Former President Donald Trump praised his son Barron for coordinating an interview with a Gen Z streamer, setting a “record” for the number of views.
During an extended 1.5-hour appearance with popular Kick host Adin Ross, 23, at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, the former president discussed politics, music and issues affecting the youngest generation of voters.
Ross presented the president with a Rolex watch, a Diet Coke (Trump’s favorite soft drink) and a Tesla cybertruck, which features an image of Trump raising his fist in the air after nearly being assassinated.
Trump joked that he only agreed to the interview with Ross because he is friends with his youngest son, Barron, 18.
And it appeared to help the 78-year-old former president influence younger Americans.
The anecdote-filled interview between the Gen Z influencer, who has millions of loyal followers, and the former president “exploded” online, Trump boasted on Truth Social on Tuesday.
Former President Donald Trump lashed out at Vice President Kamala Harris over her legal record during an appearance with livestreamer Adin Ross on his Kick show on Monday. Trump also said that anyone considering Harris as her running mate would be a better candidate than her
‘Wow!!! The interview with Adin Ross yesterday was a huge success, but in a very positive way!’ he wrote on his Truth Social.
“The platform has set an absolute record with over 100 million views/hits,” the former president continued.
“Congratulations to Adin and his wonderful mother, father and family, who I had the pleasure of meeting.”
Trump also complimented his son for brokering the meeting.
“Also thanks to Barron Trump for introducing your friend, Adin.”
“Young people are the future of America. Those are really big numbers!”
Ross received critical acclaim a day after the streamer’s interview with the 45th president racked up millions of views.
While Trump didn’t say where he got the 100 million views, he did boast 400,000 to 570,000 viewers when the stream was live.
Clips of the meeting on social media have also been viewed millions of times.
Trump also announced Tuesday that he has another high-profile interview scheduled for next week.
In a separate post on Truth Social, the former president wrote: “Monday night I will be doing a big interview with Elon Musk – details to come!”
It’s not yet clear where the upcoming conversation between Trump and the Tesla CEO will be published, but speculation is that the conversation will be posted on Musk’s other platform, X, formerly known as Twitter.
Barron Trump gestures as his father, Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, speaks during a campaign rally at Trump National Doral Miami, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Doral, Florida.
Barron, a friend of Ross, convinced his father to participate in the livestream, Trump said
Former President Donald Trump (R) meets with Elon Musk (L) in 2020 ahead of a SpaceX launch. Trump revealed Tuesday that he is planning an interview with Musk for next week
The usually quick-to-respond Musk had not publicly commented on the planned interview by Tuesday afternoon
On Monday, the former president told Ross that he is one of Barron Trump’s favorite internet personalities.
“My son Barron says hello. He’s a great young man, but he’s a big fan of yours,” Trump said.
“My son told me about you,” Trump said. “He said, ‘Dad, he’s really big.'”
Trump even explained that Barron had an influence on his decision to join Ross, saying that his son convinced him to join the popular streamer.
“I think it’s great to have a young audience … it’s about the American dream,” Trump said. “Right now, you don’t have the American dream.”
The two also lamented the current state of the US under President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris, with the former president criticizing her performance.
“Everybody she looks at is much better than her,” Trump said of Harris’ running mate options. “I think virtually every one of them would be considered better, smatter, would make a better president than her.”
“Look, she couldn’t even pass her law school, she couldn’t pass her bar exam … she thought she could never pass. And this is who we’re letting run our country, it’s a disgrace,” Trump said in another attack on Harris, this time focused on her legal record.
Harris failed her initial bar exam, but later passed the test and was allowed to practice law in California, where she worked as a prosecutor and later as a district attorney in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“She’s far-left, far-radical,” the former president continued about Harris.
“She was Attorney General of California, she destroyed California. Her policies destroyed California.”
Ross agreed, saying he used to live in California before moving to Florida.
The streamer said that California Governor Gavin Newsom has done a terrible job in the state and that it has caused many residents to leave.
“San Francisco was the greatest city in our country 20 years ago,” Trump continued. “Her policies, when she was district attorney, destroyed San Francisco.”
Trump ridiculed Harris’s legal record as San Francisco district attorney, saying she is ‘ultra-radical’
Ross told Trump that he lived in California before moving to Florida. The streamer criticized the Golden State’s policies under Governor Gavin Newsom
Later in the stream, Ross hosted a segment in which he showed Trump an image of a famous person. The former president then had to respond with a word that came to mind when he saw the person.
When a photo of AOC appeared on the screen, Trump gave a surprising response.
“She’s fake,” he said. “But she knows, she’s got something.”
“It’s good for her,” Trump continued. “But she’s got something. She’s got a spark, it’s actually pretty amazing.”
He seemed to suggest that he liked AOC’s brand of progressiveness, even as he called the alleged act “fake.”
“She’s got a lot of guts,” he added.
The former president randomly compared AOC to Argentina’s former first lady, Evita Peron, who was known for her activism on labor issues, similar to the New York Democrat’s efforts.
Trump recalled watching Ocasio-Cortez on TV campaigning against incumbent Sen. Joe Crowley, then one of the highest-ranking Democrats in the House of Representatives, and thinking to himself that Crowley would lose to her.
“I told him to be careful,” Trump said. “And she took him, so you know, I give her credit.”
The former president also praised UFC founder Dana White, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Joe Rogan during the stream.
Trump said AOC reminds him of Evita Peron, the popular former first lady of Argentina
Ross presented Trump with a Tesla Cybertruck, wrapped in an American flag and an image of the near-assassination attempt on the former president at his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, PA
Trump and Ross spoke for 1.5 hours via livestream
The duo later tested the cybertruck’s sound system by playing songs by Elvis Presley
Later in the stream, Trump even suggested to Ross, “Maybe you’ll be president someday.”
Ross laughed and made another suggestion.
“I’m not sure, I might leave it to Barron at some point,” Ross replied.
Ross also taught Trump some streamer slang, telling the former president that it’s a good idea to write “W” in the stream chat when he sees the audience.
“W means it’s OK. W means win,” Ross explained to a confused-looking Trump, who sat with his mouth open.
Towards the end, the two also made a video of themselves performing Trump’s famous two-fisted dance move, where they stood next to each other, shaking their hips and holding their fists in the air.
The former president responded similarly when Ross gave him a luxury Rolex watch.
Trump then joked that it was “worth it” to participate in the livestream after receiving the watch, which is likely worth tens of thousands of dollars.
“I don’t know what you do, but you’re really respected and great. I go on other shows and nobody makes a big deal out of it,” Trump said.