By DAVID HAMILTON (AP Technology Reporter)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Former CNN reporter Don Lemon clashed with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in an interview Lemon shared on Musk’s X social network Monday. The interview was meant to launch Lemon’s new talk show on X, previously known as Twitter, until Musk canceled the show shortly after the interview was recorded.
During the slightly over one-hour interview, the two men debated various topics including the political effects of immigration, the pros and cons of content moderation, Musk’s experiences with depression, and his use of ketamine to alleviate it.
Here are some of the more noticeable moments.
THE X GAMES: PLAYER VS. PLAYER
Musk referred to X as the “player versus player platform,” using a term from video games that pit players against each other, typically in fights to the pixelated death. Although he didn’t fully explain what he meant by comparing X to a death match, he mentioned it in relation to late-night posts where he seems ready for an argument.
The topic came up when Musk talked about relaxing by playing video games and his preference for these player versus player contests — what he considers “hardcore” gaming. He stated that it’s a way to release stress and somewhat agreed when Lemon suggested that facing X opponents served the same purpose, although not always, he clarified.
“I use it to share jokes, sometimes trivia, and sometimes things of significance,” Musk stated about his X posts.
MUSK USES KETAMINE TO TREAT POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
Musk is “almost always” sober when posting on X late at night, he informed Lemon. “I don’t drink, I don’t really, y’know….” he trailed off. Then Lemon inquired about a topic Musk has previously talked about publicly — his use of the drug ketamine, a controlled substance also used in medical settings as an anesthetic and for treatment-resistant depression.
When Lemon asked, Musk mentioned he has a prescription for ketamine, although he hesitated, calling it “pretty private to ask someone about a medical prescription.” He explained “times when I have a sort of a negative chemical state in my brain, like depression, I guess,” and stated that ketamine can be helpful for alleviating “a negative frame of mind.”
Asked if he thinks he ever abuses the drug, Musk said he doesn’t think so. “If you’ve used too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done,” he said. “I have a lot of work.”
MEETING WITH TRUMP
Musk mentioned he encountered Donald Trump in Florida recently — completely by chance. “I thought I was at breakfast at a friend’s place and Donald Trump came by,” he said. “Let’s just say he did most of the talking.” The conversation didn’t involve anything “groundbreaking or new,” he said. And Trump didn’t ask him for a donation, he added.
“President Trump likes to talk, and so he talked,” Musk said. “I don’t recall him saying anything he hasn’t said publicly.”
Musk has stated he is not going to support or donate to any presidential candidate, although he indicated he might reconsider his endorsement later in the political system. He’s not leaning toward anyone, he said, but added that “I’ve been leaning away from Biden. I’ve made no secret about that.”
IMMIGRATION AND THE GREAT REPLACEMENT THEORY
Elon Musk stated that he rejects the racist belief known as the “great replacement theory,” which falsely claims that Jews are orchestrating a plan to reduce the power of white people in the U.S. However, during his conversation with Lemon, he argued, based on weak evidence, that an influx of undocumented immigrants has unfairly influenced U.S. elections in favor of Democrats.
Lemon highlighted that immigrants residing in the U.S. without legal permission are unable to vote and therefore cannot show preference for any political party. Musk responded by pointing out that these individuals are included in the U.S. Census, thus increasing the recorded population of U.S. states with significant immigrant communities. This, in theory, could potentially raise the number of representatives those states can send to the House of Representatives in Washington, although this reapportionment only occurs once every ten years.
