Trump to Participate in Town Hall Event on Musk’s X Platform

Reports indicate that Elon Musk’s X is organizing a town hall event with Donald Trump, three years after the former president was banned from the platform following the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.

X is also preparing a similar town hall with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an independent, according to a report from Axios on Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that X is collaborating with the TV network NewsNation to broadcast the events live on both platforms, allowing users to submit questions to the candidates.

The event was initially intended to be a debate, but the Biden campaign declined to participate in either a debate or a town hall, as reported by the Journal.

In recent months, Musk and Trump have developed a relationship and speak on the phone multiple times a month, as per the Journal. Musk lifted the ban on Trump’s platform usage in November 2022.

Trump’s first post since being banned from the platform on Jan. 8, 2021, was in August after he surrendered at an Atlanta jail on charges of election interference in Georgia. He posted a photo of his mug shot with the words “Election interference. Never surrender!” and a link to his website.

The dates, locations, and moderators for the town halls have not been announced yet. However, according to Axios, the moderators are likely to include a NewsNation host along with other journalists.

The idea for the town halls was proposed by X CEO Linda Yaccarino, who presented it to Nexstar Media Group, the parent company of NewsNation, Axios reported.

According to Bloomberg, Musk and Trump have discussed various issues, including cryptocurrency policy and the possibility of Musk speaking at the Republican National Convention this summer.

They have also talked about a potential advisory role for Musk if Trump wins the election rematch with President Joe Biden in November.

Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes told Bloomberg: “President Trump will determine the role of any individual in his presidency. Many leaders in technology and innovation are concerned about the impact of Biden’s policies on their industry.”