Elon Musk announced his “full” endorsement of Donald Trump moments after the former president was rushed off stage by Secret Service members following gunshots at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Trump, who is the presumptive Republican nominee, was taken to a local medical facility where he is receiving care. His spokesman stated that Trump “will be fine,” despite having what appeared to be blood on the side of his head and ear.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote on social media. In a separate post, Musk, the CEO of Tesla and defense contractor SpaceX, shared a photo of Trump pumping his fist into the air with the American flag behind him as Secret Service members scrambled to protect him. Musk also compared Trump to Theodore Roosevelt, who survived an assassination attempt while campaigning for president in 1912.
The incident resulted in the death of one spectator, and a second spectator is in serious condition, according to the district attorney in Butler County, where the rally took place. NBC News confirmed that the shooter is also dead.
While Musk had not directly endorsed Trump before Saturday’s event, he had previously opposed President Joe Biden’s reelection bid. In March, Musk claimed he was not planning to donate money to either presidential candidate. However, Bloomberg reported on Friday that Musk has donated a “sizable” but undisclosed amount to a pro-Trump super PAC called America PAC.
Musk, the wealthiest person in the world with an estimated net worth of about $250 billion according to Forbes, met with Trump earlier this year at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. At Tesla’s 2024 annual shareholder meeting, Musk mentioned that he has “had some conversations” with Trump and that Trump “does call me out of the blue for no reason.”
