CV NEWS FEED // Billionaire Elon Musk endorsed former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election about a half-hour after Trump survived an assassination attempt during a Pennsylvania rally.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote Saturday evening.
Musk’s post on X (formerly Twitter) received over a million “likes” in less than four hours, making it one of the most “liked” posts in the history of the application.
The post also included a video clip of Trump triumphantly raising his fist just after sustaining the gunshot wound.
Six minutes later, Musk posted a still image of Trump with his fist outstretched and cheek bloodied and an American flag flying in the background.
“Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt,” Musk wrote in a subsequent post.
Roosevelt was shot during a campaign speech in 1912. The 26th president survived the assassination attempt and famously continued his speech with the bullet lodged in his chest, likening himself to a “Bull Moose.”
Popular X account Wall Street Silver replied to Musk’s endorsement of Trump, asking: “Did Trump just win the election?”
Musk currently has over 189 million followers on X, by far the most of any person.
Shortly before publicly endorsing Trump, Musk was revealed to have donated a significant amount of money to America PAC, a political action committee that supports Trump’s candidacy.
The New York Post reported on Friday, the day before the assassination attempt, that “America PAC was formed in Austin, Texas in May – where Musk’s electric car company Tesla is headquartered.”
>> TRUMP INJURED IN FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT <<
Musk has not always sided with Trump and has stated that he used to vote exclusively for Democrats.
The billionaire has admitted to supporting Biden over Trump in 2020, although it is unclear if he actually voted in the election.
As of July 14, 2024, Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, with a net worth of $249.8 billion.
In addition to X, which he bought in 2022, Musk also currently owns and serves as the CEO of the automotive company Tesla and the aeronautics company SpaceX.
Musk is not the only formerly Democratic-leaning billionaire to formally endorse Trump in the immediate aftermath of the failed assassination attempt.
Hedge fund manager and former Democratic donor Bill Ackman wrote on X Saturday night, “I am going to formally endorse [Trump].”