Elon Musk says he's 'leaning away' from Biden after Trump meeting – NBC News

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Elon Musk says he’s “leaning away” from President Joe Biden, but doesn’t have plans to endorse Donald Trump — yet.
After Musk met with Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, in early March, speculation arose that the former president could be courting the tech billionaire, both for his endorsement and for campaign or legal financing.
In an interview with former CNN anchor Don Lemon published Monday, Musk said that the meeting with Trump was unplanned on his part, and he denied that Trump asked him for money or his support.
“I was at a breakfast at a friend’s place and Donald Trump came by, that’s it,” Musk said, adding that his unnamed friend only told him that Trump was coming after Musk had already arrived.
“I’m not paying his legal bills in any way, shape or form,” Musk continued. “And he did not ask me for money.”
The interview was posted on YouTube on Monday after Musk abruptly canceled Lemon’s streaming deal on X (formerly Twitter) following the interview.
Lemon pressed him on the details of his breakfast with Trump, along with whether Musk would financially contribute to either presidential campaigns or endorse a candidate.
“Let’s just say he did most of the talking,” Musk said about Trump, laughing afterward. “The normal things he says. There was nothing particularly groundbreaking or new but he, you know, President Trump, likes to talk. And so he talked. I don’t recall him saying anything he hasn’t said publicly. That was it, it was just a breakfast.”
Musk went on to say he doesn’t plan to donate to either candidate.
“While I’ll voice my opinion, I think I don’t want to put a thumb on the scale monetarily that is significant,” the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX said.
“I may in the final stretch, endorse a candidate, but I don’t know yet,” he continued. “I want to make a considered decision before the election, and if I do decide to endorse a candidate, then I will explain exactly why.”
That was when Musk acknowledged he was “leaning away” from Biden, laughing while he said, “I’ve made no secret of that.”
Lemon said that he thought Musk “leaning away” from Biden seemed like an endorsement for Trump.
“I mean, a lot can happen between now and the election,” Musk said. “At that point, I may or may not endorse one of the candidates. If I do, I will provide a very detailed explanation of why I am endorsing one or the other.”
Even then, Musk said, it’s “unlikely” that he’ll financially contribute to either campaign.
Kat Tenbarge is a tech and culture reporter for NBC News Digital. She can be reached at Kat.Tenbarge@nbcuni.com
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