Elon Musk calls 2024 a 'must-win situation' for free speech, touts Trump's character after being 'under fire'
Elon Musk stood behind bulletproof glass as he spoke to a packed crowd of Trump rallygoers in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday evening.
"The true test of someone's character is how they behave under fire," he said, donning a dark "MAGA" hat and a shirt that read, "Occupy Mars."
"We had one president who couldn't climb a flight of stairs and another who was fist pumping after getting shot," he continued. "America is the home of the brave, and there's no truer test than courage under fire, so who do you want representing America?"
The crowd erupted, waving signs that read "Never Surrender" and "Fight, Fight, Fight" behind the stage.
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The multi-billionaire business magnate joined Former President Trump on-stage during his first return to Butler since facing an assassination attempt at the hands of 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks at the site just 12 weeks prior.
Musk, who has outspokenly defended free speech, warned that next month's Nov. 5 faceoff between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will be the "most important election of our lifetime," with basic freedoms that are the bedrock of democracy at stake.
"This is a must-win situation," he told the crowd of 60,000.
"This is no ordinary election. The other side wants to take away your freedom of speech. They want to take away your right to bear arms. They want to take away your right to vote effectively. You've got 14 states now that don't require voter I.D. California, where I used to live, just passed a law banning voter ID for voting. I still can't believe that's real. So, how are you supposed to have a good, proper election if there's no ID? It's meaningless."
Musk metamorphosed the Trump base's "Fight, Fight, Fight" slogan into a call to action – "Vote, Vote, Vote" – a chant embodying his pressure on those present to "be a pest" by repeatedly telling others to get out, register and vote.
"If there's one takeaway for anything that will matter is getting those registrations and then and then getting everyone to actually vote. That is what will decide this election, especially in Pennsylvania," he added.