Last updated on April 6th, 2024 at 09:47 am

Tesla CEO tells Don Lemon individuals should be judged based on their skills and integrity

Elon Musk defended his views on diversity and free speech in a tense interview with former CNN anchor Don Lemon. The Tesla CEO appeared openly irritated by Lemon’s questioning during the hour-long video interview, which was published on Monday.

In response to a question about his use of ketamine, Musk stated, “It’s pretty private to ask somebody about a medical prescription.” He explained that he used the drug to address “a negative chemical state in my brain, like depression.”

When asked if he abused the drug, typically used as an anaesthetic, Musk replied, “I don’t think so. If you use too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done. I have a lot of work.”

After the interview was recorded earlier this month, Musk canceled a deal between his X platform and Lemon. During the interview, Musk was questioned about his criticism of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, including his endorsement of a thread on X by Ben Shapiro, a conservative commentator, who argued that DEI was jeopardizing medical patients.

Lemon challenged Musk’s assertion by stating there was “no evidence” that DEI programs were compromising the standards for medical practice. Musk responded by suggesting that the reaction of X users to the interview would help them “make their own decision” on the matter.

When asked about his stance on DEI, Musk stated, “I think we should … treat people according to their skills and integrity.”

Musk also defended X’s content moderation standards when Lemon pointed out that antisemitic and racist posts were still present on the platform, which Musk acquired in 2022.

When asked why these posts had not been removed, Musk explained that they were not illegal. He remarked, “So, Don, you love censorship, is what you’re saying.” Lemon countered that he believed in moderation, to which Musk responded, “Moderation is a propaganda word for censorship.”

Musk clarified that if a post was illegal, “we’re going to take it down,” but if it did not violate the law, “we’re putting our thumb on the scale or being censors.”

Musk expressed his frustration with Lemon on several occasions. When asked if he was upset, Musk replied that Lemon was upsetting him because the way he was phrasing questions “is not cogent.”

Musk disclosed to Lemon that the next Tesla Roadster model would be a collaboration with his SpaceX business and “would have some rocket technology in it.”

He elaborated, “I think the only way to do something that’s cooler than the Cybertruck is to combine SpaceX and Tesla technology to create something that’s not even really a car.” When asked if it was a flying car, Musk replied, “Maybe.”

Musk also confirmed that he had recently met with Donald Trump but stated that he had not contributed to his campaign. He mentioned that he was “leaning away” from supporting Joe Biden. When asked if he would endorse a presidential candidate, Musk responded, “I may endorse a candidate in the final stretch, but I don’t know yet.”