Elon Musk Endorses Donald Trump Following Assassination Attempt at Campaign Rally
Justin Hendrix / Jul 13, 2024
A post on X by its owner, Elon Musk. Source
Following a violent shooting incident during a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania at which former President Donald Trump was injured and a spectator and the shooter were killed, billionaire Elon Musk offered his full endorsement of former President Trump.
"I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," wrote Musk in a post containing 11 seconds of video from the official Trump campaign livestream. In the video, Trump is surrounded by Secret Service and raises his fist in the air. In a subsequent post, Musk shared a photograph of Trump lifting his fist in the air.
A day prior, Bloomberg News reported that Musk donated a significant amount to a political action committee aligned with the Trump campaign. In March, Musk told broadcast journalist Don Lemon that he was "leaning away" from Biden, but that he was unsure whether he might make an endorsement in the race.
"While I'll voice my opinion, I think I don't want to put a thumb on the scale monetarily that is significant," Musk told Lemon. "I may in the final stretch, endorse a candidate, but I don't know yet. I want to make a considered decision before the election, and if I do decide to endorse a candidate, then I will explain exactly why."
In June, Musk posted that X would remain neutral even if he did not. "The platform is neutral, but I will voice whatever opinions I have," he posted. "That’s the whole point of free speech!"
Former President Trump was rushed from the stage by secret service following the shooting incident, at which at least one spectator and the shooter were killed. The shooter was fatally shot moments after opening fire, and the incident is being investigated as an assassination attempt, the Associated Press reported. The New York Times reported that the Trump campaign said the former President is "fine."
"Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt," Musk posted following his endorsement.
This article will be updated.
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