For 4 days billionaire Elon Musk toured Pennsylvania, placing his cash and fame into serving to Republican Donald Trump’s marketing campaign to take again the White House in November.
Musk drew reward from conservatives at his rallies whereas fielding questions on synthetic intelligence, authorities regulation, sentient robots and vaccines.
He additionally made a string of false claims about election fraud, a few of them echoing these made by Trump the final 4 years.
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and proprietor of the X social media platform, Musk additionally handed out two $1 million checks to randomly picked individuals who signed his on-line petition backing U.S. constitutional rights to freedom of speech and bear arms.
Musk, 53, has greater than a passing curiosity in Trump’s success. If reelected, Trump guarantees to make Musk head of a authorities effectivity fee, a job Musk vows will assist rid the nation of laws he views as dangerous for the financial system and a deterrent to doing enterprise.
CASH
Musk shocked a crowd of roughly 1,500 at a nondenominational church within the Pennsylvania capital of Harrisburg on Saturday when he introduced he was gifting away $1 million. The first winner was John Dreher, who rushed to the stage in a signature crimson MAGA cap, pumping his arms within the air.
“I’ve been following you for 10 years, bought your biography 10 years in the past and been watching ever since,” Dreher stated to Musk.
On Sunday, Musk awarded one other $1 million verify to Kristine Fishell, who appeared shocked as her identify was known as and she or he took the stage in a crimson Trump T-shirt.
“Thank you a lot for … I imply I actually imagine every little thing you are doing, actually. You do not have to be doing it, I do know a variety of us really feel the identical approach.”
Musk stated the winners are picked randomly however should have signed his petition and be registered voters within the battleground states that may resolve November’s election, akin to Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona.
His handouts have stirred authorized questions.
CONSPIRACIES
Musk has additionally embraced conspiracy theories pushed by Trump, and is spinning a few of his personal.
He revived false theories claiming that voting machines rig elections – an assertion that has been repeatedly debunked because it was pushed by these in search of to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss.
He talked about Dominion Voting Systems, which final yr sued Fox News for defamation over false claims that the corporate engaged in a vote-rigging conspiracy. Dominion agreed to a landmark $787 million settlement with the community.
“There’s at all times a type of query of like, say, the Dominion voting machines. It is bizarre that the, , I believe they’re utilized in Philadelphia and in Maricopa County (Arizona), however not in a variety of different locations.”
In an announcement, Dominion pointed to inaccuracies in Musk’s feedback, together with the very fact they do not function in Philadelphia.
Musk additionally accused Democrats of channeling huge numbers of migrants who enter the U.S. illegally into battleground states.
Presenting no proof, he alleged that Harris would legalize the migrants after the election if she wins, giving Democrats clear majorities in these states.
The Harris marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. Similar claims have been debunked prior to now.
‘POST THE EVIDENCE’
For many on the occasions, the concept the 2020 election was stolen from Trump was taken as truth regardless of an absence of proof.
One attendee in Harrisburg requested Musk what he was doing to forestall a recurrence. Musk responded by leaning into the unfounded allegations.
“I imply if the margin of victory is excessive sufficient, then I believe it may well exceed any type of dishonest which will happen. So we will intention for only a large margin,” Musk stated.
He inspired individuals to make use of his X platform, previously often called Twitter, to shine a highlight on potential election dishonest.
“If individuals assume there is a fraud, then they need to publish the photographs, publish the movies, publish the proof,” he stated.
SHARKS AND WHALES
Musk has thousands and thousands of {dollars} in authorities contracts and his corporations face vital and at occasions pricey authorities laws which usually are designed to guard issues like shoppers, ingesting water and wildlife.
Musk was requested if in such a job he would take a flamethrower to stacks of laws and publish a video of it. “I believe a bonfire of nonsense laws can be epic,” Musk stated.
Musk recounted how SpaceX was compelled to conduct a research to find out whether or not his rockets would harm sharks when touchdown within the water.
“I’m like, it is a large ocean, , there’s a variety of sharks. It’s not inconceivable, however it’s not possible,” Musk stated.
Reluctantly, they performed the research solely to be instructed to do an analogous evaluate on potential threats to whales, Musk stated.