. A Manhattan jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
