Musk Takes a Leap Into Trump Rallies

As a public speaker, Elon Musk usually is somewhat subdued. But his enthusiasm for Donald Trump apparently transformed him Saturday in a high-energy, bouncy appearance at the candidate's rally in Pennsylvania. Jumping up and down, arms raised, the billionaire's joyful presentation contrasted with darker messages, which he illustrated to the crowd in Butler, the New York Times reports. With a nod to nodded to his black "Make America Great Again" cap, Musk said, "As you can see, I'm not just MAGA, I'm dark MAGA." Then he told the Trump supporters to register to vote, flipping an opposition argument to cast Democrats as a threat to democracy.

"President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution," Musk said. "He must win to preserve democracy in America." Trump is charged with crimes connected with trying to overcome the result of the 2020 election, CNBC points out. "The other side wants to take away your freedom of speech," Musk said. "They want to take away your right to bear arms. They want to take away your right to vote, effectively." Republicans have filed several lawsuits to reduce the voting pool before Nov. 5, mostly by disqualifying people likely to vote for Democrats, the Times points out. It was Musk's first appearance at a rally for the GOP presidential nominee. (More Elon Musk stories.)