Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk made a dramatic entrance into the 2024 presidential race by endorsing Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, who also owns X (formerly Twitter), called Trump the only candidate capable of saving American democracy.

Musk appeared with Trump on Saturday at the site of a July assassination attempt targeting the former president, emphasizing the high stakes of the upcoming election.

Key Moments:

  • Musk’s Endorsement: Musk, wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, said this will be the “last election” if Trump doesn’t win, casting the race in dire terms. He went on to identify himself as “Dark MAGA”, intensifying his rhetoric.
  • A Growing Alliance: This rally marked Musk’s first public appearance alongside Trump, reflecting their deepening alliance. Musk has created a super PAC to support Trump, spending heavily on get-out-the-vote campaigns. Trump has said Musk would lead a government efficiency commission if re-elected.
  • Speech on Freedoms: Musk accused Democrats of threatening freedoms, such as free speech, the right to bear arms, and voter rights. He also criticized a California initiative aiming to ban voter ID laws.
  • Assassination Attempt Reflected On: The event took place at the same location where a gunman grazed Trump’s ear and killed a supporter in July. Several members of the victim’s family, along with first responders, attended Saturday’s rally in a solemn return to the scene.

Joining Trump and Musk were prominent figures like Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Eric Trump, and Lara Trump, as well as several Pennsylvania lawmakers and sheriffs.

With weeks until the November 5th election, the Musk-Trump partnership signals a strategic push to energize voters in key swing states.