Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump asserted on Tuesday that President Joe Biden was ousted from the 2024 election race due to what he termed a “coup,” following a decisive debate performance. In a headline-grabbing interview with Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, Trump claimed that his performance in the June debate was so overwhelming that Biden had no choice but to withdraw from the race.

“I beat Biden so bad in the debate, he was forced out of the race – one of the greatest debate performances ever. Biden’s exit, it was a coup,” Trump declared.

The interview with Musk was highly anticipated, especially as Trump’s campaign has struggled since Biden’s withdrawal from the race. The conversation between the former president and the tech mogul was delayed by over 40 minutes due to a cyberattack that disrupted the link hosting the event on X.

During the interview, Trump also addressed international issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He claimed that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would not have occurred had he been president, citing his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a deterrent.

“I got along with Putin very well, and he respected me,” Trump said, adding that he had warned Putin against taking any aggressive action. “But I told him, don’t do it,” Trump asserted.

The meeting also underscored the evolving relationship between Trump and Musk, who have transitioned from being rivals to allies in the current election season. The interview was seen as an effort to rejuvenate Trump’s campaign as he seeks to solidify his position as the leading Republican candidate ahead of the November 2024 election.