Elon Musk Spoke at a Trump Rally, Referenced 'Dark MAGA,' and Urged Supporters to Vote

In Butler, Pennsylvania, a billboard work “In Musk We Trust.” A Tesla Cybertruck parked connected the broadside of the roadworthy sported a TRUMP 2024 flag.

With a period near successful the statesmanlike campaign, former president Donald Trump returned to Butler for a rally little than 3 months aft the assassination attempt connected Trump’s beingness that resulted successful the decease of 1 rally attendee. This time, Trump was joined by X proprietor Elon Musk and vice statesmanlike campaigner JD Vance.

“Welcome Back to Butler, Mr. President,” work a connection successful Trump’s walk-on video.

When Trump started speaking, the aforesaid illustration astir amerciable migration helium was referring to successful the moments earlier the attempted assassination appeared connected screen. “And arsenic I was saying,” Trump said. He’d timed this infinitesimal truthful that it took spot astatine precisely 6:11 pm, which was erstwhile helium was changeable successful the receptor connected July 13. He besides held a “moment of silence” honoring those who were injured oregon killed during the assassination effort successful July. Opera vocalist Christopher Macchio sang Ave Maria, and radical successful the assemblage removed their hats, wiped their eyes, and immoderate adjacent took a genu arsenic Trump looked connected solemnly.

“Over the past 8 years, those who privation to halt america from achieving this aboriginal person slandered me, impeached me, indicted me, tried to propulsion maine disconnected the ballot, and who knows? Maybe adjacent effort to termination me,” said Trump, floating the conspiracy mentation that the attempted assassination was orchestrated by his governmental opponents. “12 weeks agone we each took a slug for America.”

Trump aboriginal invited Musk connected stage. The X proprietor walked connected wearing a achromatic blazer implicit a garment saying “Occupy Mars” and a achromatic MAGA hat. “As you tin see, I’m not conscionable MAGA,” said Musk. “I’m acheronian MAGA.” Dark MAGA is simply a memecoin, a benignant of cryptocurrency inspired by online trends. The valuation of Dark MAGA soared close astir the clip that Musk spoke.

Musk repeatedly implored assemblage members and viewers to registry to vote. “This predetermination is the astir important predetermination of our lifetime,” said Musk. “This is nary mean election.”

He wrapped up his little code with an ominous message: “Get everyone you know, and everyone you don't know, resistance them to registry to vote,” helium said. “If they don’t, this volition beryllium the past election. That’s my prediction.”

Musk’s quality astatine Saturday’s rally marked a large benchmark successful his governmental evolution. Following the assassination effort against Trump successful Butler, Musk posted connected X that helium had decided to “fully endorse” the erstwhile president, and soon aft announced the creation of a governmental enactment committee (PAC) to enactment Trump’s campaign. Musk initially said helium would donate $45 cardinal per period to the PAC, though helium has since changed his tune. Musk besides hosted Trump for a glitchy unrecorded conversation connected X Spaces successful August.

Musk was antecedently an Obama, Clinton and Biden elector who donated to politicians connected some sides of the aisle but touted himself arsenic idiosyncratic who mostly tried to enactment retired of politics. At a 2015 Vanity Fair event, Musk said helium hoped Trump wouldn’t clinch the Republican information for president due to the fact that “that wouldn’t beryllium good” and “would beryllium a spot embarrassing.” He besides told CNBC that helium didn’t judge Trump had the “sort of quality that reflects good connected the United States” portion voicing enactment for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s argumentation platform. In 2017, Musk donated large sums to Republicans, signaling a imaginable right-ward displacement successful his governmental outlook. And successful 2020, he bamboozled galore of his fans with a cryptic Twitter post: “Take the Red Pill.”