Big Moments From Lemon's Musk Interview

The interview that Don Lemon says caused Elon Musk to cancel his partnership with X was released Monday on YouTube. The former CNN host also posted it on X, though he said there had been problems loading it. Lemon said last week that the hourlong interview was "tense at times," and he shared clips of some testy exchanges. Some big moments:

• Ketamine use. The Guardian reports that Musk was "openly irritated" by some of Lemon's questions, including one about his prescription for ketamine. "It's pretty private to ask somebody about a medical prescription," Musk said. He said he uses the drug to deal with "a negative chemical state in my brain, like depression," but does not abuse it. "If you use too much ketamine you can't really get work done," he said. "I have a lot of work." He suggested his use of the drug was good for investors.
• "Leaning away" from Biden. Asked about his recent meeting with Donald Trump, Musk said he wasn't planning to donate to the Republican's campaign or lend him money for his legal bills. Musk said he will not make an endorsement at this point, though he is "leaning away" from President Biden.

• "Moving on" from racism. Asked about his opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, Musk said it was time for America to "move on" instead of making racism a "constant subject," the Washington Post reports. "We are all descended from slaves," Musk told Lemon, who replied, "Well, not everyone was a slave."
• The Great Replacement theory. The New York Times reports that Musk appeared "visibly annoyed" when asked about posts that seemed to endorse the antisemitic Great Replacement theory. "I don't have to answer these questions," he said. "I don't have to answer questions from reporters. Don, the only reason I'm doing this interview is because you're on the X platform and you asked for it. Otherwise, I would not do this interview."
• The "most tense" moment. What the Post describes as the "most tense exchange in the interview" happened when Lemon asked Musk about his claim that advertisers could kill X with a boycott—and suggested that a boycott was a form of free speech. "You said, 'If they kill the company, it's them,' but doesn't the buck stop with you?" Lemon asked. Musk replied: "Don, I have to say, choose your questions carefully. There's five minutes left."
• A challenge to Musk. Lemon, introducing the interview, said 'The Don Lemon Show" would continue despite the loss of the partnership deal, the Wall Street Journal reports. "After months of begging me, wooing me to offer some exclusive content on his platform, Elon Musk decided to scrap the deal." He said the interview had no ground rules, adding, "I challenge you, Elon, to watch the whole interview and tell the world why this isn't what you claim you want on X."

(More Elon Musk stories.)