Within Hour of Gunshots, Musk Picked His 2024 Candidate

Elon Musk had not endorsed a candidate in this year's presidential race—until Saturday. Roughly 30 minutes after Donald Trump was shot, the billionaire weighed in: "I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," Musk tweeted. And when it became clear that Trump would be OK, he added, "Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt." Musk continued posting through the weekend, notes Tim Higgins at the Wall Street Journal, who sees the move as consequential. Musk is, after all, a "master of the memes, shaping narratives and rallying his echoverse to his cause—and, Trump would hope, to vote."

The Washington Post reports that Musk led a "chorus of right-leaning tech and business leaders" who backed Trump after the shooting. The list includes hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, who has been a longtime supporter of Democrats. One of the narratives Musk was busy shaping, notes the Post, was the idea that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts at the Secret Service led to compromised security. Musk also asserted that two people have tried to kill him in the last eight months and warned, "Dangerous times ahead." Adds Axios: "Even before endorsing Trump, Musk frequently trolled Democrats and engaged with right-wing commentators who view him as a like-minded culture warrior." (He also reportedly made a big donation to a pro-Trump PAC.)