Elon Musk implores Americans to vote for Trump to save democracy
Donning an all-black MAGA cap, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk implored Americans watching his speech at Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday to get everyone they know registered to vote for the former president, warning that if they don’t, “this will be the last election.”
“This is a must-win situation,” Musk declared at the Butler Farm Show grounds, the site of the first assassination attempt on Trump’s life.
Musk said he decided to support Trump after seeing his response to nearly being killed.
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“The true test of someone's character,” he said, “is how they behave under fire.”
Contrasting President Joe Biden with Trump, Musk added, “We had one president who couldn't climb a flight of stairs and another who was fist-pumping after getting shot. Fight, fight, fight. Blood coming down the face.”
“America is the home of the brave. And there's no truer test than courage under fire,” he continued, inferring that the Republican presidential candidate exhibited that quality best at home and abroad.
Ahead of Musk’s brief talk, Trump lauded the entrepreneur’s creation of Starlink and its use to help residents in the Southeastern U.S. struggling amid the aftermath of Hurricane Helene as they await the restoration of essential services and work to rebuild their lives.
“I called up Elon, I said, ‘North Carolina's in big trouble. Georgia's in big trouble,’ Trump recounted of their phone call. ‘They need communication. They have none because their poles have been knocked down, and their wires are under water, even dangerously under water, but they have no communication. Elon, could you do something about Starlink?’”
Trump added that during the call, Musk already had the distribution underway.
On Friday, however, Musk said in a post on X that his “blood was boiling” after learning that SpaceX engineers were "trying to deliver Starlink terminals & supplies to devastated areas in North Carolina [...] and @FEMA wouldn’t let them land to deliver critical supplies … “
Later, according to Fox Business, Musk said the issue with FEMA had been resolved, and his team had “delivered goods” and deployed more than 300 Starlink devices.
At the rally, Musk described the 2024 presidential election as “no ordinary election” because, in his view, “the other side wants to take away your freedom of speech” and the Second Amendment.
He also warned the 60,000 in attendance and millions watching that some politicians also “want to take away your right to vote” and are accomplishing that in part by not requiring voter ID.
“You have 14 states now that don't require voter ID. California, where I used to live, just passed a law banning voter ID for voting. I still can't believe that's real,” Musk exclaimed before asking, “How are you supposed to have a good, proper election if there's no ID?”
Turning back to the issue of free speech, which Musk called “the bedrock of democracy,” he asked, if voices and information are censored, how can Americans “make an informed vote?”
“You must have free speech in order to have democracy. That's why it's the First Amendment and the Second Amendment is there to ensure that we have the First Amendment. President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution. He must win to preserve democracy in America,” Musk said, emphatically.
This led Musk to reiterate his call for citizens to ensure they’re registered to vote and to make sure everyone they know in Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania — states where time to register is running out — are also registered to vote.
Musk said he was being “repetitive for a reason” because, in his opinion, there’s “nothing more important” for the country at this time than the election of Trump as the 47th president of the United States.
If people don't vote, he warned, “this will be the last election. That's my prediction.”
Earlier at the rally, Trump’s running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, cited Psalm 23:4 to express his belief that Trump surviving the assassination attempt in Buter was a “true miracle.”
“Now, I believe, as sure I’m standing here today, that what happened was a true miracle. And on that day, America felt the truth of Scripture,” he added, citing Psalm 23:4, in part: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
“I truly believe that God saved President Trump’s life that day. And I believe that God is with us right now and watches over this incredible nation every single day,” he declared.
The former president also survived a second failed assassination attempt at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15 when shooter Ryan Wesley Routh attempted to kill the president while he was golfing.
At the Butler rally, Trump reflected on the Butler assassination attempt, telling supporters, “Exactly 12 weeks ago this evening, on this very ground, a cold-blooded assassin aimed to silence me and to silence the greatest movement, MAGA, in the history of our country.
He continued: “For 16 harrowing seconds during the gunfire, time stopped as this vicious monster unleashed pure evil from his sniper's perch [ …]. But by the hand of providence and the grace of God, that villain did not succeed in his goal. He did not stop our movement. He did not break our spirit. He did not shake our unyielding resolve to save America from evils of poverty, hatred and destruction.”
The president also held a moment of silence for 50-year-old Butler resident Corey Comperatore, who was shot and killed at the July 13 rally. The period of silence began at 6:11 p.m. to mark the time the shooting started. It was followed by a performance of "Ave Maria" by opera singer Christopher Macchio.
