Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s much-hyped online event with former President Donald Trump faced a rocky start on Monday due to technical glitches, leaving many users of Musk’s X app unable to access the live discussion. Scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, the event finally kicked off 40 minutes late and quickly turned into a Trump-dominated monologue, reminiscent of his campaign rallies. Musk occasionally chimed in with friendly questions, often aligning with Trump on issues like immigration, which both men argued threatens the future of the U.S.

During the nearly two-hour audio-only discussion, Trump made off-the-cuff remarks, including insults aimed at President Joe Biden and unsubstantiated claims about foreign countries. When Musk attempted to steer the conversation towards climate change and renewable energy, Trump dismissed the topic, jokingly suggesting Musk should invent solar-powered cars instead.

The technical issues, which Musk attributed to a “massive DDOS attack” on X, were reminiscent of similar disruptions during Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign launch on the platform in May 2023. However, an expert in DDoS attacks noted there was no evidence of such an attack on X.

Despite the rocky start, the event attracted over 1.3 million listeners at its peak, according to X’s public tally. Trump’s campaign had billed the event as “the interview of the century,” while Musk promised an unscripted, no-holds-barred discussion. The conversation also touched on the recent assassination attempt on Trump at a July rally, with Trump and Musk discussing the incident in detail.

The event showcased the growing partnership between Trump and Musk, though the tech challenges and Trump’s controversial statements once again highlighted the unpredictable nature of such high-profile online events.