Elon Musk makes first appearance at Trump rally casting election in dire terms

Billionaire tech government Elon Musk forged the upcoming presidential election in dire terms throughout a Saturday appearance with Donald Trump, calling the Republican presidential nominee the one candidate “to protect democracy in America.”

The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla who additionally bought X, Musk joined Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, the place the previous president survived an assassination attempt in July. He warned “this would be the final election” if Trump doesn’t win and, clad in a black-on-black cap bearing the “Make America Nice Once more” slogan of Trump’s marketing campaign, appeared to acknowledge the foreboding nature of his remarks.

“As you’ll be able to see I’m not simply MAGA — I’m Darkish MAGA,” he mentioned.

The appearance marked the first time Musk joined one in all Trump’s trademark rallies and represented the rising alliance between the 2 males in the ultimate stretch of a aggressive presidential election. Musk created a brilliant PAC supporting the Republican nominee that has been spending closely on get-out-the-vote efforts in the ultimate months of the marketing campaign. Trump has mentioned he would faucet Musk to steer a government efficiency commission if he regains the White Home.

Trump joined Musk in August for a rare public conversation on X, an overwhelmingly pleasant chat that spanned greater than two hours. In it, the previous president largely centered on the July assassination try, unlawful immigration and his plans to chop authorities rules.

Earlier than an enormous crowd on Saturday, Musk sought to painting Trump as a champion of free speech, arguing that Democrats need “to remove your freedom of speech, they wish to take away your proper to bear arms, they wish to take away your battle to vote, successfully.” Musk went on to criticize a California effort to ban voter ID necessities.

Saturday’s rally happened at the identical property the place a gunman’s bullets grazed Trump’s proper ear and killed his supporter, Corey Comperatore. The taking pictures left a number of others injured.

A number of members of Comperatore’s household, in addition to different attendees and first responders from the July rally, returned to the location on Saturday. Additionally showing with the previous president had been his working mate Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance, son Eric Trump, daughter-in-law and RNC co-chair Lara Trump, together with Pennsylvania lawmakers and sheriffs.

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Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina, and will be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP.