Musk Urges Pennsylvanians to Vote Early as Some Ask 'Why?'

Billionaire holds first solo event for Trump
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 18, 2024 12:30 AM CDT
Elon Musk Holds Solo Event for Trump in Pennsylvania
Elon Musk speaks as part of a campaign town hall in support of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in Folsom, Pa., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Elon Musk held his first solo event in support of Donald Trump for president on Thursday, encouraging voters in the Philadelphia suburbs to register to cast their ballots and vote early, though some attendees shouted back, "Why?" The America PAC event at Ridley High School's auditorium in Folsom featured the world's richest man speaking onstage in front of a large US flag for roughly 15 minutes before taking questions from the crowd, the AP reports. The event was billed as a call to action to vote early in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania, but some in the crowd questioned Musk's entreaties to vote early, reflecting the possibility that Republicans are still persuading their supporters to embrace early voting after Trump spent years demonizing the method.

The crowd rose to its feet and took cellphone videos as Musk walked onstage. They remained standing during his remarks and cheered loudly after he said the US Constitution needs to be upheld. "This is literally the fundamental values that made America what it is today. And anyone who is against those things is fundamentally anti-American and to hell with them," said Musk, who was born in South Africa. The crowd erupted. "I haven't been politically active before. I'm politically active now because I think the future of America and the future of civilization is at stake," he said.

He exhorted the crowd to make sure they and their friends and family were registered to vote and to "pester" those who weren't. Toward the end of the question period, which included more than a dozen from those in the audience, he was asked to explain whether people should vote early in Pennsylvania. Musk was momentarily distracted by a fan waving a hat, which he appeared to sign, and then by a child whom he brought onstage for a photo. Redirected to the question, he said people should vote immediately. Some in the crowd cupped their hands and shouted, "Why?" He did not answer. A spokesperson said after the event that he didn't have additional comment. Meanwhile, another billionaire, Mark Cuban, appeared alongside Trump's opponent Kamala Harris in Wisconsin on Thursday, NBC News reports. (More Election 2024 stories.)

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