Insiders at ABC later revealed that the conversation had not been scripted.
Producers expected light jokes about SpaceX and AI — not a philosophical debate about courage, cynicism, and the cost of innovation.
One staffer told Variety:
“Everyone in the control room just stopped. You could feel it — like the energy shifted from entertainment to history.”
REACTIONS ACROSS THE NATION
Within hours, major outlets weighed in.
CNN ran the headline: “Musk Goes Off Script — And America Leans In.”
The Wall Street Journal described the moment as “a masterclass in composure and conviction,” while Rolling Stone quipped,
“He didn’t raise his voice, but somehow, he owned the stage.”
