Elon Musk says he’s ‘leaning away from Biden’ in clip of testy Don Lemon interview aired after X show’s abrupt cancellation
Billionaire businessman Elon Musk said Wednesday he’s not yet inclined to support either Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the 2024 general election but revealed he’s “leaning away” from the 81-year-old incumbent.
The Tesla, SpaceX and X CEO made the remark during an appearance on “The Don Lemon Show,” after the former CNN host grilled Musk about a recent meeting with the 77-year-old Republican presidential candidate.
“Are you leaning towards anyone?” Lemon asked Musk, 52, in a clip shown on CNN, where the former anchor appeared after Musk abruptly canceled the program following the interview.
“No,” Musk responded before adding with a laugh, “I’m leaning away from Biden.”
Trump reportedly crossed paths with Musk in Palm Beach, Fla., last week, and hopes to have a lengthier meeting with the electric car, rocket and social media tycoon in the future, according to the New York Times.
Musk has previously revealed that he voted for Biden over Trump in the 2020 election.
He told Lemon that his encounter with the 45th president came while he was having “breakfast at a friend’s place” and that “Donald Trump came by.”
“Let’s just say he did most of the talking,” Musk said of the get-together, noting that he has no plans to donate to the Trump campaign or help pay the former president’s mounting legal bills.
Musk abruptly canceled the program after the interview with Lemon.
“There were no restrictions on the interview that he willingly agreed to, and my questions were respectful and wide ranging, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election. We had a good conversation. Clearly, he felt differently,” the former CNN host said earlier Wednesday.
“His approach was basically just ‘CNN, but on social media,’ which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying,” Musk later retorted on X.
Lemon told “Outfront” host Erin Burnett — in his first CNN appearance since his ouster last year — that the interview was “tense at moments” and that Musk’s remarks about free speech must be “just talking points.”
In 2022, Musk pleaded with voters to elect a Republican Congress in midterm elections in order to counterbalance Biden’s Democrats.
He has also argued that Biden is encouraging migrants to come to the United States so they can vote for Democrats.
“My preference for the 2024 presidency is someone sensible and centrist. I had hoped that would be the case for the Biden administration, but have been disappointed so far,” he tweeted in 2022.
