Elon Musk’s high-profile interview with former President Donald Trump on the social media platform X faced significant disruptions on Monday evening due to technical issues that nearly derailed the event. The livestream, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET, experienced problems as users reported being unable to access the broadcast. Musk attributed the disruption to a cyberattack, though CNBC was unable to independently verify this claim. Despite other parts of X functioning normally, the delay lasted nearly an hour before the conversation could begin.

Once the interview commenced, it extended for over two hours and attracted up to 1.3 million viewers, according to X Spaces data. Musk remarked, “This massive attack illustrates there’s a lot of opposition to people just hearing what President Trump has to say,” highlighting the event’s high stakes.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung responded to the delay by praising Musk and Trump for their ability to generate significant interest, referring to the incident as “BREAKING THE INTERNET!” and sharing a photo of Trump speaking on the phone.

The technical issues evoked memories of a similar mishap in 2023, which disrupted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign launch. This interview, featuring two of the world’s most influential figures, was intended to boost Trump’s campaign at a critical moment.

In recent weeks, Trump’s campaign has been shaken by President Joe Biden’s exit and Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise as the Democratic nominee. Trump’s advisors have encouraged a shift towards a more disciplined campaign strategy focused on Harris, but Trump’s interview did not adhere to this approach.

Throughout the conversation, Trump revisited familiar themes, including his experiences with authoritarian leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as his concerns about nuclear power and NATO. He also reiterated several debunked claims about immigration and crime.

While Trump mentioned Biden numerous times, he referenced Harris less frequently. Notably, about an hour and a half into the interview, Trump commented on Harris’ portrayal on the cover of Time magazine, describing her as “the most beautiful actress ever to live” and comparing her to his wife, Melania. Despite acknowledging the drawing’s lack of resemblance to Harris, Trump continued to praise her appearance, stating, “Of course, she’s a beautiful woman.”

The interview’s technical problems and Trump’s focus on familiar topics underscore the ongoing challenges facing his campaign as he adjusts to a new opponent in the race.

(Adapted from NBCNews.com)