Elon Musk said his March 3 meeting with Donald Trump in Florida was not planned, and that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee did not ask Musk to contribute to his campaign.
“I was at a breakfast at a friend’s place, and Donald Trump came by. That’s it,” Musk said in an interview with former CNN anchor Don Lemon, which aired Monday morning.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO also said he would not loan any money to Trump as the former president faces mounting legal bills.
The previously reported meeting initially fueled speculation that Musk — one of the world’s richest men, and a vocal critic of Democratic incumbent President Joe Biden — might endorse or financially back Trump.
Musk told Lemon he did not go to Florida with the express purpose of meeting with Trump. Rather, Musk said he was staying at a friend’s house when he was asked if it would be all right if Trump stopped by for breakfast.
“Okay, fine,” Musk said he replied.
Musk did not name the friend, and provided few details about his and Trump’s conversation.
“Let’s just say he did most of the talking,” Musk said of the former president. “There was nothing particularly groundbreaking or new,” said Musk. “President Trump likes to talk. And so, he talked. I don’t recall him saying anything that he hasn’t said publicly. And that was it, just a breakfast.”
Trump did not ask for money or any other form of donation, Musk said.
“I’m not paying his legal bills in any way, shape or form … and he did not ask me for money,” said Musk.
The New York Times first reported that Trump met with Musk on March 3 in Palm Beach, along with several wealthy, Republican donors. Musk did not mention the other people at the breakfast in his interview with Lemon.
The day after the Times story was published, Musk announced that he did not plan to give money to Trump or Biden.
“Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President,” Musk wrote on the social media site X, which he also owns.
When Lemon asked about that, Musk told him, “I’ll voice my opinion. I think, I don’t want to put a thumb on the scale, monetarily, that is significant.”
Musk said he might endorse a presidential candidate “in the final stretch,” but he had not made a final decision yet. He added that he wasn’t leaning toward any particular candidate.
“I’m leaning away from Biden,” Musk said with a laugh.
Lemon later said that just hours after the March 8 interview was taped, Musk canceled a deal he had reached with Lemon to host a show on X.
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