Tech billionaire Elon Musk formally endorsed former President Donald Trump following a failed assassination attempt on Saturday, which left Trump with a minor injury to his ear and another man, Corey Comperatore, dead.
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“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” said Musk on X, following the assassination attempt.
The event has also reportedly led Musk to pledge around $45 million per month to President Trump’s campaign via the America PAC, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The report cited “people familiar with the matter” as its source, and Musk has not yet publicly confirmed or disputed the information.
The endorsements and donations from Musk mark a significant shift in his public stance on politics.
Musk, who purchased Twitter and renamed it X because he wanted to preserve a bastion of free speech amid government-backed online censorship, has been an outspoken critic of the Biden Administration.
Despite publicly criticizing the liberal establishment and often showing support for conservative media personalities and policies, he had previously avoided openly endorsing any candidates or pledging any political donations.
The Trump assassination attempt seems to have removed any reluctance Musk had about fully endorsing the Republican nominee.
In addition to reportedly pledging a vast sum to support Trump’s re-election campaign, Musk has donated $100,000 to a fundraiser meant to support the families of the bystanders injured or killed by the attempted assassin at the rally in Pennsylvania.
The assassination attempt and Trump’s display of courage have led many who were reluctant to show their support for Trump to come out openly in favor of the president.
The Republican response was contrasted by Democrats, who either called for a vague calming of political rhetoric, accused Trump of staging the attempt on his life, or lamented Trump’s survival.
Since issuing his full endorsement, Musk has also praised Trump’s selection of Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate.
