Elon Musk endorses Trump after attempted assassination of former president
Billionaire Elon Musk endorsed former President Trump’s campaign after an assassination attempt on the former president at a Saturday rally, marking a turning point for Musk and his political shift toward the right in recent years.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote in a post on his social platform X, alongside a video of the former president standing and raising his fist after being shot in the ear.
Since posting his initial endorsement Saturday, Musk has posted and reposted dozens of posts on X in support of Trump.
The tech billionaire, who owns Tesla and SpaceX along with the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has feuded with President Biden in recent years and indicated he would be supporting GOP candidates. In March Musk said on X he voted “100% Dem until a few years ago,” but “now, I think we need a red wave or America is toast.”
Musk has increasingly criticized Democratic policies, including diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, as well as Biden’s embrace of labor unions and his approach toward immigration and the border.
After purchasing Twitter, now X, in 2022 for about $44 billion, Musk unraveled certain content moderation practices on the platform to push for a system he said was designed to promote free speech and allowed back on users, including Trump and other right-wing influencers who had been banned for breaking the platform’s former policies.
The changes have largely been touted by conservatives, who have accused social media platforms of censoring right-wing views.
Musk appeared to be growing closer to Trump in recent months, with The Wall Street Journal reporting in late May that the billionaire and the former president had discussed a possible advisory role for Musk in a second Trump administration.
The day before the rally in Butler, Pa., where Trump was injured, Bloomberg also reported Musk donated an undisclosed amount of money to America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC.
The tech billionaire previously vowed not to donate to Biden or Trump as the pair prepares to face off again in November's election.
“Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President,” Musk wrote on X in March.
“While I’ll voice my opinion, I don’t want to, you know, put a thumb on the scale monetarily that is significant,” he also told former CNN anchor Don Lemon in an interview several weeks later.
Other business leaders have also endorsed Trump in the wake of the shooting. Bill Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square, endorsed the former president Saturday.