In Butler, Pennsylvania, a billboard proclaimed “In Musk We Trust” as a Tesla Cybertruck parked nearby displayed a TRUMP 2024 flag.
With just a month remaining in the presidential race, former President Donald Trump returned to Butler for a rally, nearly three months after an attempted assassination on his life, which resulted in the death of one attendee. This time, Trump was accompanied by X owner Elon Musk and vice presidential candidate JD Vance.
“Welcome Back to Butler, Mr. President,” read the message in Trump’s entrance video.
As Trump began his address, a chart regarding illegal immigration, which he had shown moments before the assassination attempt, appeared on the screen. “And as I was saying,” Trump stated, having timed his speech to coincide with 6:11 PM, the moment when he was shot in the ear on July 13. He also held a “moment of silence” in remembrance of those injured or killed in the attack, while opera singer Christopher Macchio performed Ave Maria. Attendees removed their hats, wiped their eyes, and some took a knee as Trump observed solemnly.
“Over the past eight years, those who aim to prevent us from achieving our future have slandered me, impeached me, indicted me, attempted to remove me from the ballot, and perhaps even tried to kill me,” Trump claimed, suggesting that his political adversaries orchestrated the assassination attempt. “Twelve weeks ago, we all took a bullet for America.”
Trump later invited Musk to the stage. Musk stepped up wearing a black blazer over a shirt that read “Occupy Mars” and a black MAGA hat. “As you can see, I’m not just MAGA,” Musk declared. “I’m dark MAGA.” The valuation of Dark MAGA, a memecoin inspired by online trends, surged following Musk’s remarks.
Musk urged the crowd and viewers to register to vote. “This election is the most important election of our lifetime,” he asserted. “This is no ordinary election.”
He concluded his speech with a stark warning: “Get everyone you know, and everyone you don’t know, drag them to register to vote,” he urged. “If they don’t, this will be the last election. That’s my prediction.”
Musk’s presence at the rally represented a significant shift in his political journey. After the assassination attempt on Trump, Musk took to X to announce his “full endorsement” of the former president and subsequently revealed the formation of a political action committee (PAC) to support Trump’s campaign. Initially pledging to donate $45 million monthly to the PAC, Musk’s stance has since evolved. He also hosted Trump for a live chat on X Spaces in August.
A former supporter of Obama, Clinton, and Biden, Musk had previously donated to politicians across the political spectrum while claiming to mostly avoid political involvement. In 2015, he expressed hope that Trump would not secure the Republican nomination, reflecting his reluctance toward Trump’s candidacy. By 2020, however, he stirred confusion among his followers with a cryptic tweet: “Take the Red Pill,” indicating a notable shift in his political alignment.