Elon Musk stated that his March 3 meeting with Donald Trump in Florida was unplanned and that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee did not ask Musk to contribute to his campaign.
“I was having breakfast with a friend when Donald Trump stopped by. That’s all,” Musk claimed during an interview with former CNN anchor Don Lemon that aired Monday morning.
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX also stated that he would not lend money to Trump, citing the former president’s rising legal liabilities.
The previously reported conversation sparked suspicion that Musk, one of the world’s wealthiest men and a vociferous critic of Democratic incumbent President Joe Biden, may endorse or financially support Trump.
Musk informed Lemon that he did not travel to Florida with the explicit purpose of meeting with Trump. Rather, Musk stated that he was staying at a friend’s house when asked if it would be okay if Trump dropped by for breakfast.
“Okay, fine,” Musk answered.
Musk did not name the friend and give few specifics about his talk with Trump.
“Let’s just say he did most of the talking,” Musk remarked of the previous president. “There was nothing particularly groundbreaking or new,” Musk stated. “President Trump likes to speak. And so he spake. I don’t recall him stating anything that he hadn’t already spoken in public. And that was it; just breakfast.”
Trump did not request money or any other type of donation, Musk stated.
“I’m not paying his legal bills in any way, shape, or form … and he did not ask me for money,” Musk stated.
The New York Times originally reported that Trump met with Musk on March 3 in Palm Beach, along with many wealthy Republican supporters. Musk made no mention of the other attendees at the meal during his interview with Lemon.
Musk declared the day after the Times piece was published that he would not be donating money to Trump or Biden.
“Just to be clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President,” Musk stated on the social networking platform X, which he also controls.
When Lemon inquired about it, Musk replied, “I will express my opinion. I don’t want to put a monetary value on something that is significant.”
Musk said he might endorse a presidential contender “in the final stretch,” but he hadn’t made a final choice. He also stated that he was not leaning toward any single candidate.
“I’m leaning away from Biden,” Musk remarked, laughing.
Lemon later said that Musk terminated an agreement he had made with Lemon to host a show on X just hours after the interview was shot on March 8.