Billionaire tech executive cast the upcoming presidential election in dire terms during a Saturday appearance with , calling the Republican presidential nominee the only candidate 鈥渢o preserve democracy in America.鈥�
The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla who also purchased X, Musk joined Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the former president in July. He warned 鈥渢his will be the last election鈥� if Trump doesn鈥檛 win and, clad in a black-on-black cap bearing the 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� slogan of Trump鈥檚 campaign, appeared to acknowledge the foreboding nature of his remarks.
鈥淎s you can see I am not just MAGA 鈥� I am Dark MAGA,鈥� he said.
The appearance marked the first time Musk joined one of Trump's trademark rallies and represented the growing alliance between the two men in the final stretch of a competitive presidential election. Musk created a super PAC supporting the Republican nominee that has been spending heavily on get-out-the-vote efforts in the final months of the campaign. Trump has said he would tap Musk to lead a if he regains the White House.
Trump joined Musk in August for on X, an overwhelmingly friendly chat that spanned more than two hours. In it, the former president largely focused on the July assassination attempt, illegal immigration and his plans to cut government regulations.
Before a massive crowd on Saturday, Musk sought to portray Trump as a champion of free speech, arguing that Democrats want 鈥渢o take away your freedom of speech, they want to take away your right to bear arms, they want to take away your fight to vote, effectively." Musk went on to criticize a California effort to ban voter ID requirements.
Saturday鈥檚 rally took place at the same property where a gunman鈥檚 bullets grazed Trump鈥檚 right ear and killed his supporter, . The shooting left multiple others injured.
Several members of Comperatore鈥檚 family, as well as other attendees and first responders from the July rally, returned to the site on Saturday. Also appearing with the former president were his running mate Republican Ohio Sen. , son , daughter-in-law and RNC co-chair , along with Pennsylvania lawmakers and sheriffs.
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Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina, and can be reached at .
Meg Kinnard, The Associated Press
