Musk urges Trump supporters to vote during brief appearance at Butler rally

Elon Musk threw his support behind former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday, saying to a cheering crowd that “nothing is more important” than voting for him.

“President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution. He must win to preserve democracy in America,” said the Silicon Valley scion-turned Trump super supporter, adding that a win for Democrats would make this the “last election.”

Musk — the head of Tesla, SpaceX and X who is often referred to as the richest man in the world — first endorsed Trump the day of the assassination attempt against him exactly 12 weeks ago, posting to his social media platform X a video of Trump’s raised fist and writing, “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.”

“The true test of someone's character is how they behave under fire, and we had one president who couldn't climb a flight of stairs and another who was fist pumping after getting shot,” Musk said Saturday.

When Musk walked on stage, the crowd of thousands jumped to its feet and cheered, a high point for a rally that at other times was unusually somber.

During the 2024 election cycle, Musk has played an outsized role in helping the former president, posting on social media his praise for Trump while also attacking Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris, including a now-deleted post where he said “no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala.”

In July, the billionaire said he would donate $45 million per month to a super PAC supporting Trump, though he has since pared down that commitment . Musk also backs America PAC, which is largely responsible for Trump’s ground game in the battleground states.

In August, Musk, during a glitch-filled event , interviewed Trump on X ; last month, Trump suggested he would give Musk a government position that would essentially make him an American oligarch .

“Vote, vote, vote,” Musk chanted. “Fight, fight, fight.”