FOLSOM, Pa. (AP) — Elon Musk held his first solo occasion in assist of Donald Trump for president on Thursday, encouraging voters within the Philadelphia suburbs to register to solid their ballots and vote early, although some attendees shouted again, “Why?”
The America PAC occasion at Ridley Excessive College’s auditorium in Folsom featured the world’s richest man talking onstage in entrance of a big U.S. flag for roughly quarter-hour earlier than taking questions from the gang, lots of whom wore “Make America Great Again” hats.
The occasion was billed as a name to motion to vote early within the essential battleground state of Pennsylvania, the place Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris are fiercely contesting the election. Some within the crowd questioned Musk’s entreaties to vote early, reflecting the chance that Republicans are nonetheless persuading their supporters to embrace early voting after Trump spent years demonizing the strategy.
The group rose to its toes and took cellphone movies as Musk, the billionaire founding father of Tesla and House X and proprietor of the social media platform X, walked onstage. They remained standing throughout his remarks and cheered loudly after he stated the U.S. Structure must 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,” stated Musk, who was born in South Africa. The group erupted.
He exhorted the gang to ensure they and their family and friends have been registered to vote and to “pester” those that weren’t. Towards the top of the query interval, which included greater than a dozen from these within the viewers, he was requested to elucidate whether or not individuals ought to vote early in Pennsylvania. Musk was momentarily distracted by a fan waving a hat, which he appeared to signal, after which by a toddler whom he introduced onstage for a photograph.
Redirected to the query, he stated individuals ought to vote instantly.
Some within the crowd cupped their fingers and shouted, “Why?” He didn’t reply. A spokesperson stated after the occasion that he didn’t have extra remark.
Trump for years has sowed doubt about mail and early voting by claiming it was rife with fraud, although voter fraud is uncommon in america. This 12 months, Republicans are making a renewed push to encourage their supporters to vote early and lock of their ballots, although they acknowledge skepticism from these conditioned by Trump’s false claims.
John and Linda Chicken, a pair who attended the occasion, stated they’d issues in regards to the integrity of the voting system and apprehensive about voting early.
John Chicken stated he deliberate to vote on Election Day. Linda pointed to an indication given out on the occasion that stated Trump referred to as for early voting and apprehensive about the potential of not attending to the polls on Nov. 5.
Nonetheless, she stated she’d solid her poll on Election Day, too.
“Anything can happen, you know, you wake up that morning, some catastrophe happens or whatever,” she stated. “But, you know, we’re planning on voting on Nov. 5.”
Anna Moneymaker through Getty Photographs
One of many questioners requested about fraud in elections — one thing Trump has falsely insisted price him the 2020 race. An Related Press overview of each potential case of voter fraud within the six battleground states disputed by Trump discovered fewer than 475, a quantity that might have made no distinction within the consequence.
Musk stated sarcastically that it should be a coincidence that Dominion voting machines, which had been on the middle of conspiracy theories within the 2020 election, have been utilized in Philadelphia and Maricopa County, Arizona, positioned in two battleground states received by Democrat Joe Biden. In 2023, Fox Information agreed to pay Dominion Voting Methods $787 million to keep away from a trial in a defamation lawsuit the voting machine firm introduced in opposition to the community for lies advised about their firm switching ballots.
In an emailed assertion Thursday, Dominion stated its machines aren’t utilized in Philadelphia, as Musk stated. The assertion additionally stated its techniques are primarily based on “verified paper ballots.”
“These are not matters of opinion. They are verifiable facts.” Dominion stated.
Musk has turn into a serious booster of Trump this marketing campaign season. On Thursday night, he solid the election in dire phrases.
“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 stated.
Individuals have been lined as much as attend earlier than 3 p.m. as faculty was letting out. Just a few individuals started to depart early when it grew to become clear that not everybody who had lined as much as ask a query would have an opportunity to ask one.
The occasion was livestreamed on X, previously Twitter, and was at instances glitchy and troublesome to observe, even because it drew lots of of 1000’s of viewers.
Assist Free Journalism
Already contributed? Log in to cover these messages.
Musk is endeavor a lot of the get-out-the-vote effort for Trump by his America PAC, an excellent PAC that may increase and spend limitless sums of cash. He has dedicated greater than $70 million to the tremendous PAC to assist Trump and different Republicans win in November.
Trump and the Republican Nationwide Committee he controls opted for an unorthodox technique of sharing canvassing duties in key areas with teams like Musk’s. They’ve additionally targeted their efforts not on impartial or reasonable voters, however on those that already assist Trump however normally don’t vote.
Republican activists in swing states stated in September that they’d seen little exercise from the PAC’s get-out-the-vote efforts.
Related Press author Stephen Groves in Washington contributed to this report.
