Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, spoke at the Milken Conference 2024 in Beverly Hills, California, on May 6, 2024.
Moments after former President Donald Trump, who is the presumptive Republican nominee, was rushed off stage by secret service members following gunshots at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Musk took to X to express his support.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk posted on X.
Trump was taken to a local medical facility for care. His spokesman reassured the public that the former president “will be fine,” although Trump appeared to have blood on the side of his head and ear.
Musk also posted a photo on X showing Trump pumping his fist into the air with the American flag behind him, while secret service members scrambled to protect him. In his post, Musk compared Trump to Theodore Roosevelt, who survived an assassination attempt while campaigning for president in 1912.
Authorities confirmed that one spectator from the rally is dead, and a second person is in serious condition, according to the district attorney in Butler County, where the rally took place. The shooter is also deceased, NBC News reports.
Though Musk had not directly endorsed Trump prior to the incident, he had voiced his opposition to President Joe Biden returning to the White House. In March, he stated he would not donate money to either presidential candidate.
Musk met Trump earlier this year at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach and mentioned during Tesla’s 2024 annual shareholder meeting that he has had conversations with Trump, who “does call me out of the blue for no reason.”
Bloomberg reported on Friday that Musk had contributed a “sizable” but undisclosed amount to a pro-Trump super PAC called America PAC.
Musk, with an estimated net worth of about $250 billion according to Forbes, is currently the wealthiest person in the world.
This story is ongoing; please check back for updates.