Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with additional comments from Elon Musk.
Elon Musk was quick to endorse Donald Trump after the former president was shot at during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. In a post on X, the social media platform he owns, the Tesla CEO said he faced a similar predicament on more than one occasion in the past year and also weighed in a safety option for himself.
What Happened: While responding to a post by Ian Miles Cheong, a far-right political commentator from Malaysia, Musk cautioned of “dangerous times ahead.” Cheong urged Musk to triple his protection. “If they can come for Trump they will also come for you,” he said, tagging Musk.
In response, Musk said on separate occasions two people tried killing him in the past eight months. “They were arrested with guns about 20 mins drive from Tesla HQ in Texas,” he said.
Other Tesla influencers had a piece of advice for Musk. One of them said, “Please beef up your security even more. Your family and the world need you.”
Replying to him, the billionaire said, "Maybe it's time to build that flying metal suit of armor.
Backs Trump For Presidency: Almost immediately after the shooting, Musk confirmed publicly for the first time that he is endorsing the presumptive Republican candidate. “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” he said in a post.
Replying to a post showing a video clip of Trump raising his fist, Musk said, “Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt.”
The billionaire entrepreneur also slammed security arrangements at the rally, calling upon the heads of the Secret Service and security detail to resign. An eyewitness told BBC that he tried to inform authorities about a suspicious man on a roof with a rifle and that he was ignored.
In a separate post, Musk said, “Extreme incompetence or it was deliberate. Either way, the SS leadership must resign.”
Why It’s Important: Musk, the world’s richest man, has been threatened before. He came down hard on reporters in 2022 for sharing his real-time location, banning their accounts on the platform. The journalists were banned for publicizing details from the now-suspended @ElonJet account, which provided real-time details regarding where the billionaire’s private jet was flying.
The Tesla CEO also previously hinted at potential assassination attempts on him. In a post in May 2022, he said, “If I die under mysterious circumstances, it's been nice knowing ya,” he said.
When Musk’s SpaceX decided to supply Starlink satellites to Ukraine, the billionaire was threatened by Russian space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin.
Read Next:
Photo: Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
