By Abubakar Yunusa
United States President Donald Trump says the $10 million settlement he received from Elon Musk’s X was a huge discount.
X, then Twitter, was one of the social media companies that suspended the president’s @realDonaldTrump account after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Trump sued the platforms for being unfairly censored.
After Musk bought Twitter, he reinstated Trump’s account — one of the many olive branches aimed at mending a previously frosty relationship.
However, the censorship allegation case remained in court.
Last week, X paid a settlement fee of $10 million.
Asked why he made Musk pay even though the Tesla CEO runs the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) “for free”, Trump said the case had been resolved long before the appointment.
“And, I mean, they really did a number on me, you know. And I sued, and they had to pay. You know, they paid $10 million settlement,” the president said in a late night Tuesday interview with Fox News.
“It’s a very low — I was looking to get much more money than that,” Trump added.
“He got — oh, he got a big discount. I don’t think he even knows about it.”
Musk, who was also the subject of the interview alongside Trump, said the press has been very unfair to the president.
“Well, I love the president. I just want to be clear about that,” he reiterated.
“I think President Trump is a good man.
“I mean, the president has been so unfairly attacked in the media. It’s truly outrageous. And I’ve spent a lot of time with the president, and not once have I seen him do something that was mean or cruel or… or wrong. Not once.”
Musk noted that the double assassination attempt on Trump’s life endeared him even more to the president, leading to his subsequent endorsement.
“Nice. I didn’t know that,” Trump chimed in.
From billions of dollars in donations to using X as a campaign platform, the world’s richest man has claimed credit for playing a significant role in helping Trump reclaim the White House.
Speaking on the continued friendship with the tech billionaire, Trump said he wanted “someone really smart” to work with him.
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